People That Helped Solve Their Own Murders: #2 Blogger Simon Sek Man Ng

Simon Sek Man Ng was a lonely and dissatisfied immigrant from Hong Kong, living in New York City. He was a gamer and programming student who began blogging on Xanga. He wrote four posts about his programming homework and his love of Warcraft 3 and then forgot about blogging for three years.

During those three years, Simon's parents moved back to Hong Kong, leaving Simon and his sister alone in their Queens apartment. On April 22nd, 2005, 18-year-old Simon returned to blogging and wrote about his struggles.

“Imagine a guy who doesn’t know how to take care of himself and had been relying on others for like 18 years. All of a sudden have to take care of themselves. So its been hell, two meals rarely and one meal a day most likely -_-.”

“Life has been really hard lately, I am still ill and it is zapping my every strength. No money you know, I can ask my sister for some if I wanted. She usually ask me if I need any, but I declined since she doesn’t make much and like to waste money. No smilies today too tired exhausted, when will I recover…”

Simon was depressed and lost weight, he was sick for a whole month. Finally he got out of his funk and he began spending 4 to 8 hours per day studying at the Queen’s College library. He earned two A- grades, one A and one B+ during his first semester in college. 

“It is regretable that I screwed up on the finals, because my laziness kicked in. I really wanted to get 2 A- and 2 A+ and I know I could. Yeah I know I should be happy bout it but I am a greedy person. The reason I have regret is probably because it wasn’t all As. I would have really surprised my parents and makes them happy  (Not that it hasn’t ;P).”

Simon also signed up for a $600 summer science course and aimed to land a job soon. He began blogging more regularly, hoping to keep a record that he could look back on in four years, when he graduated from college.

The following May, he became hooked on Musui’s Story: Autobiography of a Tokugawa Samuari. He planned on picking up other books from his Japanese class’s syllabus to “get started on a reading habit.”

He seemed happier, but his health continued to decline and sap his strength. In an attempt to recover from a “bad throat,” Simon missed classes for three days.

On Thursday, May 12, 2005, he had sat sick at home and blogged through the day when the doorbell rang.

“Today I missed my Japanese class again, since I have gotten a bad throat. I only went to the class once this week, so I am probably so far behind now. I will catch up in the summer tho so no worries hehe. Anyway today has been weird, at 3 some guy ringed the bell. I went down and recognized it was my sister’s former boyfriend. He told me he wants to get his fishing poles back. I told him to wait downstair while I get them for him. While I was searching them, he is already in the house. He is still here right now, smoking, walking all around the house with his shoes on which btw I just washed the floor 2 days ago! Hopefully he will leave soon, oh yeah working on the jap report as we speak!”

Jin Lin, was Simon's sister's ex-boyfriend. Simon then wrote about Jin becoming agitated and Simon just wished that he would leave.

At 5:05 p.m., Simon made his last entry on Xanga. Shortly after, Jin stabbed him repeatedly in the chest and neck with a butcher knife. Simon was bound with duct and masking tape while Lin searched the apartment for cash, but found little to nothing of value.

When Sharon came home at around 9:30 p.m., Jin stabbed her and her brother nearly five dozen times in the neck and body. Simon died in the apartment. Sharon died an hour later in the hospital.

Lin initially denied any wrongdoing, but he confessed once the police found Simon’s blog.

In 2008, Jin Lin was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison without parole.