The bodies of Wu Hong Chen, 53; Shieh Yeh-Mei Chen, 52, and Raymond Chen, 26, have never been found. Read More: Catherine Kitty Pappas Murder: Is George Joseph Cvek Dead or Alive? My brother and my parents." Chen's brother told reporters there that his brother's body had been found on the first floor of the small bungalow, while the other members of the family were found upstairs, covered by a blanket. The police also took Vickies story with a grain of salt at first, because they maybe thought she was a jealous ex. GUILDERLAND . The couple immigrated to the United States in the early 2000s. Interestingly, neither of them was reported missing up until then, and their neighbors theorized that the family might have gone away to Taiwan for good. 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. [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. 7994 Audubon Avenue, #101, Alexandria, VA 22306 - Kenneth J. Russell was murdered here. [3], A neighbor told the Albany Times-Union later that the family lived what to him appeared to be a fairly normal life. The elder Chens lived mostly in Taiwan and were not reported missing. A hearing was set for 1:30 p.m. on May 3. [3], Technological factors also made collecting evidence difficult. He was 20 when his family disappeared, according to police. Chen then locked up the house and avoided suspicion by making sure that the lawn and exterior were maintained. I feel very guilty for what I did.". . Chen Jinfeng () and his similarly aged wife, Hai Yan Li (), natives of Houyu[5] in the province of Fujian on the southeastern shore of mainland China, came to the U.S. in the early 2000s. Edward Chen, the Chens' younger son and Raymond's younger brother, is now charged with three counts of murder. He left a $25,000/year job in February, Horan said, because he didnt want to do it any more. 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. Jin Feng Chen, his wife, Hai Yan Li and their two young boys, Anthony and Eddy, were murdered on October 8th, 2014 at their home on Western Avenue. Sources involved in the investigation say Chen allegedly handled large amounts of off-the-books cash that came from an underground economy of undocumented Chinese restaurant workers running from New York City to upstate New York and beyond, the Times Union reported. I'm going to my death with a clear conscience. He also said the only person who can answer all of the detectives' questions is the killer. Their bodies were discovered by a coworker of Chens, who went to the home after Chen reportedly failed to show up for work at a nearby Chinese restaurant. "[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. 26 | The Chen Family Murders (Part 1) - The Wine Times Mysteries At this rate, the police still didnt have the bodies, but they did decide to do one more thing. Edward Y. Chen pleaded guilty this morning to three counts of first-degree murder, admitting that he shot his parents and older brother to death in their Great Falls home in 1995, then left. Chens brother dismissed that report, saying Chen only hosted small card games for friends. On Aug. 15, 2002, investigators found Michael and Mary Short dead inside their home in Henry County, Virginia. Joseph Paul Franklin, a white supremacist and serial killer, confessed to the murders. 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. [1], Local law enforcement officials said later that the investigation progressed very slowly during its first 48 hours, a crucial period. It was discovered that Bramblett punched his time card at work 20 minutes after the fire was started (the drive time from the Hodges home to his job was 20 minutes) and, after realizing his error, attempted to black out the entry on his time-card. 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. Postal Service employee, was about to serve six months in federal prison for embezzlement. Their children attended Guilderland Elementary School. Despite an investigation involving multiple law enforcement agencies that reached as far as Canada and China, the brutal killings of a family of four in upstate New York remain unsolved. Bramblett reportedly told friends that he wished he had not "hurt Tammy" three years after she went missing, though he was never charged in either Akers's or Rader's disappearances and their whereabouts are still unknown. Edward Chen returned with his family to Great Falls and killed them so that he could continue dating Kolbe, Horan said. However, Ed eventually took a plea deal, and admitted to three counts of first degree murder. ", Fostin said the family moved in two years ago. Seattle doctor admits to killing son, partner Investigation Discoverys Forbidden: Dying For Love: Family Matters chronicles the strange incident and shows how the police built a case against the perpetrator even without the bodies. Police reported no past issues at the Chen homes, or complaints from neighbors. Until one day, he told Mandy that she didnt have to worry anymore. I also think its bullshit that Michael Reese was never charged. The coworker was greeted by the gruesome scene of four brutal murders that remain unsolved to this day. Law enforcement officials determined all four victims were stabbed and beaten, with a vast majority of the injuries on their faces and heads. A&E reports that Chen moved to the United States legally, but his wife may have been undocumented. McLean family killed in murder-suicide, police say He and a friend dumped the bodies in the Chesapeake Bay, and Chen sold the house, keeping the crime not just unsolved but unknown. Anthony and Eddy Chen attended Guilderland Elementary School, where they were both described as happy and thoughtful students. Unsolved Triple Homicide: the Short Family - Last Seen Alive The triple murder case at a home in Great Falls involved the Chen family. The Wine Times Mysteries: The Chen Family Murders (Part 1) on Apple [2], Earl Bramblett, from Spartanburg, South Carolina, was a close friend of the Hodges family. Chen allegedly held a gambling party the night before he was murdered, and the killer wanted to steal cash from the home, according to a report by Sing Tao, a Chinese language newspaper cited by the Times Union. It seems that Mandy was Eds motive for killing his family, and kept up appearances like paying the bills and doing yard work. They dismembered the bodies, poured concrete on them, put them in duffel bags and took them out to the Chesapeake Bay and dumped them. She had grown up not only in the town but in the neighborhood where the Chens lived, which made it affect her even more. Hong Chen, 52, Shirley Zhou, 48, and James Wenjie Chen, 16, were found dead in their. Although the childs mother is in the area, care for the child will have to be sorted out by some court, Horan said. 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. The murders captivated the region for decades. It was a shock for everyone. He kept his family's remains there until 1999, when a pipe burst and the house flooded. It's been nearly 20 years since someone murdered nine-year-old Jennifer Short and her parents. "I shot them. Security guard convicted in killing of Pokemon Go-playing grandfather He did, however, concede that Chen had indeed often had his friends over for low-stakes card games. Vickie started becoming suspicious when she would get phone calls about a Raymond Chen, Eds brother. The circumstances of the Chen family's death had prosecutors and investigators shaking their heads in amazement during a Good Friday press conference where the deaths, and arrests, were announced. Hello, listeners 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. Man arrested in cold case Chen family murders. : r/houston - Reddit Although the police had no idea that the family was missing, she claimed that the triple murder occurred in August 1995. Chen will be eligible for geriatric release when he is 60, after serving about 33 years. You have to actually be sitting across from the person who did that to ask that question.. He denied an early report that they had been shot, and later details emerged that the victims had been beaten with a hammer;[5] later accounts said they were stabbed as well. Soares said, "The reasons why you would take the life of children? It remains disturbing to us to have this case open, McNally says. The Chens were in Taiwan more than they were in Virginia. Open Case Virginia: Fire Fuels Fresh Suspicion About Short Family Murders (WDBJ7 News) Short Family's Former Henry County Home Destroyed by Fire; Cause Unknown (WSLS News) If you know anything about the murder of the Short family, please call the FBI's major case contact center at 1-800-225-5324, or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov Ive never heard about this case until today, and Im so mind blown. At the family's Chinatown news conference after the killings, Chen's brother denied an early report in Sing Tao that the family was murdered by someone who had returned after a late gambling party at the house to steal their considerable take from the event. Muller said the tragedy affected the entire community. Jin Feng Chen, 39; his wife, Hai Yan Li, 38; and their children, Anthony, 10, and Eddy, 7, were found bludgeoned to death October 8, 2014 inside their bungalow in Guilderland, a suburb of Albany, New York. The statue of limitations had expired. The Chen family, Wu-Hung, 53, Yei-Mei, 52, Raymond, 25, and Edward, moved from Taiwan to Fairfax, Virginia. Nonetheless, it was impossible to mount a case without bodies, and despite Edwards former friend, Michael Reese, claiming he helped the former dump the bodies in the Chesapeake Bay, the police were unable to locate them. FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA -- The 1995 disappearance of three members of a wealthy Taiwanese family living in Great Falls were featured Sunday night on Investigation Discovery's "Deadline: Crime with Tamron Hall." When Leslie Leon Burchart was arrested in 2000, he admitted to murdering at least 7 elderly women in 1996 during a killing spree that spanned 6 months. The Chen Family Murders It's Crime O Clock Somewhere Unfortunately, they have not been able to identify any viable suspects or persons of interest. Police said the Fostins have fully cooperated with an investigation that revealed enough forensic evidence to charge Edward Chen on three counts of murder. Catherine Kitty Pappas Murder: Is George Joseph Cvek Dead or Alive. Ashley Freeman and Lauria Bible: The Mysterious Murders of Teenage Best Friends, The Yogurt Shop Murders Cold Case: Revisiting the Scene of the Crime, The Cold Case Murders That Keep Retired Detectives Up at Night. They specifically believe the Chen family was killed between 3:30 a.m. and 6:30 a.m. As reported by A&E, authorities noted the bodies of Hai Yan Li, Anthony, and Eddy were covered in blankets. No one had suggested it. Short family murders | Special task force finds a few new leads 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. Fairfax County police believe Hong Chen fatally shot Zhou, his wife, and James Chen, his son. However, Mandy never turned Ed in, they got married, had a child together and were married for about two years. The bodies were found Friday in a house on the 1300 block of Windy Hill Road. Security Guard Who Killed Asian Grandpa Playing Pokmon Go Charged With 'Ghosts of Great Falls:' Chen Family Murders in '95 Featured on Ed had told Vickie his parents and brother had all died tragically. Months after his arrest in January, the man accused of shooting and killing an elderly Pokmon Go player has been indicted by a grand jury on a first-degree murder charge on . People still talk about it., As for whether he believes the Chens will ever get justice, Gosh, he says, after pausing a beat. Soares said law enforcement officials are dealing with "one of the most complicated sets of circumstances [they] ever experienced in an investigation.". More evidence was about to come, when a man named Michael Reese came forward and said he helped Ed dismember and dump the bodies, that had already been in the home for four years at this point. Ed Chen murdered his mother, father, and brother in their home and went undiscovered until . Ed was with his five year old daughter, Samantha, at the time and he said he wanted to say goodbye to her. 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. IN THE MEANTIME, another innocent family moved into the house and fell in love with it. [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. They lived a quiet, uneventful life, and people had no idea about the tragedy that would befall the family. For example, Guilderland police had to find an interpreter who spoke the appropriate Chinese dialect to communicate with some of the people who knew the Chen family, local media reported. Tune in next week to hear from our favorite neighborhood papaya hater. The elder Chen was thought to be in "the import-export business" or a consultant, said Horan. But the reasons why you would take the life of children? [6] Even so, Soares admitted at a news conference around the anniversary of the Chens' deaths that very little progress had been made. [3], Further inspection of the Hodges house revealed purposefully-disconnected telephone lines and the presence of a petroleum-based accelerant in several areas. Chen and his wife were from the province of Fujian, on the southeastern coast of China, and came to the United States in the early 2000s. Keep supporting great journalism by turning off your ad blocker. The bullets used to kill the victims were determined to be of the same composition as bullets found in a vehicle belonging to Bramblett. When authorities arrived on the scene, they found 39-year-old Jin Feng Chen dead on the first floor of his home. It was pretty devastating, Muller says of the crime. Fairfax County tax records indicate that while the family home changed hands in 2000 for $310,000, it is valued at $702,780 for tax purposes today. 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. Taiwan natives Wu-Hung and Weh-Mei Chen kept frequenting their Great Falls residence in Fairfax, Virginia, to visit their two sons, Raymond and Edward. He could not say yet whether the killings were the work of organized crime, but allowed that "it's certainly a theory".[4]. "This is truly peculiar.". 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. After a clemency petition to Governor of Virginia Mark Warner was rejected, along with an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, Earl Bramblett was executed in the electric chair for the murder of the Hodges family at Greensville Correctional Center, Jarratt, Virginia, on April 9, 2003. I watched an episode of Deadline Crime for my research on this case. On the other hand, Vickie also managed to make Edward partially confess to the murders over the phone, and the police wasted no time in arresting him in March 2022. "I've never seen anything like it", said Carol Lawlor, the town's police chief. The Chens were very successful business people, they lived in a nice mansion in a very wealthy neighborhood. Shortly after pleading guilty to three counts of first-degree murder, Chen, 27, was sentenced to 36 years in prison. Police are asking anyone with information to call Detective Spooner at (703) 246-7800, or contact Crime Solvers by visiting http://www.fairfaxcrimesolvers.org or text-a-tip by texting TIP187 plus your message to CRIMES(274637). Edward Chen Mandy got pregnant and Edward married her. As many of the people they sought to interview were Chinese and did not speak fluent English, detectives had to determine which dialect the witnesses used and find appropriate interpreters. I've never murdered anybody. Authorities explored similar murders of Chinese individuals and families in the region but were unable to find enough evidence to link any of those crimes to the Chen family murders. Impromptu memorials of flowers, candles and other mementoes were started not only at the house but the boys' elementary school. Chen said he shot them because they were trying to break up his relationship with his girlfriend. In the spring of 2002, the Fairfax County police department received a phone call from Vickie Henry, who claimed that Wu-Hung, Weh-Mei, and Raymond had been murdered in August 1995. Ed had become very unhappy and even confrontational. Young Performing Artists In McLean Awarded Scholarships By The Alden, McLean Home Listed For $3.2M Offers Luxurious Living Indoors, Outdoors, Special Grand Jury To Investigate Fatal Police Shooting At Tysons Mall, Antique Brass and Silver Restoration Services: MONDAYS 10-4, Celebrate Pilates Day: FREE Pilates Reformer classes & Happy Hour, SONOVA presents: Beethoven, Brews, and BBQ, Montgomery County Virtual 50+ Employment Expo Tuesday, May 16th, Summer Travel Season Could Be Busiest Ever In VA, AAA Says, VA Weather: Hazardous Weather Outlook Issued, Soggy Week Ahead, McLean Area Prospective Homeowners: See 5 New Homes On The Market, Math Whizzes, Finest Principal, White House Preserver: NoVA Good News, Morel Mushrooms Popping Up In VA: When To Find Springtime Delicacy. Greenspun said that Chen will serve about 30 years. Two similar houses in the same neighborhood sold last fall for $825,000 and $1,000,000, according to county records. The company eventually complied, but Soares said their dealings with it "set us back considerably". "There was no suggestion that Mr. and Mrs. Chen had died in the United States. All rights reserved. [5], Newsday reported a month after the crime that state police had been putting up bilingual fliers seeking information and tips in restaurants and stores along East Broadway, in the section of Chinatown that, due to its high concentration of Fujianese immigrants in recent years, has increasingly come to be known as Little Fuzhou. Earl Conrad Bramblett (March 20, 1942 April 9, 2003) was an American mass murderer, convicted for the killing of four members of the Hodges family in August 1994 in Vinton, Virginia. https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/2002/12/10/fairfax-man-admits-killing-parents-brother/5008dc2d-f891-41bf-bcff-c3f1aaeb9148/, https://www.monstersandcritics.com/tv/true-crime/murders-of-wu-hung-weh-mei-and-raymond-chen-by-edward-chen-spotlighted/, https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/2002/04/05/bodies-left-in-home-4-years-police-say/0b278b65-6233-4641-9a92-9db52de7ab2d/. Edward Chen & The Hidden Murders - YouTube Ed Chen murdered his moth Investigators looked into links to gangs and human trafficking, according to media reports. 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. By Joyce Chen July 15, 2016 Youtube 9 Some of the most chilling murders in recent history have taken place between family members, including the case of the Memphis mother who slashed four of. Authorities eventually determined the murders occurred in the early morning hours of October 8, 2014. [2] On the second floor, they discovered William Blaine Hodges (aged 41) dead on a bed next to a .22 caliber gun with the barrel removed, shot through his left temple, but not burned. The autopsies were able to put the victims' time of death at between 3:30 and 6:30a.m. that day. At the time of his arrest he was living in an apartment he rented at Worldgate in Herndon. Franklin was put to death in 2013 for a different murder. "We really love this house," he said. She said both of the brothers "were sweet." 'An entire family was wiped out': Henry County Sheriff's Office to re [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. Ed Chen murdered his mother, father, and brother in their home and went undiscovered until 2002. As part of his plea agreement, he was sentenced to 36 years in prison in December 2002. Two sons, Anthony and Eddy, were born in 2004 and 2007 respectively. [3], Forensic evidence yielded some information, but nothing that resulted in significant leads. 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. Most Infamous Family Murders in History - Us Weekly "There were so many cultural impediments, language barriers[b] and an overwhelming sense of fear", among the members of the local Chinese immigrant community detectives attempted to talk to, Albany County district attorney David Soares recalled later. [2] Firefighters and police found fire burning throughout the house. The wave of murders, known as the " Golden Years Killings", included more than a dozen elderly women in total, some of which remain unsolved cases. [3] A considerable amount of forensic evidence, including DNA, has been collected but has not generated any leads; cultural, legal, and linguistic barriers have also made progress difficult despite outreach to other law enforcement agencies in other large U.S. cities, Canada, and China. Disappearances of Tammy Akers and Angela Rader, Learn how and when to remove this template message, Use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, List of people executed in the United States in 2003, "Family's Killer Dies in Va. Electric Chair", "Forensic Files Episode List - Forensic Files", "THE NEW DETECTIVES Season 4 Ep 4 "Dead Wrong", Forensic Files - Season 8, Episode 16: "Private Thoughts" (22 minutes), The New Detectives - Season 4, Episode 4: "Dead Wrong" (53 minutes), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Earl_Bramblett&oldid=1148180202, People executed by Virginia by electric chair, 21st-century executions of American people, Articles needing additional references from April 2018, All articles needing additional references, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 4 April 2023, at 15:06. This was a very intentional act with very intended targets, Soares said in a October 6, 2015 press conference. He previously covered crime and courts for the Kansas City Star. Three people found dead inside a home in McLean, Virginia, on Friday died in a double murder-suicide, police said.