Horrific Baseball Bat Attack: Chinese-American Man Kills Parents

Recently, the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office in New Jersey, USA, disclosed the details of a family tragedy that occurred in September last year. Patrick J. Lin, a 37-year-old Chinese man, is accused of brutally killing his elderly parents at home. Chillingly, the police found a “wish list” in the murderer’s bedroom, one of which read: “Kill someone and get away with it.”

Patrick Lin

According to the prosecutor’s office, the tragedy occurred on September 25, 2025. At around 4:12 p.m. that day, Hillsborough police received a call requesting a security check on a residence on Cornell Trail. There was no answer when police first came to the door. It was not until about 6:30 that night that officers entered the house through an unlocked sliding door.

When the police officers searched to the second floor, Patrick Lin suddenly rushed out of the bedroom with a knife and tried to attack the police officers present. An officer then opened fire. Although Patrick dropped the knife after being shot, he picked it up and tried to attack another officer, causing the police to open fire again. The suspect was seriously injured and was sent to a local hospital for emergency treatment. His life was in critical condition for a time.

David Lin

According to police, when officers checked other rooms in the house, they found Patrick’s parents, 69-year-old David Lin and Jean Lin, in two separate bedrooms. Both victims were lying on the bed and suffered extremely brutal blunt force blows to the face. The forensic report showed that the victim’s face was “collapsed and severely damaged.” The injuries were so severe that the police were unable to identify the deceased at the scene. In the end, they had to use dental records to confirm their identities. Autopsy results confirmed that both men died of blunt force trauma to the head, and the nature of the case was classified as murder.

After the police investigated the scene, they found three baseball bats in Patrick’s bedroom closet, one of which showed obvious blood stains. There was a blood stain on the bedroom floor that was consistent with the shape of the tip of a baseball bat. The pattern of blood spatter in the two bedrooms was also consistent with a violent impact.

In addition, investigators found a notebook in Patrick’s room that contained a “wish list,” one of which specifically read “Kill someone and get away with it.” There are various signs that Patrick was ready to escape after committing the crime.

Later police investigation found that Patrick had recently withdrawn $700 in cash (approximately 4,864 yuan) from the bank and purchased military rations and two knives on the shopping platform. Additionally, a family car was “strategically” parked down the block containing newly purchased clothing and another baseball bat.

It is understood that this case triggered a huge response in the local Asian community because the victim, David Lin, enjoyed a high reputation in the community during his lifetime. David Lin is not only an outstanding leader in the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities, he was also elected as the president of the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) in 2012, becoming the first Chinese-American president in the history of the organization. In addition, he has long been committed to the work of the Asian Pacific American Advocacy Organization (OCA) and campaigned for Asian rights.

Patrick Lam has been hospitalized since the shooting last September. On January 16 this year, he formally received the criminal charge sheet in his hospital bed. He was charged with two counts of first-degree murder, one count of attempted first-degree murder (against a police officer) and two counts of unlawful possession of a weapon.

Patrick is currently in stable condition and is under the custody of the Somerset County Sheriff’s Office. Once released from the hospital, he will be immediately taken to the Somerset County Jail pending further court proceedings.