Background: News footage of the home of Lue Yang and Se Vang, who were killed by their teenage son on Dec. 27, 2023 (KFSN). Inset: Lue Yang and Se Vang (GoFundMe).
A teenager from California, who confessed to the murder of his parents and the attempted murder of his sister, has been sentenced to six years of juvenile detention.
The 16-year-old, whose identity remains undisclosed due to his age, faced a juvenile court on Wednesday. He was found guilty of killing his parents, Lue Yang and Se Vang, both 37, and attempting to murder his 11-year-old sister. Fortunately, his 7-year-old brother was unharmed in the incident that took place at their home in Miramonte, a community located in California’s Central Valley.
As reported by local ABC station KFSN, the boy, then 14, initially dialed 911 on December 27, 2023, alleging a home invasion. However, within a week, he confessed to fabricating the story and admitted to committing the crimes himself.
In a press briefing held soon after the tragic incident, Fresno County Sheriff John Zanoni revealed that the teenager had “fabricated” the details in his 911 call and had used “multiple weapons” to attack his family members. The motive behind the horrific acts was never disclosed to the public.
Prosecutors from the Fresno County District Attorney’s office pursued the case in juvenile court, which kept many case details confidential. In California, individuals under 16 years old cannot be tried as adults.
The teen faced a maximum possible sentence of seven years in juvenile detention. The judge ultimately sentenced him to six years, meaning he will be released at the age of 22.
KFSN was in the courtroom for the sentencing, during which one of the teenager’s teachers told the court that the convicted killer was a “straight-A student,” and said, “I really like the kid.”
Family members of the slain couple set up a GoFundMe after the crime that is still raising money to support the two orphaned, surviving siblings.
