A Chinatown man, Wei Hou, has been accused of murdering his mother, Zhu Hou, in her Knickerbocker Village apartment on December 18, ABC7NY reports. The victim, aged 76, was found dead, leading to the arrest of her son near Albany. Arresting officers were led to the Castle Inn motel in Schodack, New York, where Hou had barricaded himself and threatened self-harm before being taken into custody, as per ABC7NY.
Despite a criminal history and diagnosis of schizophrenia, Hou was enrolled in a 90-day drug treatment program at Lakeview Shock Incarceration Correctional Facility, a decision that has sparked significant criticism for its potential role in the early release of the accused, Wei Hou is charged with second-degree murder and at the time of this heinous act was under the supervision of the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision for a felony narcotics conviction, according to the New York Post.
Reports indicate that Zhu Hou had reached out to police regarding her son's erratic behavior and failure to adhere to his medication regimen prior to and after his involvement in the treatment program at Lakeview. On one occasion she reported her son was "breaking the door and talking to himself," expressing concerns to the operator about his condition and substance abuse. Wei Hou had a scheduled release from prison in 2027 but was instead granted release following his drug program completion in October 14, the New York Post notes.
Authorities had been alerted to the defendant's history of mental illness, including schizophrenia and had documented incidents of outbursts dating as far back as July 2011, when he experienced violence during his stay at Bellevue Hospital’s psychiatric unit; this information has emerged in the light of the recent event and has derived scrutiny towards the correctional system's handling of such cases when a source familiar with the facility told the New York Post, "He should not have been let go in 90 days and then went out and killed his mother."
Wei Hou was apprehended following the issuance of a release by the U.S. Marshals Service, who disclosed his record of previous arrests in different states. The incident raises questions about the efficiency of current programs and their selection process for participants, specifically under the Gov. Kathy Hochul’s 2022 Less-is-More Act aimed at implementing less restrictive measures for convicts. The investigation into the murder of Zhu Hou remains ongoing.
