Man fatally stabs stepdaughter 100 times for shielding her mother from him

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A 21-year-old University of Washington student was killed due to domestic violence, when her stepdad stabbed her to death in a gruesome attack (Image: Getty Images)
A 21-year-old University of Washington student was killed due to domestic violence, when her stepdad stabbed her to death in a gruesome attack (Image: Getty Images)

A 21-year-old woman was killed by her stepfather when he allegedly stabbed her over 100 times for trying to protect her mother in a horrifying fight.

Nghiep Kein Chau, 54, was arrested at the scene, and police determined that he was punching his wife in a terrifying ordeal when the young woman, Angelina Tran, stepped in between them. A coroner's report said the woman had been stabbed 107 times.

When her mother opened the door for police, she was bleeding from her face. Officers immediately saw Chau holding a large kitchen knife. He dropped it when ordered and was taken into custody.

According to court documents, police arrived at the home at about 4:55 a.m., just 15 minutes after CCTV footage showed them that Chau and his wife, Linh Tran had gotten into a violent argument. The videos showed police that Chau began punching Tran, who was trying to get away.

Man fatally stabs stepdaughter 100 times for shielding her mother from him qhiqhhidqqithinvA man allegedly killed his stepdaughter after she tried to stop him from repeatedly punching her mother (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

The commotion likely woke up Angelina, who had known Chau for most of her life. She ran and got in between Chau and her mother, attempting to stop him from hitting her. Chau was still throwing punches, some of them hitting Angelina and others slamming Linh.

Man in 30s dies after being stabbed in park sparking police probeMan in 30s dies after being stabbed in park sparking police probe

During the struggle, the mother was able to get away, and Angelina grabbed onto Chau to stop him from going after her mother. That's when Chau grabbed the young adult and dragged her over to a cabinet. He retrieved the knife and began stabbing her. She tried to get away but he continued to stab her, until she fell on the floor.

Officers determined that Chau kept stabbing her even after it was clear that was dead.

Loved ones have organised a fundraiser for the National Asian Pacific Center on Aging in Tran’s memory, considering her passion for helping elders. “The pain of her absence is profound as she was a gem of a human being,” reads the fundraiser, an effort to continue her legacy of care and compassion. “The impact she had on all those fortunate enough to know her was significant.”

Chau had been in a relationship with Tran’s mother for 19 years, with the two marrying last year. Angelina was a University of Washington student, living at home while she studied.

According to police, Chau told patrol officers, “I killed someone.” Chau was booked into the King County Jail on charges of murder and attempted murder.

Chau’s bail was set at $5 million. His arraignment has been pushed back due to the fact that Chau is medically unavailable. The arraignment is now scheduled for August 31 at 8:30 a.m. in Courtroom E1201 in King County Superior Court.

According to the United Nations, 47,000 women and girls worldwide were killed by their intimate partners or other family members in 2020. This means that, on average, a woman or girl is killed by someone in her own family every 11 minutes.

Man fatally stabs stepdaughter 100 times for shielding her mother from himThis sad case is far from unique, as domestic violence often affects the closest family members - resulting in their deaths (Getty Images/Tetra images RF)

Sanctuary for Families adds that the "U.S. ranks 34th for intentional female homicides at a rate of 2.6 killings per 100,000 women." They add that many of the killings are violent, with women being less likely than men to be killed in a shooting, but more likely to be beaten, stabbed, or strangled, as in Angelina's case.

The National Domestic Violence Hotline reminds individuals that a "study of intimate partner homicides found that 20 per cent of victims were not the intimate partners themselves, but family members, friends, neighbours, persons who intervened, law enforcement responders, or bystanders" - meaning that in an abusive relationship, it's often someone else that suffers, especially children.

Yelena Mandenberg

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