As reported by A&E, one of Chen's coworkers went to his home to find out why he did not show up for work. Michael said he and Ed met, and Ed had told him weird stories and asked him strange questions about dead people, and what he would do to get rid of dead bodies. The police decided to go the Chen house, but at this point it was owned by another couple. Wu-Hung, Weh-Mei, and Raymond Chen Murders: Where Is Edward Chen Now? As part of a plea agreement, Edward eventually pled guilty to three counts of first-degree murder and admitted that he had purchased a rifle and shot Wu-Hung, Weh-Mei, and Raymond Chen dead in August 1995. The scene soon attracted a considerable media presence, due to it being the first quadruple homicide to occur in the Capital District,[3][a] as the metropolitan area around Albany, Schenectady and Troy is known. Investigation Discovery, "Forbidden - Dying for Love": https://bit.ly/3nCNpTR, Deadline: Crime with Tamron Hall, "Ghosts of Great Falls": https://bit.ly/3u1k7AQ, Washingtonian Magazine, "Love and Murder in Great Falls": https://bit.ly/3eE3rc6, Washington Post, "VA Family Vanishes": https://wapo.st/2R8nQhg, Washington Post, "Fairfax Man Admits Killing Parents, Brother": https://wapo.st/2QEQqqK, Washington Post, "Killer's Ex-Girlfriend Pleads Guilty": https://wapo.st/3vm0sM2. Bramblett was executed by electric chair on April 9, 2003. Ive never heard about this case until today, and Im so mind blown. The flooring had been replaced in the master bedroom, but they asked if the flooring underneath had been replaced, it hadnt. Eventually, the police discovered blood splatters belonging to Wu-Hung at the Chen family home, but the bodies were never recovered. Edward Chen, the Chens' younger son and Raymond's younger brother, is now charged with three counts of murder. July 17, 2022 In a strange and surprising development, one Vickie Henry called the Fairfax County police department and claimed that she had information about the murders of Wu-Hung, Weh-Mei, and Raymond Chen. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. But the reasons why you would take the life of children? Horan said he would not seek charges against Chen's ex-wife, who saw the bodies but did not report the killings, or Reese. Investigators were able to collect DNA samples that might belong to a suspect, but had not been able to determine who might have left it. Those barriers are additionally complicated by many of the potential witnesses not only speaking primarily Chinese but, as immigrants from Fujian, "Chinatown community eyed as cops work to solve quadruple slaying upstate", "2 Children Among 4 Found Dead in Home in Upstate New York", "Police, prosecutors stumped over who killed Guilderland family", "Two quadruple killings, two different tales", "Human trafficking, undocumented workers part of Guilderland homicide investigation", "Case of Chinese couple and their two young sons bludgeoned to death in US remains a mystery after a year", "A year after Chinese family murdered, no suspects here or elsewhere", "Mississippi Gulf Coast triple murder getting another look by FBI", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Chen_family_killings&oldid=1145067795, This page was last edited on 17 March 2023, at 03:17. Killer's Ex-Girlfriend Pleads Guilty - The Washington Post Ed offered Michael $100,000 and a new car. A McLean man killed his wife and son Friday before shooting himself, police in Fairfax County said Saturday. But Fairfax Commonwealth's Attorney Robert F. Horan still had three key witnesses: Chen's ex-wife, Mandy Chen, who had seen the bodies; Chen's friend Michael Reese, who helped him dispose of the bodies; and Henry, whom Chen had told about the killings and who made a tape-recorded phone call to Chen for the police shortly before Chen's arrest. Anyone with any information about the case is asked to contact New York State Police, Troop G, Major Crimes at (518) 783-3212 or email crimetip@troopers.ny.gov. Tips can also be submitted by calling 1-866-411-TIPS(8477), or call Fairfax County Police at (703) 691-2131. Three people found dead inside a home in McLean, Virginia, on Friday died in a double murder-suicide, police said. "The media probably knows as much about it as we do. Guilderland Police Chief Dan McNally told A&E True Crime his department appreciates any media exposure regarding the case, in hopes that it might prompt someone to come forward with information. . In addition, two women testified that, in the 1970s, Bramblett had given them alcohol and molested them when they were eleven and fourteen years old.[1]. However, authorities never confirmed his involvement. As it was unusual for Chen to miss work, his coworkers were concerned for his welfare. The Chens were a very traditional family, but they came to the U.S. so that the boys could go to school. Joseph Paul Franklin, a white supremacist and serial killer, confessed to the murders. Asked how they could be located after so much time had passed, Horan said Thats an art form all by itself.. A deputy's body cam video . On Saturday, police identified those killed as Shirley Zhou, 48, James Wenjie Chen, 16, and Hong Chen, 52. [11] All were involved in running a family restaurant;[6] investigators there believe the three were killed by professional assassins dispatched from New York City. Episode 42 - The Story of Ed Chen - The Secret Murderer Edward lived off rental incomes for a while, but with expensive tastes and mounting bills decided to start selling the family properties. Updated: 1:56 PM EDT June 30, 2022. In this episode we tell the story of Edward Chen and crimes he committed in the late 1990s in Great Falls, Virginia. In 1998, according to court records, Chen assumed his brother's identity and began selling the family's homes. The bullets used to kill the victims were determined to be of the same composition as bullets found in a vehicle belonging to Bramblett. Interestingly, the court initially considered Edwards confession in police custody inadmissible, but Mandy, Michael, and Vickies testimonies helped strengthen the case. "[4], Bramblett was a suspect in the 1977 disappearances of Tammy Akers and Angela Rader, who were both 14 years old and worked for him at the time. Since his English was extremely limited, he had to ask another coworker, a relative of the Chens, to call 9-1-1 for him. It was the first quadruple homicide to occur in New York's Capital District, the region surrounding Albany, the state capital. "There was no suggestion that Mr. and Mrs. Chen had died in the United States. The Unsolved Chen Family Murders of Upstate New York Remain Shrouded in Mystery Elena Ferrarin In this Oct. 9, 2014, file photo, authorities prepare to enter the scene of a quadruple homicide in Guilderland, New York, where Jin Chen, his wife and their two children were found fatally stabbed. The police could tell when she was telling them about it she was being honest, and she was having to relive the horrific day. [2] No suspects have been identified and as of January 2020[update], the investigation is continuing. On Aug. 15, 2002, investigators found Michael and Mary Short dead inside their home in Henry County, Virginia. No homes or businesses in the immediate vicinity of the Chens had security cameras that might have provided footage to review. I've never murdered anybody. While the family was considered good-natured and quite generous, people who knew them mentioned how they would frequently travel to Taiwan to meet their relatives. In a strange and surprising development, one Vickie Henry called the Fairfax County police department and claimed that she had information about the murders of Wu-Hung, Weh-Mei, and Raymond Chen. Chen's father owned a heating and ventilation company in Taipei and sent his sons to Northern Virginia for their education. It seems that Mandy was Eds motive for killing his family, and kept up appearances like paying the bills and doing yard work. The police also took Vickies story with a grain of salt at first, because they maybe thought she was a jealous ex. In the early afternoon of October 8, 2014, a coworker of Jin Chen, 39, of Guilderland, New York, United States found the bodies of Chen, his wife and their two children in their home. Police: McLean Man Shot, Killed Wife, Son Before Killing Self "We think there is sufficient evidence" for the charges, Horan said, "with or without the bodies.". The church runs a childrens home in Guilderland, about five miles from the Chens home. In the meantime, the younger Chen, like his brother a graduate of Herndon High School, sold the family's home in Seneca Knoll for $310,000. The Chens were reasonably well-off and managed to send their children to prestigious schools in Fairfax, along with owning five properties in the US. A hearing was set for 1:30 p.m. on May 3. 2 Young Children Left Alone for Days at Scene of Triple Murder - NBC4 After hearing this, and finally digging up the floor in Chens former house, the blood stain tested positive for blood. Michael said he would cut them up and throw them in the ocean. In the early afternoon of October 8, 2014, a coworker of Jin Chen, 39, of Guilderland, New York, United States found the bodies of Chen, his wife and their two children in their home. According to A&E, District Attorney P. David Soares said he thinks the murders were "a very intentional act" and that the Chens were "very intended targets." This was a very intentional act with very intended targets, Soares said in a October 6, 2015 press conference. You have to actually be sitting across from the person who did that to ask that question.. During their time there, a number of mysterious events occurred, including the "disappearance" of an illegitimate baby birthed by one of the students and the death of Mary's son, John, found burned to death in his bed. Kowalski said she does not have any faith that the gruesome crime will ever be solved. No one had whispered it," he said. Investigators believe the family members were shot in their bedrooms, with a rifle, in the house in Great Falls. Muller said the tragedy affected the entire community. In spring of 2002, the Fairfax police received a tip from Eds ex-fiance, a woman name Vickie Taylor. Bramblett was tried, convicted, and sentenced to death on December 16, 1997, after the jury deliberated for one hour. Realizing that something was afoot, the police immediately got in touch with the Chens relatives from Taiwan, who insisted that Edward had informed them how a car accident claimed Wu-Hung, Weh-Mei, and Raymonds lives. "It was a shock to us to find this out," said Al Fostin, the owner. McLean family killed in murder-suicide, police say Earl Bramblett - Wikipedia HENRY COUNTY, Va. - It's a case that's gone unsolved for almost two decades. However, they did not find any links to the Chen family or the murders. Wu-Hung, Weh-Mei, and Raymond Chen Murder Case: Where Is Edward Chen He and a friend dumped the bodies in the Chesapeake Bay, and Chen sold the house, keeping the crime not just unsolved but unknown. Police were called to the scene and determined that the family had been killed sometime in the hours before dawn that day by either a knife or a hammer. [3][7] In the first such incident, three members of the same familya married couple and the wife's sisterwere found stabbed in their D'Iberville, Mississippi, home in 2011. His final words were, "I didn't murder the Hodges family. Ed had to tip toe around his relationship with Mandy, even buying two apartments so his parents wouldnt find out. Police are continuing to investigate and said autopsies will be done to determine the victims' exact cause and manner of death. On the other hand, people living near the Chen residence mentioned that after 1995, Edward often came over to maintain the houses exterior to give it a lived-in vibe. "And one night I really just lost my nerve, lost my mind and I did it," Chen told Fairfax detectives. He was sixty-one years old at the time of his death, choosing the electric chair over lethal injection as a form of protest. All of the Chen properties were held in a family trust, with Raymond Chen appointed as trustee. 5 VIrginia Serial Killings That Will Terrify You - OnlyInYourState The coworker was greeted by the gruesome scene of four brutal murders that remain unsolved to this day. Security guard convicted in killing of Pokemon Go-playing grandfather I dont believe hes sorry about what he did. Police requested an interview with Bramblett, during which they told him the family had died in a fire, without mentioning the evidence of violence. Fairfax County, Va, officials arrest 27-year-old Edward Chen for 1995 murders of parents and brother (S) The crime. At Eds trial, his attorney, Peter Greenspun, said the confession should be thrown out because it was coerced. THOUGH NO MOTIVE was cited, investigators are sifting possible evidence that Chen assumed his older brother's identity and lived off the profit from real estate transactions. The woman told a police dispatcher that on Aug. 17, 1995, when Chen was 19, he shot his father, Wu-Hung Chen, 53; his mother, Yeh-Mei Chen, 52; and his brother, Raymond, 25. A witness had seen a vehicle similar to Bramblett's driving past the Hodges home during the fire, without stopping. What We Know About The Unsolved 2014 Murders Of The Chen Family - MSN The brutal, unsolved quadruple homicide has affected the community deeplyand is still on peoples minds, Pastor Charlie Muller told A&E True Crime. EDWARD CHEN, who attended the University of Virginia for a time, apparently lived in the Great Falls house for a time before he moved to Herndon, fathered a child, and divorced her mother, Horan said. Edward Y. Chen admitted in a Fairfax County courtroom yesterday that he shot his parents and older brother to death inside their Great Falls home in 1995, then left their bodies inside the house. Thus, Edward Chen remains behind bars at the Baskerville Correctional Center in Baskerville, Virginia, and will be released in August 2033. Chen will be eligible for geriatric release when he is 60, after serving about 33 years. Son Arrested in '95 Deaths - The New York Times Police reported no past issues at the Chen homes, or complaints from neighbors. Fairfax County Commonwealth Attorney Bob Horan last week outlined what is known about a seven-year-old triple homicide that allegedly occurred in a quiet neighborhood off north Seneca Road in Great Falls. Tom Jackman has been covering criminal justice for The Washington Post since 1998 and anchors the True Crime blog. The brothers lived in a house in Herndon, and each graduated from Herndon High School. Language and cultural barriers also slowed down the investigation. 5 charged in Virginia triple murder of family; two victims from Utah | KUTV Five men are each charged with three counts of first-degree murder related to thebrutal May 2019 Virginia. During her conversation with 6 News, she said, "Everyone knows this will be unsolved forever. Their children attended Guilderland Elementary School. Soares said, "The reasons why you would take the life of children? What exactly do you call a gathering of Chads? We're taking a break from Beyond Belief for a few weeks (but staying in the 90s) to cover a true crime case that is local to MM's neck of the woods and we have a coincidental connection to: the Chen Family murders in Great Falls, Virginia in August 1995. [2], Earl Bramblett, from Spartanburg, South Carolina, was a close friend of the Hodges family. [3], The Guilderland police responded, and soon began sealing off the crime scene, later assisted by the New York State Police, whose detectives were seen the following morning combing through the area behind and near the house. 7994 Audubon Avenue, #101, Alexandria, VA 22306 - Kenneth J. Russell was murdered here. According to reports, Chen owned a Chinese restaurant. Edward Chen, the Chens' younger son and Raymond's younger brother, is now charged with three counts of murder. Fairfax Station/Clifton/Lorton Connection, Presidential Appointment for Mount Vernons Horticulture Director, Good Shepherd Partners with Amazon in Housing Quest, Expo Emphasizes Environmental Stewardship in Mount Vernon. [3], From the beginning there were allegations that the Chens had been involved in illegal business activities in addition to, or even instead of, the restaurant, such as human trafficking, money laundering, or illegal gambling. My brother and my parents." Raymond Chen began working in real estate, including overseeing five Fairfax properties his parents bought, and Edward Chen enrolled at the University of Virginia. Unsolved Triple Homicide: the Short Family - Last Seen Alive Franklin was put to death in 2013 for a different murder. VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) The family of a man shot and killed in 2017 has filed a lawsuit against the security guard accused of his murder as well as his employer and a community association.
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