Triple Murder-Suicide REPORTED After Tragic Scene Uncovered
(FeaturedNews.com) – An unimaginable tragedy struck the Hmong community of Maplewood, Minnesota, last week. After a father committed suicide, his distraught wife made the unthinkable decision to kill herself as well — and take her three kids with her. Police confirmed that Molly Cheng, 23, and her three children, aged 5, 4, and 3, died by drowning in a harrowing murder-suicide.
What Happened?
Molly’s husband, Yee Lee, died after shooting himself in the head after an argument in the family home. After learning of his death, Lee’s family took to social media with harsh words for his wife.
They accused her of cheating on the deceased. By 4 p.m. that day, a member of Cheng’s family alerted authorities that she may be a danger to herself and her kids. Police quickly tracked her cell phone to nearby Lake Vadnais. They found one of her children that night and recovered the mother and her other two kids’ bodies the following day. Officials listed the cause of death for all three children as drowning and ruled Cheng’s death a suicide.
Lee’s father, Chong Lue Lee, told KARE 11 that he believes under the circumstances, authorities could have done more to provide care to the young widow. He said the distraught woman was left alone with her children just hours after losing her husband in the most horrific way possible.
More to the Story Than Meets the Eye
An article published on Medium by a member of the Hmong community tells the story of a woman who went through her own personal hell before deciding to spare her children the same.
The Hmong people are an ethnic group from Southeast Asia. Large populations of them live in the US in close-knit communities. According to the article, the issues between the married couple were public knowledge. Cheng, who was adopted and had different physical characteristics from most people in her culture, was always treated as an outcast. When the couple’s issues came to light, they were supposed to seek the advice of a community Elder to discuss divorce.
When Lee killed himself, which the author speculates has much to do with the pressure young Hmong men feel to be successful in life and love, his family was reportedly cruel. They called
His wife unconscionable names and let her know she would never truly be welcome among her own people again.
While that’s certainly no excuse to end three innocent lives, it does allow a bit more perspective into why a young mother would go to such an extreme. The author believes the bullying Cheng experienced throughout her life over her physical appearance and the stigma her kids would likely encounter pushed her to the breaking point.
When the dust settled, an entire family was gone. The community at large gathered for a vigil to remember them. Dozens came together on the shore of the lake, where authorities recovered her car keys and the children’s shoes.
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