Sebastian Shaw Named Suspect in Jenny Lin 1994 Murder
Suspect named 12 years after murder of Castro Valley girl Thursday May 25, 2006 CASTRO VALLEY, Calif. (AP) Authorities publicly identified a suspect for the first time in the 1994 stabbing death of a 14-year-old girl in her home. The Alameda County Sheriff's Department said Wednesday that Sebastian Alexander Shaw, a convicted murderer serving three life sentences in Oregon, is the prime suspect in Jenny Lin's murder. ``Shaw's been a person of interest in this case for a very long time,'' Alameda County Sheriff's Cmdr. Greg Ahern said. ``Because of the convictions in Oregon and the trial, we didn't want to interfere with their investigation or interfere with the trial.'' Shaw was convicted of a third killing earlier this month in Multnomah County, Ore., clearing the way for Alameda County investigators to proceed with their case. Shaw's attorney, Richard Wolf of Portland, Ore., told the San Francisco Chronicle that investigators were rushing to judgment. ``It's easy for them to look toward someone like my client, with his other convictions,'' Wolf said. ``I've never seen any physical evidence to suggest he was involved in the (Jenny Lin) case.'' The announcement by authorities came nearly 12 years to the day that Lin was murdered on May 27, 1994, in her Castro Valley home. Jenny's parents, John and Mei-Lian Lin, hold a candlelight vigil for her each year on the Friday before Memorial Day and were pleased a suspect was finally named. ``Finally, after 12 years, there is some justice for Jenny,'' Mei-Lian Lin said. ``There are all kinds of feelings going through our heads right now. ``We are actually grateful that the Sheriff's Department never gave up the search for whoever is responsible for Jenny's killing. We would have wanted to see this case solved sooner. But the effort they put in is very professional.'' Shaw, 38, was arrested in Oregon in August 1994 after he was found with a stolen car and two rifles taken from a San Ramon home three days after Jenny's murder. Alameda County authorities contacted authorities in Multnomah County at some point after the arrest, and he's been the focus of their investigation ever since, Ahern said. Alameda County prosecutors will review the evidence to determine whether to charge Shaw, Ahern said. Jenny was found naked by her father stabbed repeatedly in a bathroom on the second floor of her home. Nothing was taken from the home, and authorities believe the killer may have planned to sexually assault Jenny but was interrupted. Information from: San Francisco Chronicle, http://www.sfgate.com/chronicle http://cbs2.com/californiawire/CA--JennyLinMurder-kn/resources_news_html

Jenny Lin Suspect Always On Investigators' Radar POSTED: 11:14 pm PDT May 24, 2006 UPDATED: 9:06 pm PDT May 25, 2006 ALAMEDA COUNTY, Calif. -- Sebastian Alexander Shaw has been a person of interest in the May 27, 1994 murder of 14-year-old Jennifer Lin at her Castro Valley home since very early in the investigation, Alameda County sheriff's Cmdr. Greg Ahern said. Shaw, 38, who was born in Vietnam, recently has been upgraded to be the sole suspect in the 12-year-old homicide case, Ahern said. He said Oregon police arrested Shaw in August 1994 after finding him with a stolen car and two rifles taken from a San Ramon home on May 30, 1994, three days after Lin was killed. Ahern said the sheriff's office was not ready to announce Shaw's status as the sole suspect in Lin's death, but investigators went public because of news reports on the development. He spoke Thursday afternoon at a news conference attended by Lin's parents. Their daughter would have been 26 Thursday. The Alameda County district attorney's office is reviewing volumes of records before deciding whether to file charges against Shaw, Ahern said. Shaw is currently serving two life sentences in Oregon for crimes there, and is expected to be sentenced to a third life term soon because of another recent conviction. Ahern said there is "a great deal of similarity" between Shaw's crimes in Oregon and Lin's murder. http://www.nbc11.com/news/9271312/detail.html