A nonbinary murder suspect was carried into court by police with their pants around their legs as they faced charges in the deaths of their professor father and stepmother.
Asia Nguyen-Duy, 31, of Ashland, Oregon, was brought into an Oberlin, Ohio, courtroom on Friday by four police officers. The suspect was barefoot, with jail-issued pants pulled down around their legs and underwear visible.
The officers appeared to struggle as they carried Nguyen-Duy, who refused to walk and has asked to be referred to using they/them pronouns.
The letters “EBK” were written backward across Nguyen-Duy’s forehead. The acronym can sometimes stand for “Everybody Killa,” a gang term meaning everyone has been killed, though it was unclear what Nguyen-Duy intended the letters to mean.
Nguyen-Duy faces six counts of murder, four counts of felonious assault and one count of tampering with evidence. The charges follow the discovery of their father, Pipo Nguyen-Duy, and Pipo’s wife, Thi Tran Phong, dead inside their home.
During the hearing, the suspect also appeared to feign crying before smiling menacingly toward cameras in the courtroom.
A judge set Nguyen-Duy’s bond at $3 million. They remain in custody.
Nguyen-Duy, who previously went by Daniel Jones, was arrested on Wednesday after the 64-year-old Oberlin College professor was found dead on the first floor of his home. His 56-year-old wife was found in a bedroom, Cleveland 19 reported.
Asia Nguyen-Duy, 31, of Ashland, Oregon, was seen being carried into court with his pants down after he refused to walk himself
Nguyen-Duy, who is non-binary, faces six counts of murder for allegedly murdering his father Pipo, 64, and his wife Thi Tran Phong, 56, on Friday
Police found the couple after they were alerted to a vehicle fire at the Oberlin College Conservatory parking lot shortly before 9am on Wednesday.
The silver Toyota hatchback was found with boarded-up windows, a wood stove in the backseat, and a makeshift chimney through the roof. A wallet, passport, suitcase, keys, loose ammunition, and packaging for a Glock were also found in the car.
The gun has yet to be recovered by police.
The car belonged to Nguyen-Duy, police said. Roughly an hour and 20 minutes later, the suspect was found near the 200 block of Shipherd Circle and later booked into the Lorain County Jail.
Around 10.30am, Oberlin Police forced themselves into Pipo’s home, where they found the couple dead, both with multiple gunshot wounds.
Greg Porson, a neighbor of the late couple, was walking his dog when he said a person he believes to be Nguyen-Duy jumped out of a car looking ‘really disheveled,’ ‘wet,’ and ‘uneasy,’ he told News 5 Cleveland.
The suspect allegedly asked Porson for a ride to the library so he could ‘escape this cult.’ Nguyen-Duy also allegedly asked Porson to take a video of them.
‘I said: “You know, I never get into anything like that, so I’m out of here,”‘ he told the outlet.
Pipo was found on the first floor of the couple’s home, while his wife was found in the bedroom. Both had multiple gunshot wounds, police said
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Nguyen-Duy’s bond was set at $3 million, and he remains in custody
He also appeared to fake cry and smile menacingly toward the courtroom cameras
Prosecutors told the judge on Friday that a video does exist of Nguyen-Duy allegedly confessing to the killings.
‘He says he’s escaping a cult. He also says everything I did was on my own accord, and I take full responsibility,’ the prosecutor said, according to Cleveland 19.
When he was found by police, Nguyen-Duy was allegedly covered in blood and scratches, prosecutors said.
Prosecutors also said Nguyen-Duy’s mother, who lives in Oregon, said the suspect was psychotic and needed medication, Cleveland 19 reported.
Nguyen-Duy’s motive is not immediately known.
Pipo had been teaching at Oberlin College, which is near Cleveland, since 1998. He taught visual art.
The school honored the professor, saying in a social media statement: ‘Pipo was a cherished teacher, artist, and colleague whose work and mentorship touched many lives at Oberlin. In the conversations, experiences, and memories shared during these past couple of days, one sentiment echoes throughout: he was beloved.’
The school will be hosting a gathering to honor the couple.
The couple was found in their Oberlin home, which is located near Cleveland
Pipo immigrated to the US at the age of 13 from Vietnam as a political refugee
Pipo immigrated to the US at the age of 13 from Vietnam as a political refugee, his Oberlin College biography said.
Pipo used to compete in national table tennis tournaments while living in the Asian country. He also briefly practiced as a Buddhist monk in India before returning to the US to attend Carleton College in Minnesota.
Pipo also lived in New York City, where he worked as a bartender and nightclub manager, before getting a Masters of Fine Art from the University of New Mexico, his biography said.
He also received a Guggenheim Foundation fellowship for photography in 2011. The Guggenheim Foundation mourned the photographer, it said in a social media statement.
Nguyen-Duy’s lawyer, Jenifer Berki Merrill, said the suspect now goes by their birth name.
Our News Outlet has reached out to the family and Nguyen-Duy’s lawyer for comment.
