On October 17, 2013, the bodies of Cindy Bao Feng Chen, 38, and Jim Tat Kong, 51, were discovered in a van parked near the 31000 block of Highway 20 in Fort Bragg, California. The van was positioned in a way that made it difficult to see from the highway, raising suspicions among the Mendocino County Sheriff's Deputies who responded to the scene. Upon inspection, both victims were found to have been shot in the back of the head, indicating a deliberate execution-style killing. The investigation revealed that both Chen and Kong were from the San Francisco Bay Area, with Chen residing in San Francisco and Kong in Richmond.
The investigation into their deaths was extensive and involved multiple law enforcement agencies, including the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office, the California Department of Justice Criminalists, and the Mendocino County District Attorney's Office. The case also saw significant involvement from the FBI's Asian Organized Crime unit based in San Francisco. This collaboration was crucial in tracing the origins of the crime back to the Bay Area, where the primary suspect, Wing Wo Ma, was eventually apprehended.
Wing Wo Ma, also known as "Fat Mark," was arrested on October 22, 2015, outside his home in Oakland. He faced a federal arrest warrant for manufacturing and distributing controlled substances, including an enhancement for cultivating more than 100 marijuana plants, and conspiracy to commit murder. Ma was held without bail in federal custody. In April 2017, a Federal Grand Jury indicted Ma on multiple counts, including causing death with a firearm, corruption, bribery of officials, and conspiracy. The trial, which took place in San Francisco, concluded in November 2019 with Ma being found guilty on all counts.
The sentencing phase of the trial saw U.S. District Judge Charles R. Breyer describe the murders of Cindy Bao Feng Chen and Jim Tat Kong as "cold-blooded assassinations." On August 5, 2020, Ma was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. The prosecution of this case was handled federally due to the extensive nature of the crimes, which included not only the murders but also significant drug-related offenses and corruption. The primary agencies involved in the investigation and prosecution were the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office, the Mendocino County District Attorney's Office, and the FBI.
The resolution of this case brought some measure of justice for the families of the victims, highlighting the collaborative efforts of local and federal law enforcement agencies in tackling organized crime and ensuring that those responsible for such heinous acts are held accountable.
