On July 1, 2022, five-year-old Phoenix Muaj Hmoo Lee's father, Yee Lee (27), died by a self-inflicted gunshot wound at the family's home in the Rolling Hills Estates Mobile Home Park in Maplewood, Minnesota. His mother, Molly Cheng (23), reported the death to police. After the police investigation, the children were supposed to go to their grandparents' house, but Cheng insisted on keeping them with her. Later that afternoon, a family member called 911 reporting that Cheng intended to kill herself and the children. Police issued a statewide alert and tracked Cheng's phone to Vadnais-Sucker Lake Park in Vadnais Heights, where they found her car, children's shoes, and her car keys on the shore. Cheng drowned Phoenix and his two siblings — Quadrillion (4) and Estella (3) — in Vadnais Lake before drowning herself. Phoenix's body was recovered from the lake at 12:03 a.m. on July 2, 2022. The official cause of death was drowning in fresh water with probable smothering, and the manner of death was ruled homicide.
Contexts/Conditions
Is there any mention of child drug ingestion or overdose?
Is there any mention of a drowning incident (either intentional or accidental)?
The vital records document (2022-MN-027587-1.pdf) lists the cause of death as "Drowning In Fresh Water" and the injury description as "Fresh Water Drowning." The Safe Passage report states the mother "drowned the children and then herself" in Vadnais Lake. The People.com article confirms "Phoenix died by drowning." This was an intentional drowning.
Is there any mention of a firearm incident?
The People.com article states that the children's mother "reported that her 27-year-old husband Yee Lee had fatally shot himself in their Maplewood, Minnesota, home on July 1." The Star Tribune article also notes that "police in Maplewood responded to a mobile home court on the report of the suicide of an adult male." While the firearm incident involved the father's suicide and not the child directly, it is a firearm incident mentioned in the text and was a precipitating event to the children's deaths.
Is there any mention of inappropriate supervision (e.g., child wandered off and drowned)?
Is there any mention of inflicted injury? (e.g. slapped, punched, kicked, choked)
The vital records document (2022-MN-027587-1.pdf) lists the cause of death as "Drowning In Fresh Water; Probable Smothering." Smothering is an inflicted injury. The People.com article states that "Molly Cheng smothered and drowned two of her children, then drowned the third child." The intentional drowning and probable smothering constitute inflicted injuries upon Phoenix.
Is there any mention of malnutrition, starvation, or dehydration?
Is there any mention of medical neglect?
Is there any mention of a motor vehicle crash or incident?
Is there any mention of a murder-suicide incident?
The People.com article explicitly states: "The sheriff is investigating the death of Cheng and her children as a triple-murder suicide." The Safe Passage report (Document 2) describes how the mother "drowned the children and then herself." This is a clear murder-suicide incident.
Is there any mention of outdoor elements (including hot car deaths)?
Is there any mention of prenatal substance exposure (including fetal alcohol syndrome or neonatal abstinence syndrome)?
Is there any mention of sexual abuse?
Is there any specific mention of shaken baby or abusive head trauma?
Is there any mention of prolonged abuse or torture (including restraints, captivity)?
Is there any mention of an unsafe sleeping environment?
Individuals Involved
Was an adoptive parent or guardian involved in the death?
Was a biological father involved in the death?
Was a biological mother involved in the death?
The Safe Passage report explicitly identifies the "Adult Perpetrator: Mother." The People.com article states "Molly Cheng smothered and drowned two of her children, then drowned the third child before ending her own life." Cheng was the biological mother of the children, married to their father Yee Lee.
Was a day care worker, babysitter, or nanny involved in the death?
Was a female paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., girlfriend, stepmother)?
Was a foster parent involved in the death?
Was a male paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., boyfriend, stepfather)?
Was another adult relative involved in the death? (e.g., grandfather, aunt)
Was a sibling involved in the death?
Child Characteristics
Was the child adopted?
Was the child homeschooled (including "cyberschooling") or taken out of school?
Was the child in foster care at the time of the incident?
Was the child living with relatives at the time of the incident (but not parents)?
Is there any mention of a neurological developmental child disability? (e.g., autism, intellectual disability, nonverbal)
Is there any mention of a physical child disability? (e.g., feeding tube)
Is there any mention of prematurity or low birthweight?
Is there a history of child protection reports prior to death (for this child or siblings)?
Does the child have a history of foster care (but not in care at time of incident)?
Is there a history of a sibling death (separate incident from this death)?
Parent/Caregiver Factors
Was an adult charged or arrested for the child's death?
Is domestic violence by the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is there any mention that the death occurred in a temporary shelter or while homeless?
Is an intellectual disability of the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is the mental health of the parent/caregiver referenced?
Multiple documents reference the mental health of both parents. The Safe Passage report states that the "children's father died by suicide" and that "family members notified police that she intended to harm herself and the children." The Star Tribune article describes the mother as "reported to be suicidal." The People.com article reports that "Cheng's relative called 911 'stating that Molly was going to kill her children and herself.'" The mother's suicidal and homicidal ideation and the father's completed suicide both constitute references to parental mental health.
Is a history of arrests or criminal charges for the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is substance use by the parent/caregiver referenced?
Notable Details
The Safe Passage report contains a notable detail about a missed intervention opportunity: "After police investigated their father's death, the children were going to go to their grandparent's house, but their mother insisted they stay with her." This indicates there was a plan to place the children with grandparents after the father's suicide, but the mother overrode that plan. Additionally, despite a 911 call at approximately 4 p.m. from a relative "stating that Molly was going to kill her children and herself" (People.com), and a subsequent statewide alert, law enforcement was unable to locate and intervene before the mother carried out the killings at Vadnais Lake. These details raise policy questions about crisis response and child safety when a parent is reported as suicidal/homicidal in the aftermath of a spouse's suicide. Furthermore, the Safe Passage report notes that "the family had no known criminal history or involvement with child protection," meaning there were no prior red flags that might have prompted earlier intervention.
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