Oberlin Artist Shot Dead by Son in Home; $3 Million Bond Set

Oberlin College professor Pipo Hieu Nguyen-Duy and his wife Tran Thi Phong were found shot and killed in their home on Wednesday. Police identified the suspect as the couple's 31-year-old son, who has been charged with murder.

Officers discovered Nguyen-Duy's body on the first floor of the house during a welfare check. His wife was found deceased in an upstairs bedroom. The incident report indicates both victims sustained gunshot wounds.

The investigation began shortly before 9 a.m. on Wednesday when police responded to a report of a smoldering vehicle in the Oberlin College Conservatory parking lot. The silver Toyota hatchback had Oregon license plates. Its window was boarded up, and a pipe protruded from the roof. Officers identified the car as belonging to Nguyen-Duy's son.

Police located the son two blocks from the scene around 10:19 a.m. They took him into custody without incident. Based on their interaction with him, officers went to the family home to perform a welfare check. They forced their way inside to find the victims.

The suspect, who identified as Asia Nguyen-Duy, appeared at an arraignment on Thursday. They requested the use of gender-neutral pronouns. The judge set a $3 million bond, citing the egregious nature of the crime. An attorney for the suspect did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Friday.

A prosecutor stated that ammunition was found in the suspect's car. The suspect had previously knocked on the door of an Oberlin resident and asked the woman to record a video for online posting. In that video, the suspect said they were escaping a cult. They stated, "everything I did was on my own accord and I take full responsibility," according to the prosecutor.

Police responded to a report of a disheveled person in the area and found the suspect with scratches on their face and injuries to their arm and hand. The suspect told police they had killed their family and provided the address of the home. The weapon used in the shooting has not been found.

Nguyen-Duy had taught studio art and photography at Oberlin College since 1998. The college's president, Carmen Twillie Ambar, described him as a cherished colleague. She noted in a statement that he touched students and staff through his passion for photography. Nguyen-Duy was born in Hue, Vietnam, and immigrated to the United States as a political refugee. He received a Guggenheim Fellowship in Photography, and his work has been exhibited in public collections in the U.S., Europe, and Asia.