Vadnais-Sucker Lake Regional Park Incident

Update on Vadnais-Sucker Lake Regional Park Incident: Names and Causes of Death Released by Medical Examiner

The Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office is providing an update on the Vadnais-Sucker Lake Regional Park incident.  This incident took place from Friday, July 1, 2022 to Saturday, July 2, 2022, and included the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office and the Maplewood Police Department as the primary responding and investigating law enforcement agencies.

The Ramsey County Medical Examiner has identified and released the names, manners, and causes of death of the two adults and three children involved in this incident.  The below timeline reflects the series of events on July 1, 2022 and July 2, 2022:

Friday, July 1, 2022:

• At approximately 10:37 am, Maplewood Police Officers and Firefighters were dispatched to the 1300 block of Pearson Drive, in the City of Maplewood.  The caller, Molly Cheng, reported that her husband had shot himself.  The Medical Examiner has identified this adult male as Yee Lee, age 27, of Maplewood.  His cause of death has been determined to be from a gunshot wound and the manner of death was suicide.  The Maplewood Police Department arranged for social workers to come to the scene to assist the caller and her children.
• At approximately 4:00 pm, a relative of Molly Cheng called 9-1-1 stating that Molly was going to kill her children and herself.  As a result, Maplewood Police issued a statewide alert to “attempt to locate and check the welfare” of Molly Cheng and her children.  Law enforcement agencies in the region then began a search and started to track Molly’s cell phone.  At approximately 5:45 pm, Officers were able to place Molly’s cell phone in the area of Vadnais-Sucker Lake Park in Vadnais Heights. 
• At approximately 6:03 pm, Deputies located the vehicle in a parking lot of the park and began searching on foot.  At approximately 6:23 pm, Deputies were able to locate several pairs of kids shoes and the vehicle keys on the east shore of the lake.  Deputies, Officers, and Firefighters immediately began an intense search on both land of water.  
• At approximately 7:32 pm, Deputies recovered a child from Vadnais Lake and began life saving measures.  Medics declared this child deceased.  The Medical Examiner has identified this child as Quadrillion T. Lee, age 4, of Maplewood.  His cause of death was determined to be drowning and smothering and his manner of death was homicide.    

Saturday, July 2, 2022:

• At approximately 12:03 am, a second child was located and recovered from Vadnais Lake.  This child was declared deceased.  The Medical Examiner has identified this child as Phoenix Lee, age 5, of Maplewood.  His cause of death was determined to be drowning and his manner of death was homicide.    
• At approximately 3:00 am, search and recovery operations were temporarily suspended until daylight.  Deputies remained on scene overnight to secure the park. 
• At approximately 6:00 am, search and recovery operations resumed.  
• At approximately 10:39 am, an adult female, believed to be the mother of the three children, was located and recovered from Vadnais Lake.  The adult female was declared deceased.   The Medical Examiner has identified this person as Molly Cheng, age 23, of Maplewood.  Her cause of death was determined to be drowning and her manner of death was suicide.    
• At approximately 11:00 am, a third child was located and recovered from Vadnais Lake.  This child was declared deceased.  The Medical Examiner has identified this child as Estella Zoo Siab Lee, age 3, of Maplewood.  Her cause of death was determined to be drowning and smothering and her manner of death was homicide.    

The Maplewood Police Department is investigating the July 1 death in the City of Maplewood as a suicide.  The Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the death of the three children and their mother as a triple murder-suicide.

“Our hearts go out the family, friends, and community impacted by this terrible tragedy,” said Undersheriff Mike Martin.  “The Sheriff’s Office is continuing to investigate the circumstances of this incident to provide clarity and closure to the surviving family members.”

No further information is available at this time as this remains an active investigation.
 

Update on Vadnais-Sucker Lake Regional Park Incident

The Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office is providing an update on the Vadnais-Sucker Lake Regional Park incident.  This incident spans two days, Friday, July 1, 2022, through Saturday, July 2, 2022, and includes the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office and the Maplewood Police Department as the primary responding and investigating law enforcement agencies. 

On Friday, July 1, 2022, at approximately 10:30 am, Maplewood Police Officers and Firefighters were dispatched to the 1300 block of Pearson Drive, in the City of Maplewood, on a report of a possible suicide.  Maplewood Police Officers and Firefighters arrived on scene and found a deceased adult male.  This incident is an active death investigation being conducted by the Maplewood Police Department.  The manner and cause of death of this adult male will be determined by the Ramsey County Medical Examiner.  No further information is available at this time as this is in active investigation. 

In relation to this death investigation, at 4:00 pm, on Friday, July 1, 2022, Ramsey County Sheriff’s Deputies and Maplewood Police Officers responded to a welfare check in the area of Vadnais-Sucker Lake Regional Park, 4500 Rice Street in the City of Vadnais Heights.  A welfare check was requested on an adult female with three small children.  When Deputies and Officers arrived on scene, they found a vehicle and other items, which included children’s shoes.  Based on the vehicle and the items in the area, Deputies, Officers, and Firefighters began a search and rescue operation at the Vadnais-Sucker Lake Regional Park, which included both land and water.  The park was closed and a command post was established on the south/southeast side of the lake. 

At approximately 7:31 pm, on Friday, July 1, 2022, Deputies pulled a child from the lake and began life saving measures.  Medics declared this child deceased.  At approximately midnight, a second child was located and pulled from the lake.  This child was declared deceased.  Deputies, Officers, Firefighters, and other responders remained on scene working to locate the adult female and the other child.  At approximately 3:00 am, search and recovery operations were temporarily suspended to daylight.  Deputies remained on scene overnight to secure the park. 

On Saturday, July 2, 2022, at approximately 6:00 am, search and recovery operations resumed.  Deputies, Officers, Firefighters, and other responders continued to work to locate the adult female and the other child.  At approximately 10:40 am, an adult female, believed to be the mother of the three children, was located and pulled from the lake.  The adult female was declared deceased.  At approximately 11:00 am, the third child was located and pulled from the lake.  This child was declared deceased.  All three children referenced are believed to be under the age of five or six years old.  

The Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office is currently investigating this incident as a possible triple murder-suicide.  In total, four bodies, one adult and three children (two boys and one girl), were recovered from the lake over the course of a two-day search effort.  The Ramsey County Medical Examiner took custody of all bodies. The manner and cause of death of the adult female and three children will be determined by the Ramsey County Medical Examiner.  The Ramsey County Medical Examiner will release the names, manner, and cause of death of the adult female and three children at a later date.  No further information is available at this time as this is an active investigation.

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