A 21-year-old student from the University of Washington died attempting to defend her mother from an assault by her stepfather in their Beacon Hill residence in Seattle on August 7.
Angelina Tran was roused by the sounds of conflict in her home. Based on charging documents, her stepfather, Nghiep Kein Chau, 54, had attacked her mother in the kitchen, landing multiple punches.
Tran intervened to shield her mother, which intensified Chau’s violence. While her mother escaped to call 911, Tran tried to hold back Chau. Subsequently, Chau stabbed Tran over 100 times, killing her.
Security footage shows Chau stopping multiple times, even altering his attire and changing the weapon. Police arrived around 5 am, discovering Tran’s injured mother and Chau with a blood-stained knife. Chau was apprehended and confessed to the crime, saying he thought his wife was going to divorce him and take his money. He admitted that he would have killed his wife too, if he had gotten to her before the police arrived. Now, Chau is facing charges and is held at King County Correctional Facility with a significant bond.
In remembrance of Tran, a fundraiser for the National Asian Pacific Center on Aging is set up.