Oberlin professor's child held on $3 million bond after shooting deaths

Asia Nguyen-Duy, 31, is being held on a $3 million bond after being charged with the murder of an Oberlin College professor and his wife. The suspect, who identifies as gender neutral, was arraigned Thursday in Oberlin Municipal Court.

Police found Pipo Nguyen-Duy, 64, and Tran Thi Nam Phong, 56, shot inside their home on Wednesday. The professor, a studio art and photography instructor, was located on the first floor, while his wife was found on the second. The residence is situated a few blocks from the campus.

Court filings show Nguyen-Duy faces charges of murder, felonious assault, and tampering with evidence. Oberlin City Prosecutor Zachary Simonoff told Judge Farah Emeka that the defendant confessed to the crimes and provided officers with the address of the residence. The suspect was previously known as Daniel Jones and resides in Ashland, Oregon.

Officers originally located the suspect after finding a car on fire near the college's conservatory of music. Identification recovered from the vehicle listed the name Daniel Jones. Simonoff also informed the court that the defendant's mother contacted police to state her child was currently psychotic and required medication. A message was subsequently left with the suspect's attorney.

The case has been bound over to Lorain County Common Pleas Court, where a grand jury will next review the matter. The suspect is currently detained in the Lorain County Jail. No motive has been released by law enforcement as of Thursday.

Oberlin College, a private liberal arts institution, paused or modified studio art classes following the discovery of the bodies. The campus art museum displayed an exhibit of Pipo Nguyen-Duy's photography to allow students and alumni to gather. The professor, who joined the faculty in 1998, was a 2011 photography fellow of the Guggenheim Foundation.

College president Carmen Twillie Ambar described the event in an open letter as a deeply challenging moment. The foundation noted that Nguyen-Duy immigrated to the United States from Vietnam in 1975 and studied at Carleton College and the University of New Mexico.