SEATTLE — Editor's note: The above video on the arrest of the suspect in the south Seattle stabbing originally aired on August 7, 2023.
A 21-year-old Seattle woman was stabbed over 100 times by her stepfather after she stepped in to defend her mother from an attack, according to King County court documents.
Nghiep Kein Chau is charged with the murder of his stepdaughter, Angelina Thanh Tran as well as the attempted murder of his wife, Linh N Tran.
According to police, officers responded just before 5 a.m. on Aug. 7 to 5316 31st Avenue in Seattle's Beacon Hill neighborhood. Officers encountered Linh Tran and her mother at the door, who told officers that Angelina was still inside the house.
Chau was seen by officers upon entry into the home still carrying a kitchen knife with blood on it but did drop it when requested by Seattle police.
Chau was taken into custody and officers went upstairs, where they found Angelina Tran already deceased.
After securing a search warrant, the Seattle Police Department discovered CCTV footage from the exterior and interior of the home. The video showed Chau repeatedly punched his wife as she attempts to get away from him and call for help in the kitchen.
Angelina Tran is then seen on video, according to detectives, getting in between Chau and Linh Tran. After a struggle, Chau grabbed a kitchen knife and began stabbing Angelina Tran in the chest. The two continued to struggle. Angelina Tran was stabbed in the chest and the back as she tried to get away.
Court documents said even after Angelina Tran was clearly dead Chau continued stabbing her. According to court documents, Tran changed his clothes, grabbed a different knife and continued stabbing her. Police said they saw Chau stab Angelina Tran at least 107 times in the video.
Charging documents said Chau had been in a relationship with Angelina Tran's mother for the last 19 years. The pair were married last year.
Prosecutors argued Chau should be held on $5 million bail, saying he is a flight risk and could be a danger to the surviving victim and witness in the case. The court set the bail amount at $5 million.
Chau's next appearance in court will be Wednesday.