Post by Scumhunter on Feb 18, 2014 12:01:02 GMT -5
In a quiet subdivision in suburban Houston, shaken neighbors held a vigil last week after a husband, his wife and their two young sons were found dead in their comfortable brick home, presumed victims of a murder-suicide.
But raw neighborhood emotions went from sadness to fear on Monday when the Harris County medical examiner ruled all four deaths homicides and said the family members all were shot at least once in the head.
No one apparently heard the gunshots. Their bodies lay in different rooms of the 3,500-square-foot home in the well-manicured Cypress neighborhood, maybe for days, before someone asked police to check on them Thursday because one of the adults had not reported to work.
"The first scenario was tragic, but it wasn't something that was going to impact my family. This new scenario, obviously, makes a person wonder: Could this have happened to me?" said Saralyn Tett, a stay-at-home mother who lives in the neighborhood. "I hope they find the person who did it and bring some closure to this situation. The mystery is the most disconcerting part of it."
The neighborhood felt like a bubble of safety, she said, until last week, when it popped, leaving residents to wonder what had become of the quiet family. Their home, in the 14000 block of Fosters Creek Drive, was marked Monday, not by crime scene tape, but floral arrangements and balloons on the front porch.
While Harris County Sheriff's Office officials have said next to nothing about the case and have yet to name the victims, the Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District has identified the children as 9-year-old Timothy Xie Sun and 7-year-old Titus Xiao Sun. The two Sampson Elementary School students were last seen at school on Jan. 23, a week before the bodies were found on Thursday. Schools were closed Jan. 24 and 28 because of the weather.
Public records show that the home and the two Toyotas in front of the residence were owned by Maoye Sun, 50, and his wife, Mei Xie, 49.
The couple married in Harris County in 2000. A year later, they bought the house, valued at $270,000. They spoke Mandarin Chinese at home, records show. Neighbors said the two boys often were seen playing outside.
According to LinkedIn and Facebook, Sun had a doctorate from the University of Texas at Austin in engineering mechanics and worked as an analyst at Cameron, an oil field equipment manufacturer.
Some windows broken
As questions mounted among concerned neighbors on Monday, few answers emerged from officials.
The four family members were found about 7:30 p.m. Thursday after deputies made a welfare check. One law enforcement source said investigators suspect foul play because several windows of the home had been broken.
In ruling all four deaths as homicides, Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences did not name any of the victims.
"We are still trying to track down the next of kin," said Tricia Bentley, a spokeswoman. "When we've made every attempt to find and notify the next of kin, at that time we will release their identities."
A news release issued by the sheriff's office said only that "investigations of this type of case are complicated and lengthy. Investigators are not releasing details at this point to preserve the integrity of the investigation."
Admin Note #1: According to online articles, anyone with information about the family's murder can contact Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS or the Harris County Sheriff's Office.
Admin Note #2: If you have any news-related updates on this case, please contact us here: amwfans.com/thread/1662/website-contact-form
Thoughts? I chose a picture of a vigil because of how this has impacted the community. This murder is even headline news in China since the couple were naturalized Chinese immigrants. Detectives are working with news reporter Tiffany Zhang with ITV Ch. 55.5 — one of Houston's most-established Chinese-language channels — to help spread the word throughout the local Chinese community and beyond.
I really am baffled by this and honestly have no idea what to think. But this is so tragic and I can't explain it. I know we deal with a lot of horrific crimes on this site, but this one has really gotten to me. I hope police can figure this out soon. As mentioned, in my note after the article, call Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS if you have any information.
www.chron.com/neighborhood/cyfair/crime-courts/article/Cops-seek-gunman-in-Cypress-shooting-that-killed-4-5200810.php
abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=news/local&id=9424455
