Cypress, TX Area Family of Four Found Shot to Death in Their Home

[MuffyBee]

http://www.chron.com/neighborhood/cyfair/news/article/4-bodies-found-in-Cypress-area-home-5191469.php
4 bodies found in Cypress-area home
Posted January 30, 2014, Updated January 31, 2014

Four people were found dead Thursday night at a home in northwest Harris County, sheriff's deputies said.

They were discovered about 7:30 p.m. after deputies contacted by a family friend made a welfare check at a home in the 14000 block of Fosters Creek, authorities said
 
At the scene, Capt. Rolf Nelson, of the sheriff's homicide division, would not provide any details about the people inside the home — including how they died or where the bodies were discovered.

"It is believed to be a family. We haven't identified anyone inside," Nelson said.

The deputies were dispatched to the house at the urging of a "concerned friend of the family," Nelson said. "One of the adults had not come to work in a couple of days."

Nelson wouldn't say if there was evidence of forced entry or if a weapon was discovered.

"We're still in the very early stages of this investigation," Nelson said.

A neighbor who would identify himself only as "Ryan" said a husband and wife lived in the house with two grade-school-age sons. Ryan said his children sometimes played tag with the two boys.
"They're a real nice family. This is a complete shock to us," Ryan said. "We just talked to them a couple of days ago."

Ryan said he has never heard of the family having problems.
 

Photo Slide Show at Link

[MuffyBee]

http://www.chron.com/neighborhood/cyfair/news/article/4-bodies-found-in-Cypress-area-home-5191469.php
4 bodies found in Cypress-area home
Posted January 30, 2014, Updated January 31, 2014

From article comments:

Rank 2548
Sounds like a murder suicide. The man's name is Maoye Sun (http://www.facebook.com/maoye.sun)) and he worked for Cameron International in Houston, had a Phd, graduated from UT Austin and had at least one patent. He seemed successful. Other reports stated that he and the wife had bad arguments that often spilled outside thier 14015 Fosters Creek Dr home in Cypress for the neighbors to hear.

[MuffyBee]

http://www.chron.com/neighborhood/cyfair/news/article/Community-mourns-family-found-dead-in-home-5195093.php
Community mourns family found dead in home
By Mike Glenn | January 31, 2014 | Updated: January 31, 2014 11:29pm

Harris County sheriff's deputies were tight-lipped Friday about a family of four who were found dead inside their Cypress home. But friends and neighbors gathered at a nearby park to remember the victims.

Detectives have not officially identified the family - a father, mother and two grade-school-age boys - who were found dead Thursday night in their home in the 14000 block of Fosters Creek in northwest Harris County. Nor have they described the manner of death.

Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District officials confirmed the two boys were students at nearby Sampson Elementary School.
 
About 75 to 100 people met Friday night at a small vigil to honor the family. They gathered on a ridge over a community center soccer field in the 13000 block of Barker Cypress.
 
The vigil was arranged by a local Boy Scout group. The older boy was an active member of Pack 1179, officials said.

Suzy Weaver is a leader in the Scouting group in which the older boy belonged. Weaver described the younger boy as very shy. "Every time I saw him, he was really quiet and clinging to his mother's legs," Weaver said.

The older son was much more outgoing, she recalled. He wasn't the kind of boy whose eyes would wander during a conversation.

"He would turn straight at you and watch you talk. I don't think I've ever seen a little boy do that," Weaver said.

Weaver said she had only seen their father a few times, but regularly encountered their mother.

"She was a very quiet lady and always had something nice to say," Weaver said.

Weaver had heard about the deaths of a family in her neighborhood earlier in the day but didn't know the boy in her Cub Scout pack was among the dead.
 

Photos at Link

[MuffyBee]

http://www.chron.com/default/article/Cops-seek-gunman-in-Cypress-shooting-that-killed-4-5200810.php
Cops seek gunman in Cypress shooting that killed 4
Bodies of parents, young sons were found in different rooms, may have been there for days
Posted February 3, 2014, Updated February 4, 2014

 
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."

[MuffyBee]

When I saw the first article, I wondered if it was murder-suicide and I watched for updates. Now, it looks like all four deaths are homicides.   


http://www.chron.com/default/article/Cops-seek-gunman-in-Cypress-shooting-that-killed-4-5200810.php
Cops seek gunman in Cypress shooting that killed 4
Bodies of parents, young sons were found in different rooms, may have been there for days
Posted February 3, 2014, Updated February 4, 2014

Snipped from the above article:

 
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.

[MuffyBee]

http://www.myfoxhouston.com/story/24633559/sheriff-motive-in-familys-slaying-still-unclear
Sheriff: Motive in family's slaying still unclear
February 4, 2014

HOUSTON (AP) - Investigators say they're baffled by the fatal shootings last week of a family of four, including two children, at their suburban Houston home.

Harris County Sheriff Adrian Garcia said Tuesday that authorities are still trying to determine a motive for the slayings.

Deputies discovered the bodies Thursday in the family's Cypress home after co-workers of the husband became concerned when he didn't show for work for several days.

The names of the victims have not been released as authorities are still trying to contact relatives of the family, who immigrated from China.
 

[MuffyBee]

http://www.myfoxhouston.com/story/24636595/2014/02/04/community-call-for-help-for-slain-family-of-four
Community call for help for slain family of four
February 4, 2014

HOUSTON (FOX 26) -
In a small room packed with reporters, Harris county's sheriff sent a direct message to the whoever murdered a family of four in the suburban Cypress home last week.
 
In addition to representatives of English and Spanish language news organizations, Mandarin language journalists along with an interpreter were also on hand. Investigators are asking anyone with information to come forward.

While not identifying him by name, Sheriff Garcia described the husband and father in the slain family as a mechanical engineer who was last seen on Friday January 24th. Both he and his wife were naturalized citizens from China. Their boys, ages 7 and 9, were cub scouts and Elementary School students. Each were found dead in their bedrooms. And investigators have no clue who killed them or why.
 
Video at Link

[MuffyBee]

http://www.khou.com/news/local/Detectives-turn-to-Chinese-language-media-looking-for-leads-in-the-murder-of-Cypress-family-243848701.html
Detectives turn to Chinese-language media looking for leads in the murder of Cypress family
February 5, 2014

HARRIS COUNTY, Texas -- The Harris County Sheriff’s office is turning to the Asian community to help solve a case involving the murder of a family from Cypress.
International TV and The Chinese channel has also been covering the murders on the radio and in the community’s newspaper.
The news team here started broadcasting information about the murder on the airwaves in Chinese here in Houston.
The family of four was murdered last Thursday in Cypress.
The 50-year-old father, his wife, and their elementary-aged boys had all been shot in the head. There were no signs of forced entry at home.
The murders have been the lead story at International TV.
Reporters here tell us the family was all alone in this country so reporters have been spreading the word trying to help find relatives in China.
“So there’s no one they can rely on,” said Tiffany Zhang. “This is just a single family here. So we just try to do from the outside as brothers and sisters to do things we can.”
The local Chinese TV station is reporting that family members of the victims have been contacted in China.
A brother and sister are working to get a Visa to come and officially identify and claim the bodies, but it could be days before they arrive.
The Chinese community is organizing a memorial service that will take place this weekend.
 

[Nut44x4]

When I saw the first article, I wondered if it was murder-suicide and I watched for updates. Now, it looks like all four deaths are homicides.   


http://www.chron.com/default/article/Cops-seek-gunman-in-Cypress-shooting-that-killed-4-5200810.php
Cops seek gunman in Cypress shooting that killed 4
Bodies of parents, young sons were found in different rooms, may have been there for days
Posted February 3, 2014, Updated February 4, 2014

Snipped from the above article:

 
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.

  

[MuffyBee]

http://www.khou.com/news/local/Identities-released-of-father-mother-found-murdered-with-sons-at-Cypress-home-243960571.html
Identities released of father, mother found murdered with sons at Cypress home
Posted February 6, 2014, Updated February 7, 2014


HOUSTON—Harris County Sheriff’s deputies have identified the husband and wife that were murdered, along with their two children, at their home in Cypress.
Maoye Sun, his wife Mei Xie and their two sons, ages 7 and 9, were found shot to death on January 30th in their home in the 14000 block of Fosters Creek. They all had gunshot wounds to the head. Identification of the boys is pending confirmation of their identities through dental records, according to the IFS.
Deputies went to check on the family because the father hadn’t shown up for work. He was a mechanical engineer at Cameron.
They found the back door of the home open and believe the victims may have been dead for as many as four days.
The victims were U.S. citizens but they may have relatives in China. Their deaths left authorities baffled.
 

[MuffyBee]

http://www.khou.com/news/local/Increased-reward-offered-in-murder-of-Cypress-area-husband-wife-2-kids--246037011.html
$70,000 reward offered for info on murder of Cypress-area family
February 18, 2014

HARRIS COUNTY, Texas -- Crime Stoppers of Houston is increasing the reward for information on the murder of a family in Cypress.

Officials are now offering up to $70,000 for information leading to the arrest of the suspect or suspects responsible.
Maoye Sun, his wife Mei Xie, and their two sons, ages 7 and 9, were shot to death on Jan. 30 in their home in the 14000 block of Fosters Creek. The Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences identified the children as Timothy Sun and Titus Sun.

All four had gunshot wounds to the head, authorities said.
 
The sheriff's office said Clear Channel Outdoor will display advertisements announcing the increased reward on its digital billboards.
Call 713-222-TIPS (8477) or text TIP610 plus your tip to CRIMES (274637). Tips can also be submitted online.  All tipsters remain anonymous.

Video at link.

[MuffyBee]

http://kxan.com/2014/02/26/chief-to-answer-questions-about-fears-after-recent-homicide-in-northwest-austin/
APD Chief addresses ‘fears’ after Galleria Oaks homicide
February 26, 2014

After Xiaojia ‘Grace’ Chen was found dead last Wednesday inside a bathroom in a second-floor building at the Galleria Oaks shopping center, neighbors and friends grew uneasy.

According to police reports, Chen’s body had been in the room for about two hours before a worker at the complex found her.  She and her husband own Grace Language and Cultural Institute located in the shopping center.

“There’s a lot of collective fear, a lot of collective trauma because if it could happen to her it could happen to us,” said Amy Won Mok, CEO and President of the Asian American Cultural Center.

The center is a Chinese School as well and is less than five miles from where Chen’s school was.

Wednesday night Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo will answer questions about safety and other concerns.

“We have some questions about the security of the strip mall and it’s just down the street from us and we have concerns because we identify with the victim, she looks like us,” said Mok.

She said people in the Asian community are concerned the violent crime was a targeted attack.  The fear stems  from the recent homicide investigation out of Houston.

A Chinese family of four was found dead inside their Cypress home earlier this month.   Police have not indicated if the crimes are related but Mok said  she and others want a chance to ask.
 

[MuffyBee]

http://www.myfoxhouston.com/story/24770599/2014/02/19/reward-money-increased-for-info-on-slain-cypress-family
REWARD MONEY INCREASED FOR INFO ON SLAIN CYPRESS FAMILY
February 19, 2014

HOUSTON (FOX 26) -
Thanks in part to private donations, the reward for information leading to the arrest of the person of people responsible for the homicide now stands at $70,000.

Digital billboards are now displayed at four locations in Houston with more to go online statewide in Dallas, San Antonio and El Paso by tomorrow.

Investigators have been unable to pinpoint a motive but Harris County Sheriff Adrian Garcia did say they have narrowed down the timeline. The bodies of Maoye Sun, his wife Mei Xie, and their 9 and 7-year old son were discovered during a welfare check on January 30th. All four were shot to death. Maoye Sun was last seen six nights earlier, at 7pm January 24th at work. The family did not show up the next morning to a Boy Scout event, a group they were very active in.

Sheriff Garcia says the investigation has not hit the proverbial wall and he's still waiting for forensic evidence found at the home to be developed. There are also details he insists he cannot share to preserve the integrity of the investigation
 

[MuffyBee]

  


http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/594487-world-journal-shooting-of-chinese-american-family-related-to-security-official/
World Journal: Shooting of Chinese-American Family Related to Security Official
April 1, 2014

The apparent murder of a Chinese-American man, along with three family members, at his home in Houston, Texas, this January was recently said by an established overseas Chinese newspaper to have some connection to the former Chinese security official Zhou Yongkang, who is at the center of an intense corruption investigation.

The World Journal reported simply that, according to a source, the murder of the family “was related” to the corruption investigation of Zhou Yongkang. Zhou, before becoming the head of the Chinese Communist Party’s security apparatus, held power positions in the petroleum sector.

The 50 year-old Sun Maoye, his wife, and their two young sons, were all found dead in their house in Cypress, on the outskirts of Houston, this January. All four been shot in the head.

Sun graduated from the China University of Petroleum and was working at an oil company in Houston before his death. According to the World Journal, a number of senior executives at PetroChina, who were alums with Sun, have also mysteriously died.

The report quoted Wei Shi, with the overseas Chinese language news website Boxun, known for its frequent purported insider accounts of elite politics and power struggles in China, who said that the way Sun’s family died obviously points to premeditated murder.

Wei Shi said sources told him that Sun was involved in PetroChina’s allegedly corrupt procurement activities in the United States, and that he and his family were eliminated to prevent any information being leaked. W

Local police say that the Federal Bureau of Investigation is looking into the case. They also offer a $70,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of suspects.