Non-Binary Suspect Carried Into Court on Murder Charges

Asia Nguyen-Duy, 31, of Ashland, Oregon, appeared in an Oberlin, Ohio, courtroom Wednesday facing charges in the murders of their father, Pipo Nguyen-Duy, and stepmother, Thi Tran Phong. Police carried the non-binary suspect into court, with their pants pulled down to their ankles, as they refused to walk on their own and demanded to be addressed with they/them pronouns. Nguyen-Duy also had the backward letters EBK written on their forehead, an acronym that can signify 'Everybody Killa.'

Nguyen-Duy faces six counts of murder, four counts of felonious assault, and one count of tampering with evidence. The victims were found dead in their home by police responding to a vehicle fire in the Oberlin College Conservatory parking lot. The car, registered to Nguyen-Duy, was found with boarded-up windows, a wood stove, and a makeshift chimney.

Officers discovered the couple after entering the home around 10:30 a.m. Both sustained multiple gunshot wounds. A neighbor reported seeing someone he believed to be Nguyen-Duy emerge from a car that morning, appearing disheveled and asking for a ride to escape a "cult."

Prosecutors stated that a video exists of Nguyen-Duy allegedly confessing to the killings and taking full responsibility. The suspect was found with blood and scratches, and their mother reportedly described Nguyen-Duy as psychotic and in need of medication. The motive remains unclear.

Pipo Nguyen-Duy, 64, was a visual art professor at Oberlin College since 1998. The school described him as a "cherished teacher, artist, and colleague" whose mentorship impacted many. His wife, Thi Tran Phong, was 56.

Immigrating to the U.S. at 13 from Vietnam as a political refugee, Pipo Nguyen-Duy had a varied background that included table tennis competitions in Vietnam, a period as a Buddhist monk in India, and work as a bartender in New York City. He received a Guggenheim Foundation fellowship for photography in 2011. The Guggenheim Foundation issued a statement mourning his loss.

Nguyen-Duy's bond was set at $3 million. They remain in custody. Their lawyer confirmed that Nguyen-Duy now goes by their birth name. Nguyen-Duy also appeared to cry and smile menacingly at courtroom cameras.