Oberlin man says 'I killed them' on police video
Body camera footage released Monday shows Daniel Jones admitting to shooting his parents after a neighbor reported strange behavior in the neighborhood.
By Lucia Orlov ·
Daniel Jones, 31, can be heard on police body camera footage stating, "I killed them," regarding the deaths of his parents in Oberlin. The video was released on Monday following a public records request by News 5 Investigators.
The recording captures Jones standing on Shipherd Circle last Wednesday with his hands raised as officers arrived. A resident who called 911 earlier that day said Jones was knocking on doors, claiming he had escaped a cult and asking for a ride to the library. Investigators were already searching for Jones after his car was found smoking in an Oberlin College parking lot that morning. Officers discovered a suitcase, wallet, passport, keys, and loose live ammunition inside the vehicle.
During the stop, Jones told officers his name was Asia Nguyen-Duy and that he was from Oregon. Court records indicate he changed his name to Daniel Jones last year. He described himself as "escaping bad people" and said he was wet from "walking through the river." When an officer noticed scratches on his face and asked if his family was okay, Jones replied, "No sir, they're not okay," before adding, "I killed them."
Police then transported the victims to a home on South Pleasant Street. Officers found Jones's father, Oberlin College Professor Pipo Nguyen-Duy, and his stepmother, Tran Thi Phong, dead inside. Both victims had been shot multiple times. Jones was handcuffed and read his Miranda rights, though he initially declined to speak further.
Jones remains in jail facing charges of murder, felonious assault, and tampering with evidence. During his arraignment, prosecutors noted that Jones's mother had told police her son was psychotic and required medication. Jones was also arraigned on a separate felony charge of harassment with a bodily substance.
A Lorain County Sheriff's report details that incident, stating Jones threw two cups of urine on a correctional officer inside the jail Saturday morning. The report notes the liquid hit the officer's face, arms, and front uniform.
Source: News 5 Cleveland (WEWS)
