A non-binary murder suspect was carried into an Ohio courtroom by police, with their pants pulled down, to face charges in the fatal shootings of their professor father and stepmother.
Asia Nguyen-Duy, 31, of Ashland, Oregon, appeared in court Friday with their jail-issued pants around their legs and underwear exposed as four officers carried the shoeless suspect into the Oberlin courtroom.
The officers appeared to struggle as they carried Nguyen-Duy, who refused to walk and has asked to be addressed using they/them pronouns.
The letters “EBK” had also been written backward across Nguyen-Duy’s forehead. The acronym can sometimes stand for “Everybody Killa,” a gang term meaning everyone has been killed, although it was not clear 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 were filed after their father, Pipo Nguyen-Duy, and Pipo’s wife, Thi Tran Phong, were found dead inside their home.
In court, the suspect also appeared to pretend to cry before directing a menacing smile toward cameras in the courtroom.
Bond was set at $3 million, and Nguyen-Duy remained in custody.
Nguyen-Duy, who previously used the name Daniel Jones, was arrested 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 discovered in a bedroom, Cleveland 19 reported.
Asia Nguyen-Duy, 31, of Ashland, Oregon, was carried into court with their pants down after refusing to walk
Nguyen-Duy, who is non-binary, faces six murder counts in connection with the alleged killings of their father, Pipo, 64, and his wife, Thi Tran Phong, 56, on Friday
Police were alerted to a vehicle fire in the Oberlin College Conservatory parking lot shortly before 9 a.m. Wednesday, leading officers to the couple.
The silver Toyota hatchback, which police said belonged to Nguyen-Duy, had boarded-up windows, a wood-burning stove in the back seat and a makeshift chimney extending through the roof. Investigators also found a wallet, passport, suitcase, keys, loose ammunition and packaging for a Glock inside the vehicle.
Police have not recovered the gun.
About 80 minutes later, Nguyen-Duy was found near the 200 block of Shipherd Circle and was subsequently booked into the Lorain County Jail.
At approximately 10:30 a.m., Oberlin police forced entry into Pipo’s home and found the couple dead. Both victims had suffered multiple gunshot wounds, authorities said.
Greg Porson, a neighbor of the couple, told News 5 Cleveland that he was walking his dog when someone he believed to be Nguyen-Duy emerged from a vehicle. He described the person as “really disheveled,” “wet” and “uneasy.”
The suspect allegedly asked Porson for a ride to the library, saying they needed to “escape this cult.” Nguyen-Duy also allegedly asked Porson to record a video of them.
“I said: ‘You know, I never get into anything like that, so I’m out of here,’” Porson told the outlet.
Pipo was found on the first floor of the couple’s home, while his wife was discovered in the bedroom. Both suffered multiple gunshot wounds, police said
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Nguyen-Duy’s bond was set at $3 million, and the suspect 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.
The Daily Mail has reached out to the family and Nguyen-Duy’s lawyer for comment.