Chen family killings house

This is the house where the Chen family killings took place.

It is located at 1846 Western Avenue in Albany, New York.

Jin Feng Chen (39), his wife, Hai Yan Li (38), and their two children, Anthony (10) and Eddy (7), were found murdered at the address on the afternoon of October 8th, 2014.

Discovery

Chen was employed at King's Wok restaurant. One of his coworkers became concerned when he failed to show up at work without contacting anyone.

Fearing that something was wrong, he walked the one-mile journey to Chen's home, where he made the discovery.

The coworker did not call 911 himself due to his poor English. Instead, he contacted another coworker and asked them to raise the alarm.

Investigation

The four victims had been stabbed and beaten to death with a hammer.

Chen's body was reportedly found on the first floor. His wife and two sons had been placed on a bed and then covered with a blanket.

The investigation into the quadruple homicide was hampered from the start, as members of the Chinese community in Albany were extremely reluctant to talk to the police.

It is believed that potential sources remained silent due to their immigration status. Although the district attorney publicly stated that witnesses would be immune from deportation, this failed to increase the number of credible tips.

Besides immigration worries, the nature of the killings may have also made people fearful about getting involved.

The police noted that those who knew the Chen family were "difficult" to interview.

The lack of security cameras near Western Avenue complicated matters even further, as investigators were unable to retrieve any footage from the immediate area.

The family was murdered at some point between 3:30 a.m. and 6:30 a.m. However, their bodies were not discovered until roughly 1 p.m., after Chen's coworker decided to visit the house.

This means that at least seven hours passed before the alarm was raised.

Human trafficking

Some sources have suggested that Chen may have been involved in illegal activities such as gambling, money laundering, and human trafficking. However, the authorities have refused to publicly comment on these claims.

During a search of the house, the police reportedly discovered more than a dozen mattresses in the basement.

There were also reports that he transferred off-the-books cash to undocumented restaurant workers in New York City.

In October 2023, the New York State Police made a fresh appeal for information about the quadruple homicide.

Investigators have yet to identify a suspect or a motive for the killings. DNA evidence collected from the house has also failed to yield any results.