A Seattle, Washington State university student was fatally stabbed a horrifying 107 times as she desperately tried to save her mother from being attacked by her stepfather, it has been claimed.
University of Washington engineering student Angelina Tran, 21, was knifed more than 100 times in the frenzied attack in the Seattle home she shared with her mother Linh Ngoc Tran, and stepfather, Nghiep Kein Chau.
Chau has been charged with first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder, with the horrifying attack captured on the home’s surveillance camera.
Prosecutors have alleged the 54-year-old man punched his wife in the face and head more than a dozen times as they rowed in their kitchen.
Angelina, who was sleeping at the time of the attack, then emerged from her room but in her attempts to intervene, was punched by Chau, with the college student holding him back so her mother could escape and flee downstairs.
Court documents claim Chau then wrestled his stepdaughter to the floor, grabbed a “large” knife and stabbed her in the chest repeatedly.
The alleged killer then changed his blood-soaked clothes before selecting a different knife – a meat cleaver – to continue the frenzied attack.
It is understood Angelina’s mother was able to flee to a room to hide and was able to call 911.
Police arrived at the home to find Chau “still ‘holding a large bloody fixed-blade kitchen style knife.”
The stepfather admitted he intended to kill Linh before officers arrived, according to prosecutors.
He was taken into custody “as he was coming down the stairs inside their home, still armed with a knife,” according to police.
Chau also used an interpreter to tell deputies he was upset because he believed his wife was going to divorce him and take all his money.
The criminal complaint against him states: “This murder appeared to be the result of anger at his stepdaughter for intervening in the defendant’s attack on her mother.
“Angelina Tran’s intervention allowed her mother to escape and hide in a nearby bedroom, but the defendant did not stop his attack.”
Chau is now being held at the King County Correctional Facility on a £3,974,245 million bond.
The man is believed to have been married to his wife for 20 years, meaning he had known Angelina most of her life.
A GoFundMe page for Angelina has been set up and has already raised more than £20,600 – some £8,700 above its initial target.
The page reads: “[Angelina] graced our lives as an incredible daughter, a cherished friend, and above all, a perfect girlfriend. Her dedication and hard work were truly admirable.
“The pain of her absence is profound as she was a gem of a human being,’ the page reads.
“All contributions received will be directed towards the National Asian Pacific Center on Aging, reflecting Angelina’s spirit and her commitment to making a difference in the lives of elderly individuals.”
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