The Somerset County man who is accused of killing his parents and attempting to attack police with a knife was planning on fleeing the scene after his crimes, court documents show.
Patrick Lin, 37, of Hillsborough was charged with the murder of his parents, attempted murder and possession of a weapon for unlawful purpose, police said on Wednesday.
In newly released documents, officials outlined the brutal killings that left a married couple mutilated and their son’s plans for escape.
An escape plan
Officials said Patrick Lin prepared his car for a quick departure after committing his crimes and placed online orders for what he would need – including weapons.
The morning of the attacks, Lin withdrew $700 at around 7 a.m., according to authorities.
At approximately 11 a.m., a surveillance camera from a nearby house captured one of the family’s vehicles leaving the home, officials said. It is unclear who was driving.
That car was later found strategically placed around the block from the home on Cornell Trail. Inside the vehicle, police said, officials found newly purchased clothing and a baseball bat.
Police said they later found that Lin placed orders on Amazon to have ready-to-eat meals and knives sent to the residence.
A notebook found in Lin’s room included a wish list in which he wrote he wanted “to kill someone and get away with it,” according to the affidavit.
At just after 4 p.m. on Sept. 25, Hillsborough police received a request to conduct a welfare check at the Lin home. Responding officers attempted to contact the residents but weren’t able to get inside until 6:23 p.m. when they went in through an unlocked sliding glass door.
When they got to the second floor, Lin emerged from a bedroom with a knife in hand and lunged at one of the officers, according to the affidavit of probable cause.
The officer shot Lin using his duty weapon, but police said this did not stop him. He attempted to stab another officer and was shot again, according to officials.
Life-saving measures were performed on Lin before he was transported to a local hospital, police said.
Soon after, the responding officers found the bodies of David Lin, 69, and Jean Lin, 69. They were pronounced dead on scene.
Police found no one else inside the house, which showed no signs of forced entry, according to the affidavit.
A brutal Beating
Police described a gruesome discovery. Each victim was found in a separate bedroom.
The victims were “both in their beds with their faces mutilated, caved-in, apparently bludgeoned to death,” the affidavit said.
Due to the severity of their injuries, Lin’s parents had to be identified by their dental records, police said.
A preliminary autopsy concluded the manner of death was homicide and the cause of death was blunt force injuries of the head, officials said.
Blood spatter, found within the victims’ bedrooms, showed impact spatter and cast-off patterns, police said.
Three baseball bats were recovered from inside Patrick’s bedroom closet, one of which tested positive for blood, police said.
They said they also discovered a crescent-shaped bloodstain on the floor of Lin’s bedroom, consistent with the front of a baseball cap.
Lin was served with his complaint in a local hospital where he is listed in stable condition. He is guarded by the Somerset County Sheriff’s Office, according to officials.
Authorities said, upon his discharge from the hospital, Lin will be held in the Somerset County Jail and will be scheduled to appear in court.
Under state law, the Attorney General’s office is required to investigate all police-involved shootings and worked alongside the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office, which led the investigation.
