1:15 PM: The San Francisco medical examiner’s office today released the names of two men and three women found murdered at a house in the city’s Ingleside neighborhood on Friday.
The men were identified as Hua Shun Lei, 65, and Vincent Lei, 32, and the women were identified as Wan Yi Xu, 62; Chia Huei Chu, 30; and Ying Xue Lei, 37.
A relative who has a key to the home at 16 Howth St. found three of the victims around 7:45 a.m. Friday and called 911. Police arrived and found the other two victims in another part of the house.
Property records indicate that Ying Xue Lei bought the two-story house, located off of Ocean Avenue near City College of San Francisco, in January 2011. Hua Shun Lei and Wan Yi Xu owned the house next door at 10 Howth St.
Police said Friday that four of the five victims were members of the same family, but have not released further information on the relationships.
Ying Xue Lei, who also went by the name Jess Lei, worked as a software engineer at Quantitative Medical Systems in Emeryville, according to Roxanne Albertoli, an administrative assistant with the company.
“She was a wonderful person, she didn’t deserve this,” Albertoli said.
Albertoli said her co-workers knew something was wrong when Lei did not come in to work on Friday.
“She was a very fine worker, a very good engineer,” Albertoli said.
Police on Sunday morning arrested Binh Thai Luc, 35, in connection with the killings.
The victims’ manner of death is still under investigation by the medical examiner’s office.
Police Chief Greg Suhr initially said that some of the victims had been shot, but said at a news conference Sunday evening that further investigation revealed that was not the case.
Suhr said there was apparently an “edged” weapon involved, which he described as “a weapon capable of cutting you,” but said no weapon has yet been recovered in connection with the deaths.
Suhr said Binh Thai Luc had some sort of relationship with the victims, but declined to comment on the nature of the relationship. He also said that Luc possibly had prior gang ties and has a criminal record.
Luc’s brother, Brian Luc, 32, was also arrested on suspicion of narcotics possession, being a felon in possession of ammunition and a probation violation. The brothers live together in San Francisco, according to police.
Officers arrested the pair after serving search warrants at locations in San Francisco and San Mateo. Suhr said Binh Thai Luc was not arrested at his home.
The Police Department has until Tuesday to hand over the case to the district attorney’s office, and the brothers could be arraigned as soon as Tuesday afternoon, district attorney’s office spokeswoman Stephanie Ong Stillman said.
Police are continuing to investigate the murders. Anyone with information about the case is encouraged to call the department’s homicide detail at (415) 553-1451, the anonymous tip line at (415) 575-4444 or send a tip by text message to TIP411.
11:54 AM: A man suspected of killing five people inside a home near City College of San Francisco on Friday could be in court to face murder charges as soon as Tuesday, a district attorney’s office spokeswoman said today.
Binh Thai Luc, 35, was arrested Sunday morning in connection with the deaths at 16 Howth St., a two-story home in the city’s Ingleside neighborhood, police Chief Greg Suhr said at a news conference Sunday evening.
Luc’s brother, Brian Luc, 32, was also arrested on suspicion of narcotics possession, being a felon in possession of ammunition and a probation violation. The two brothers live together in San Francisco, according to police.
Police arrested the pair after serving search warrants at locations in San Francisco and San Mateo, Suhr said. He said Binh Thai Luc was not arrested at his home.
Police have until Tuesday to hand over the case to the district attorney’s office, and the brothers could be arraigned as soon as that afternoon, district attorney’s office spokeswoman Stephanie Ong Stillman said.
The medical examiner’s office expects to release the names of the five victims this afternoon. A records search indicates that the house at 16 Howth St. belongs to Yingxue Lei, who bought the home in January 2011.
The victims’ manner of death is still under investigation, but police Cmdr. Mike Beal said they are believed to have been killed early Friday morning.
Suhr initially said Friday that some of the victims had been shot, but said Sunday that further investigation revealed that was not the case.
Suhr said there was apparently an “edged” weapon involved, which he described as “a weapon capable of cutting you,” but said police are waiting for the official cause of death from the medical examiner’s office. He said no weapon has yet been recovered in connection with the deaths.
Suhr said Binh Thai Luc had some sort of relationship with the victims, but declined to comment on the nature of the relationship. He also said that Luc possibly had prior gang ties and has a criminal record.
Police are continuing to investigate the murders and are asking for the public’s help in providing any relevant information about the suspects. Anyone with information is encouraged to call the department’s homicide detail at (415) 553-1451.
People wishing to remain anonymous can also call the department’s tip line at (415) 575-4444 or send a tip by text message to TIP411.
Dan McMenamin, Bay City News
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