Son Held on $3M Bail in Killing of Oberlin Professor and Wife

Oberlin, Ohio — A son has been charged with murder after his father, an Oberlin College photography professor, and his stepmother were found shot to death in their home this week, college and police officials said, according to The Guardian.

Pipo Nguyen-Duy, 64, who chaired the studio art department at the liberal arts college near Lake Erie, and his wife, Tran Thi Phong, 56, were discovered shot dead inside their home on Wednesday, authorities said. Nguyen-Duy had taught at Oberlin for nearly 30 years.

How was the shooting discovered?

The case began with a car fire in a parking lot in Oberlin on Wednesday morning, authorities told the Guardian. Officers responding to the blaze found a Toyota hatchback carrying Oregon license plates registered to Daniel Jones, 31, the professor's son. Inside the vehicle, investigators recovered Jones's wallet, his passport and ammunition, according to police.

The discovery prompted officers to go to Nguyen-Duy and Thi Phong's home for a wellness check. After forcing entry, officers found the couple shot to death inside, authorities said.

What charges does Daniel Jones face?

Jones was charged with six counts of murder, four counts of felonious assault and one count of tampering with evidence, officials said. He made an initial court appearance on Thursday and did not enter a plea. A judge set bail at $3 million.

Officials said Jones had cuts to his face and injuries to his hand and arm at the time of his arrest, though the Guardian's report does not specify how those injuries occurred.

How was Jones located and arrested?

More than an hour after the car fire was reported, officers found Jones roughly a mile from the scene. Police responded to a call from a resident who reported a

"wet, disheveled man"

at her front door, according to the Guardian's account of the police report. Officers took Jones into custody at that location without incident, authorities said.

Jones's attorney, Jenifer Berki Merrill, told the outlet that her client prefers to go by his birth name, Asia Nguyen-Duy, rather than Daniel Jones.

Is a motive known?

Officials said they are still investigating a motive for the killings and have not disclosed one publicly. Oberlin police have been in contact with Jones's mother, who lives in Oregon, ABC News reported, as cited by the Guardian. Her name has not been released. She told officials that Jones has a mental illness and requires medication, according to that reporting. No further detail on his medical or psychiatric history has been made public by investigators.

What is known about the victims?

Nguyen-Duy, an award-winning photographer, migrated to the United States from Vietnam, according to the Guardian's report, which does not provide further biographical detail on his early life. He had served as studio art chair at Oberlin College, a role that placed him at the head of the department for a campus community that the Guardian described as "shaken" by the deaths. Thi Phong, 56, was his wife. No additional biographical information about her was included in available reporting.

Oberlin College has not issued a separate public statement beyond what officials relayed to the Guardian, and the case remains under investigation. No additional court dates were specified in the material released so far. The Lorain County prosecutor's office and Oberlin police have not released further details on the sequence of events inside the home or on any relationship history between Jones and his father and stepmother.

The case is being handled by local authorities in Oberlin, a city of roughly 8,300 people in northern Ohio best known as the home of Oberlin College and Conservatory. Further hearings in the case had not been scheduled as of Friday, according to the available reporting.

What has Oberlin College said publicly?

Oberlin College, a liberal arts school located near Lake Erie in northern Ohio, has not issued a detailed written statement of its own beyond information relayed to the Guardian by officials, according to the outlet's reporting. The Guardian described the campus as

"shaken"

by Nguyen-Duy's death, citing the reaction among students and faculty after officials confirmed the shootings this week. The college has not named a replacement for Nguyen-Duy as studio art chair, and no memorial events had been announced in the reporting reviewed, according to The Guardian.