SEATTLE — Terence Chan pleaded not guilty Thursday in the murder of his wife, Hao "Helen" Tong, on August 18.
Court documents accuse Chan of stabbing Tong to death with a screwdriver. He claimed self-defense. Police called his alleged actions an "extreme level of violence."
According to court documents, police were made aware of the case after two people called 911, reporting that Chan had called them and said he killed his wife in self-defense and planned to call people to say goodbye before he took his own life. Police arrived to their business in Ballard and found Chan, who directed them to the bathroom where they found his wife.
Court documents said Tong had more than 100 puncture wounds, which the King County Medical Examiner's Officer says were consistent with the shape of a Phillips head screwdriver.
In an interview with detectives, police said Chan told them he was planning to tell his wife he was leaving and then head to Canada. He said he agreed to fix a bathtub first, and then Tong threw a screwdriver at him. He claimed to have then "blacked out" and said he "didn't remember any further details of what occurred in the bathroom."
He also said that he acted in self-defense, but police said he did not provide any details to prove that, according to court documents. He was found with a small bruise on his knee and minor scratches on his arms.
"Even assuming the defendant’s claim that the victim initiated the conflict is accurate, the degree of violence and injury the defendant excessively inflicted upon the victim clearly exposes the defendant as a man of little control and readily capable of extreme violence against others," the prosecuting attorney wrote in court documents.
Tong was well known and beloved by friends and clients of her salon. Loved ones left photos and flowers in front of her salon in memory, focusing on the light she brought to the community.
If you or someone you know may be experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233, text START to 88788 or visit thehotline.org for additional guidance and resources.
Visit the Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence website for additional local resources.