Oberlin Professor and Wife Found Shot Dead at Home — Their 31-Year-Old Child Allegedly Confessed to the Killings on Video

Police say the suspect led investigators to the victims’ home after allegedly asking a stranger to record a video confession. The shocking deaths have left a respected Ohio college community mourning a beloved professor.

A respected college professor and his wife were found shot to death inside their Ohio home in a case that has stunned students, colleagues and the surrounding community. The victims were identified as 64-year-old Pipo Nguyen-Duy, a longtime studio art and photography professor at Oberlin College, and his 56-year-old wife, Tran Thi Phong. Their 31-year-old child, Asia Nguyen-Duy, was arrested and charged in connection with both deaths. What made the investigation even more disturbing was a claim presented by prosecutors in court: shortly after the killings, the accused allegedly approached a stranger and asked to be recorded while confessing to the crimes.

The investigation began on the morning of Wednesday, October 28, 2026, when police responded to reports of a smoking vehicle in a parking lot near Oberlin College’s Conservatory of Music. Officers discovered a vehicle that appeared to have been deliberately set on fire. Prosecutors later told the court that ammunition-related items were found inside. Investigators then began searching for the vehicle’s owner, eventually locating Asia Nguyen-Duy nearby. According to the prosecution, the accused had approached a local resident earlier that morning, claiming they were escaping from a cult and asking the person to record a video. During that recording, they allegedly said they had killed their father and stepmother, claimed they had acted alone and expressed that they did not want police involved.

Authorities said the accused had visible injuries, including scratches on the face and wounds to the hands and arms. Prosecutors alleged that Asia Nguyen-Duy then directed officers to the family residence on South Pleasant Street. When police entered the home, they discovered Pipo on the first floor and Tran Thi Phong on the second floor. Both had suffered multiple gunshot wounds and were pronounced dead. Investigators have not publicly confirmed a motive, and the firearm believed to have been used in the shootings had not been recovered in the initial reports. The circumstances surrounding the alleged confession and the events leading up to the deaths remain important parts of the ongoing investigation.

Asia Nguyen-Duy appeared in court on October 29 and faced six counts of murder, four counts of felonious assault and one count of tampering with evidence. During the hearing, the accused stated that they are gender-neutral and prefer the name Asia Nguyen-Duy rather than their former name, Daniel Jones. A judge set bond at $3 million, and the case was forwarded to Lorain County Common Pleas Court for consideration by a grand jury. The charges are serious, but they remain allegations, and the accused is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.

Away from the investigation, the deaths have deeply affected Oberlin College, where Pipo Nguyen-Duy had taught since 1998. Born in Vietnam, he immigrated to the United States as a political refugee in 1975 and later became an internationally recognized photographer. His work was exhibited in several countries, and he received a prestigious Guggenheim Fellowship in 2011. Through photography, he explored subjects including migration, cultural identity, intimacy and the lasting effects of war. Students and former colleagues remembered him as a thoughtful, compassionate teacher who treated students with respect and encouraged them to believe in their abilities.

In the aftermath of the tragedy, Oberlin College announced memorial efforts to honor the professor, while some classes and campus activities were adjusted to give students and staff time to process the loss. For a community that had known Pipo as an inspiring educator and accomplished artist, the news was difficult to comprehend. His wife, Tran Thi Phong, also lost her life in the same devastating incident. As investigators continue working to establish exactly what happened inside the family home, two lives have been lost, a college community is grieving, and the criminal case against their child is moving through the courts.

Source: PEOPLE – https://people.com/college-professor-wife-found-shot-dead-child-allegedly-confessed-killings-12202416