Thi Tran Phong, a 56-year-old female, lived with her husband, Pipo Nguyen-Duy, in a home on South Pleasant Street in Oberlin, Ohio. Her husband, 64, was a renowned professor of studio art and photography at Oberlin College, where he had taught since 1998. An internationally exhibited artist and Guggenheim Fellowship recipient, he had come to the United States as a political refugee from Vietnam in 1975. Thi was the stepmother of his 31-year-old child, Asia Nguyen-Duy.
The morning of Wednesday, October 28, 2026, began with a strange discovery that would lead to a horrific one. At approximately 8:57 a.m., police and fire crews responded to a smoldering vehicle in a parking lot of the Oberlin College Conservatory of Music. The silver Toyota hatchback, which had a boarded-up window and a wood stove with a makeshift chimney inside, was registered to Asia Nguyen-Duy of Ashland, Oregon.
Inside the car, officers found loose ammunition and packaging for a 17-round Glock magazine.
About 90 minutes later, at 10:19 a.m., police located Asia Nguyen-Duy on Shipherd Circle after a resident reported a "wet and disheveled" person at their door. Prosecutors later stated that Asia, who had scratches on their face and injuries on their arm, had knocked on the stranger’s door and asked to be recorded. In the video, Asia allegedly identified themself, claimed to be "escaping a cult," and confessed to killing their family. "Everything I did was on my own accord and I take full responsibility," Asia reportedly said.
After taking Asia into custody, officers went to the family’s South Pleasant Street home to perform a welfare check. They forced entry around 10:27 a.m. and found a tragic scene. Pipo Nguyen-Duy was discovered on the first floor of the residence. His wife, Thi Tran Phong, was found dead on the second floor. Both had sustained multiple gunshot wounds. The firearm used in the killings was not immediately recovered.
The Oberlin Police Department described the incident as being of a "domestic nature" and assured the public there was no further danger. The college campus was placed on a brief shelter-in-place order as a precaution, which was soon lifted. The deaths sent a wave of shock and sadness through the tight-knit academic community.
Oberlin College President Carmen Twillie Ambar issued a statement expressing profound grief. "Tragedies such as this one intrude upon our lives in jarring ways. I am simply overwhelmed with sadness, and I am deeply concerned about the impact of the devastating loss of Pipo to our community," she wrote. "Pipo was beloved. During his years at Oberlin, he touched all of us through his passion for photography... Our community will be hurting for a very long time."
Asia Nguyen-Duy, who previously went by the name Daniel Jones and legally changed their name in 2025, was arrested. During a court appearance on October 29, they stated that they are gender-neutral. They were charged with six counts of murder, four counts of felonious assault, and one count of tampering with evidence. A prosecutor noted in court that Asia's biological mother in Oregon had told investigators her child was psychotic and required medication.
During the arraignment, Asia had to be carried into the courtroom by court officers. A judge set bond at $3 million, calling the charges "egregious." The case was bound over to a Lorain County grand jury to consider an indictment. As of October 2026, Asia Nguyen-Duy remained in custody at the Lorain County Jail, and the criminal investigation was active. The college made plans to provide grief support and to hold gatherings for the community to remember and celebrate the lives of Thi Tran Phong and Pipo Nguyen-Duy.
