Actor Quentin Nguyen-duy's father, Pipo Nguyen-duy, and stepmother, Thi Tran Phong, were found dead from gunshot wounds at their Ohio home on Wednesday morning. Quentin's sibling, Asia Nguyen-duy, has been arrested over their murders.
Asia, who was identified as Daniel Jones, faced six counts of murder, four counts of felonious assault and one count of tampering with evidence. Their bond was set at $3 million. During their arraignment, Asia told the court they now go by "Asia" and are non-binary, requesting the use of gender-neutral pronouns.
Courtroom Appearance and Charges
Four officers were required to carry a nearly trouserless Asia into the courtroom after they refused to walk in on Thursday. Asia lives in Oregon but is facing trial in Ohio for their parents' murders.
Prosecutor Zachary Simonoff revealed to an Ohio judge that Asia "also said 'everything I did was on my own accord, and I take full responsibility.'" Simonoff added that a police report detailed Asia "told the officers that he killed his family and gave them the address as 33 South Pleasant Street."
Family and Community Response
Quentin is currently in the middle of a Lincoln Center Theater run in Aaron Sorkin's play "A Few Good Men," reports the Mirror US. Tom Blyth, Krysta Rodriguez and Bradley Whitford star alongside him.
Quentin's mother, Élan Chardin Gombart, has spoken out following the murders. Quentin has not issued his own statement. In a statement to the Daily Mail, Gombart said: "All families involved are deeply grieving this tragedy and ask for privacy during this time. We hope going forward that all news is treated with compassion and discretion for all involved."
Oberlin College Pays Tribute
Pipo Nguyen-duy was a professor at Oberlin College, and the institution issued a statement following his tragic death. The message reads: "Our thoughts are with the family and loved ones of Pipo Nguyen-duy and his wife, Trần Thị Nam Phong, and with all who are grieving their loss."
Pipo was a cherished teacher, artist, and colleague whose work and mentorship touched many lives at Oberlin. In the conversations, experiences, and memories shared during these past couple of days, one sentiment echoes throughout: he was beloved.
"As we honor him, we invite you to visit his remembrance page to offer kind thoughts, spend time with others' reflections, or leave a few words of care for his family and our community," finishes the statement. "Details about opportunities to gather and remember Pipo and Phong will be announced once they are confirmed."
