Man Accused of Killing Professor Father, Stepmother Claims Non-Binary Identity in Court
Authorities allege the suspect confessed to the killings in a video recording and later asserted a different name and pronouns during his arraignment.
An Oregon man arrested for allegedly killing his father, a professor at Oberlin College, and his stepmother in their Ohio home, reportedly confessed to the crimes in a video. The suspect, identified as Daniel Jones, 31, also asserted a non-binary identity in court, asking to be referred to by the name Asia Nguyen-Duy and gender-neutral pronouns.
Jones was arrested Wednesday after allegedly shooting Pipo Nguyen-Duy, 64, and his wife, Thi Tran Phong, 56, and subsequently setting his car on fire in an Oberlin parking lot. Prosecutors revealed in court Thursday that Jones, now identifying as Asia Nguyen-Duy, had confessed in a recorded video, claiming he was escaping a cult. "Everything I did was on my own accord and I take full responsibility," the suspect stated in the alleged confession, according to NBC.
Courtroom footage captured by NBC showed four officers escorting a limp and catatonic individual, identified as Asia Nguyen-Duy, to the defense table for arraignment. The suspect reportedly grinned at reporters during the proceedings.
Authorities discovered the bodies of the victims on different floors of their residence while conducting a welfare check. Inside the suspect's burned vehicle, firefighters recovered personal items, including a passport and keys, along with live ammunition rounds.
A witness, Greg Poirson, told Fox 8 that Nguyen-Duy appeared disheveled and erratic when last seen, having exited a neighbor's car and claiming to be fleeing a cult.
The suspect faces six counts of murder, four counts of felonious assault, and one count of tampering with evidence. He is being held in the Lorain County Jail on a $3 million bond.
Court records indicate that since 2016, Nguyen-Duy has had several prior legal encounters, including charges for theft, invasion of personal privacy, and reckless driving. His mugshot reportedly features the acronym "EBK," which is street slang for "everybody killa."
Nguyen-Duy has also maintained a YouTube channel since 2013, which features various rants and eccentric videos. One recent video shows the individual shirtless, wearing face paint and a headwrap, playing the violin near a highway.