Oberlin professor killed: 31-year-old son held on $3 million bond
Asia Nguyen-Duy faces murder charges in the deaths of Pipo Nguyen-Duy and his wife, Tran Thi Nam Phong, at their home near campus.
By Yasmin Nasser ·
Pipo Nguyen-Duy, a 64-year-old professor of studio art and photography at Oberlin College, and his wife, Tran Thi Nam Phong, 56, were found dead in their home on Wednesday. The suspect is Asia Nguyen-Duy, the couple's 31-year-old child, who was held on a $3 million bond following an arraignment on Thursday.
Police discovered the bodies a few blocks from the campus. Nguyen-Duy was located on the first floor of the residence, while his wife was found on the second. Both had been shot. The younger Nguyen-Duy, previously known as Daniel Jones, is from Ashland, Oregon. Court filings list the charges as murder, felonious assault, and tampering with evidence. No motive has been released yet.
The suspect entered the municipal courtroom with a tattooed and bloodied face. They were initially carried in before being seated on a chair for the proceedings. Asia Nguyen-Duy identifies as gender neutral and no longer uses the name Daniel Jones. Identification found in a car set on fire near the college's conservatory of music listed the name Daniel Jones, which helped lead police to the crime scene.
Oberlin City Prosecutor Zachary Simonoff informed Judge Farah Emeka that the accused offered a confession and directed police to the family's address. The prosecutor also stated that the defendant's mother contacted police to say her child was currently psychotic and required medication. A message regarding this condition was left with the suspect's attorney.
The case has moved to Lorain County Common Pleas Court, where a grand jury will review the evidence next. The suspect is currently detained at the Lorain County Jail. The deaths occurred just as students returned to the private liberal arts college from fall break.
The college has paused or modified studio art classes. An exhibit of Nguyen-Duy's internationally acclaimed photography is on display at the campus art museum to allow students, alumni, and collaborators to gather. The college is also planning a memorial tribute for the professor, who joined the faculty in 1998. Digital forums for condolences were set up by Oberlin and regional institutions, including the Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland.
Carmen Twillie Ambar, president of Oberlin College and Conservatory, called the event a deeply challenging moment. She wrote in an open letter that she was overwhelmed with sadness over the loss of Pipo. The Guggenheim Foundation, which named Nguyen-Duy a 2011 photography fellow, also mourned him. The foundation noted that he immigrated from Vietnam in 1975 and took up photography in his late 20s. His work often examined themes of immigration, intimacy, abandonment, and the cost of war.
