The Chen Family Murders
I watched an episode of Deadline Crime for my research on this case. It’s season 4 episode 6, titled ‘Ghost of Great Falls.’
A triple homicide goes undetected for years, until a tip changes everything.
Background
The Chen family, Wu-Hung, 53, Yei-Mei, 52, Raymond, 25, and Edward, moved from Taiwan to Fairfax, Virginia. The Chen’s were a very traditional family, but they came to the U.S. so that the boys could go to school.
The Chen’s were very successful business people, they lived in a nice mansion in a very wealthy neighborhood. Wu-Hung and Yei-Mei were constantly traveling to Taiwan, often leaving the two boy’s at home in their large home.
A picture of Ed’s mom, Yei-Mei and their mansion. I couldn’t find any pictures of the whole family.
A Tip
In spring of 2002, the Fairfax police received a tip from Ed’s ex-fiance, a woman name Vickie Taylor. Vickie said she had information about her ex’s dead family that were killed in August of 1995.
At this point, the police weren’t aware that a family was even missing. The Chen’s were in Taiwan more than they were in Virginia. The police also took Vickie’s story with a grain of salt at first, because they maybe thought she was a jealous ex. However, Vickie was the one to end the relationship.
Vickie and Ed had met when she was an exotic dancer. They immediately became smitten with each other, and were engaged after 14 months.
Vickie started becoming suspicious when she would get phone calls about a Raymond Chen, Ed’s brother. Ed said he had to use his brother’s name to take care of his family’s business accounts. Ed had told Vickie his parent’s and brother had all died tragically. She believed him.
However, their relationship ended after two years. Ed had become very unhappy and even confrontational. Ed moved out, except he didn’t take everything. One day, Vickie found passports that belonged to his parents, and the last stamp on the passports was from the U.S.
Vickie told the police there was another person who could back up her story, Ed’s ex-wife, Mandy.
Mandy
Mandy and Ed met in high school, dated and were married for a few years. Mandy was pregnant at 17, and this didn’t make Ed’s traditional family happy at all. Ed had to tip toe around his relationship with Mandy, even buying two apartments so his parents wouldn’t find out. Until one day, he told Mandy that she didn’t have to worry anymore.
Mandy was confused, until Ed said they were dead and he could prove it to her. Ed finally took Mandy to his parent’s house, and showed her the bodies. The police could tell when she was telling them about it she was being honest, and she was having to relive the horrific day.
However, Mandy never turned Ed in, they got married, had a child together and were married for about two years. It seems that Mandy was Ed’s motive for killing his family, and kept up appearances like paying the bills and doing yard work.
The Investigation
The police believed that Ed Chen had killed his family, but they needed proof. They didn’t have bodies or evidence, besides the word of two of Ed’s exes.
The police decided to go the Chen house, but at this point it was owned by another couple. The couple allowed them to search the house. The flooring had been replaced in the master bedroom, but they asked if the flooring underneath had been replaced, it hadn’t. The police needed more evidence before they could rip up the flooring.
More evidence was about to come, when a man named Michael Reese came forward and said he helped Ed dismember and dump the bodies, that had already been in the home for four years at this point. Yep, that’s right FOUR YEARS.
Michael said he and Ed met, and Ed had told him weird stories and asked him strange questions about dead people, and what he would do to get rid of dead bodies. Michael said he would cut them up and throw them in the ocean. They did just that. Ed offered Michael $100,000 and a new car.
They dismembered the bodies, poured concrete on them, put them in duffel bags and took them out to the Chesapeake Bay and dumped them.
At this rate, the police still didn’t have the bodies, but they did decide to do one more thing. They asked Vickie if she would call Ed and record him confessing. Ed did eventually tell Vickie that if he could take anything in his life back, it would be this.
Arrest and Conviction
After hearing this, and finally digging up the floor in Chen’s former house, the blood stain tested positive for blood. It was determined that it was Wu-Hung’s blood.
Ed was arrested for killing his family on August 17, 1995. Ed was with his five year old daughter, Samantha, at the time and he said he wanted to say goodbye to her. Samantha was eventually picked up that day by a friend of Ed’s.
Ed Chen
Ed admitted to everything. He said he bought a rifle at K-Mart. He killed his bother Raymond first, and shot him in the upper chest area. He said his parents had heard the noise, and he went into their bedroom. His dad tried to run away, which is he ended up on the floor, but he killed them. The police said he was very matter of fact and didn’t show much emotion.
At Ed’s trial, his attorney, Peter Greenspun, said the confession should be thrown out because it was coerced. The judge agreed and the confession was thrown out.
However, Ed eventually took a plea deal, and admitted to three counts of first degree murder. He was sentenced to 36 years in prison.
Ed said in court:
“I want to apologize to my family and friends, especially my daughter, for what I put them through. I hope that by not going to trial, I saved everyone more pain and suffering. I feel very guilty for what I did.”
Other
Michael Reese was not charged with his crime. The statue of limitations had expired.
FINAL THOUGHTS
I personally think 36 years is a light sentence for 3 brutal murders. I think he should have gotten life in prison, because he can still get out around age 60 for good behavior, according to one of the articles. 60 is still pretty young, and who knows, he could hurt someone else again. I also think it’s bullshit that Michael Reese was never charged. Also, how do you WILLINGLY help someone cut up bodies and dump them. Ugh, it’s so disgusting.
I’ve never heard about this case until today, and I’m so mind blown. I hope Ed’s rotting in his prison cell thinking about he did. I don’t believe he’s sorry about what he did.
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