Mel Mingyo Liu, aged 49, tragically died on August 1, 2018, in Arcadia, California, in what was identified as a murder-suicide. The incident occurred at Liu's home on Sunset Boulevard, where she was found shot by her estranged husband, who then turned the gun on himself. The couple was in the midst of a contentious divorce, and court records show that Cherry Liu, Mel's wife, had filed for divorce on February 8, 2016. They were scheduled to appear in divorce court the day after the incident.
On the morning of August 1, Mel Liu drove to Cherry Liu's apartment and shot her multiple times in a downstairs hallway before following her to an alleyway and shooting her again. He then shot himself in the head. Cherry Liu died at the scene, while Mel Liu succumbed to his injuries at a hospital a few hours later.
The investigation revealed that Mel Liu had written a letter to his 14-year-old son explaining his actions. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, which assisted the Arcadia police in the investigation, confirmed that the couple had been living separately. The tragic event left their son in the care of family members. The case was classified as a murder-suicide, and no further arrests or suspects were involved. The incident highlighted the severe emotional and psychological toll that contentious divorces can have on individuals, leading to such devastating outcomes.
