Jia Yann 'James' Chao, a 33-year-old man of Taiwanese descent, was a rising star at IBM in Atlanta, Georgia. His promising career was cut short on April 25, 1990, when he failed to appear for work, an uncharacteristic absence for the punctual and dedicated programmer. This prompted a concerned colleague, Jimmy Ku, to check on him at his apartment. Upon arrival, the door was opened by a security guard, revealing a grim scene: Chao was found deceased on the floor of his apartment.
He had recently moved to Atlanta from Austin, Texas, and was awaiting the arrival of his wife and their eight-year-old son. Tragically, his wife had flown to Atlanta on the day his body was discovered to go house-hunting with him.
Investigators determined that Chao had been shot twice at close range, once in the chest and once behind his left ear. The scene appeared to be staged. A pair of scissors was found in Chao's right hand, which investigators believed was placed there after his death. Although there were no signs of a struggle or forced entry, and Chao's wallet containing cash was untouched, a small amount of cocaine was discovered at the scene. Detectives quickly concluded that the drugs were planted to mislead them and taint Chao's reputation. The fact that the apartment was locked from the outside indicated that the killer had a key and was likely someone Chao knew and had willingly let into his home.
The investigation into Chao's personal life soon uncovered a possible motive. It was revealed that Chao was having an affair with a woman whose ex-husband was Chien Chyun Lee. Detectives learned that Lee had flown from Texas to Atlanta to confront Chao and demand he end the relationship with his ex-wife, with whom Lee was attempting to reconcile. According to Lee's later testimony, a confrontation ensued where Chao taunted him. Lee claimed he acted in self-defense after Chao lunged at him with scissors. However, the evidence suggested a more calculated act.
Chien Chyun Lee was arrested and charged with the murder of Jia Yann Chao. During the trial, prosecutors presented evidence that Lee had flown back to Texas the day after the shooting and pawned his. 38 pistol. A firearms examiner testified that the bullets that killed Chao were fired from Lee's gun. In May 1991, a jury found Chien Chyun Lee guilty of felony murder. He was sentenced to life in prison. The motive for the murder was determined to be jealousy and anger over the affair.
