Oberlin Professor, Wife Found Murdered; Son Charged

A beloved Oberlin College art professor and his wife were found murdered in their Ohio home, and the professor's son has been charged in connection with their deaths. Police responded to a call about a vehicle fire in the conservatory's parking lot on Wednesday morning and were led to the crime scene while attempting to locate the vehicle's owner, identified as Daniel Jones.

Upon arriving at Jones's home for a welfare check, police discovered the bodies of Pipo Nguyen-Duy, 64, a studio art and photography professor, and his wife, Thi Tran Phong, 56. Nguyen-Duy was found on the first floor of the residence, while Phong was discovered on the second floor. Both died from multiple gunshot wounds.

Jones, Nguyen-Duy’s son and Phong's stepson, was later apprehended a mile away from the crime scene. He faces six counts of murder, four counts of felonious assault, and one count of tampering with evidence. His bond was initially set at $1.5 million but was doubled by a judge due to the severity of the charges.

Neighbors reported that Jones had been behaving erratically in the days leading up to the alleged murders, telling some residents he was trying to escape from a cult. One witness described Jones as looking disheveled and nervous, with tattoos on his face, and noted that police were searching for a fanny pack or backpack believed to contain the murder weapon.

Oberlin College and Conservatory initially issued a shelter-in-place order for its students and staff after being informed of the incident. The order was later lifted when authorities determined there was no ongoing threat to the campus or surrounding community.

Katherine Pahal, a student at Oberlin, reported smelling smoke before receiving the shelter-in-place alert, adding that the initial notifications were vague about the nature of the unfolding situation.

Oberlin College President Carmen Twillie Ambar sent a message to the student body acknowledging the tragic loss. "Pipo was beloved," Ambar stated, highlighting Nguyen-Duy's passion for photography and the profound impact he had on the community. "Our community will be hurting for a very long time."

Nguyen-Duy, a native of Vietnam, immigrated to the United States as a political refugee in 1975. He had been a faculty member at Oberlin since 1998 and was the recipient of numerous accolades, including a Guggenheim Fellowship. His career was marked by extensive awards and residencies.

Daniel Jones's initial court appearance occurred on Thursday at Lorain County Common Pleas Court, where he did not enter a plea. A date for his next hearing, following a grand jury bind-over, has not yet been publicly scheduled.