A Queens man has been formally charged with the murder of his mother-in-law and the attempted murder of his brother-in-law, following a violent encounter in their shared Flushing home, officials said. According to a press release from the Queens District Attorney's Office, Wei Sheng Chen, 27, was arraigned on a multitude of charges including first-degree murder, and arson, among others.
Queens DA Melinda Katz stated, "As alleged, this defendant murdered his mother-in-law, repeatedly stabbed his teenage brother-in-law and set three fires in his multigenerational family home." Chen, from Smart Street, faces a potential life sentence if convicted on the top count against him. Despite the heavy accusations, and the brutal details of the crime scene, his arraignment was held yesterday, and he will be due back in court today, as per the Queens District Attorney's Office.
In the alleged incident, which occurred on October 2, Chen is said to have used a knife to inflict multiple fatal stab wounds to his mother-in-law, Qui Jin Shi, as well as attacking his 17-year-old brother-in-law with the same cruelty, leaving the teenager with over 100 staples and stitches to close wounds all over his body. Following the stabbings, Chen purportedly used alcohol to set three separate fires in the residence.
Local hospitals received both victims, with Shi pronounced dead upon arrival while the younger victim survived, albeit severely injured. The extensive investigation conducted by NYPD's 109th Detective Squad's Detective Brian Porzelt led to the recovery of two knives from the scene. Assistant District Attorneys Nicole Rella and Alexa Ornelas are prosecuting, with a team overseen by John Kosinski, Karen Ross, Jonathan Selkowe, and Executive Assistant District Attorney for Major Crimes, Shawn Clark, according to the Queens District Attorney's Office statement.
As the community reels from the shock of such violence within a family, the legal process moves forward, under the weight of a family torn apart and a judicial system faced with the task of meting out justice. For more details on the case and future updates on court proceedings, interested readers may visit the Queens DA's Office website.
