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Former CEO of Canandaigua-based Dynamax Imaging, Jim Tan, was declared an abusive husband and father in an official court affidavit reported via his son, Charlie Tan, who murdered him in February 2015. Charlie was a Cornell University student who claimed that he committed the act to save his mother from his father's alleged abuse. He believed it was the only way.
The trial that followed disclosed years of family secrets concerning domestic violence and inner tensions that had remained closed between the four walls of the Tan family's Pittsford, New York, home. An important factor that shocked the once-peaceful community was that an outstanding student, with a bright future ahead, gave away his dreams to uncover the truth behind their seemingly ideal family.
On that note, let's discuss a few significant details about Jim Tan's 2015 murder case ahead of Dateline: Unforgettable's upcoming episode, which is set to air this Tuesday, August 23, 2022. The episode titled House of Secrets will air at 8 pm ET.
Trigger warning: This article contains information about graphic violence.
Five lesser-knows facts about Jim Tan's 2015 murder case
1) Jim Tan's family attempted to flee immediately after his murder
According to reports, then-Cornell University student Charlie Tan, his mother Qing "Jean" Tan, and older brother Jeffrey Tan collected their belongings and drove from New York to Toronto in February 2015, where they bought one-way tickets to Shanghai, China.
The Tan family's head, Jim Tan, was shot dead, and none other than his younger son was responsible for the murder. Their plan to leave the country quickly went off the rails when they made the decision to return to the United States and confess to the murder.
2) Jim Tan's wife, Jean, had previously contacted the police on numerous occasions
The Tan family had previously contacted the police numerous times. Several sources state that they contacted authorities from their Pittsford residence about 18 times between the years 2003 and 2015 before making the ultimate call about Jim Tan's murder.
Although no information about the prior calls was ever made public, one of Charlie Tan's attorneys claims that Jean Tan requested an order of protection against her husband. A divorce lawyer was also consulted by her. Jean even contacted her younger son Charlie after he left for university, claiming that her husband choked her once, after which she was left unconscious with bruises around her neck.
3) Murder charges against his son, Charlie were dropped during the trial
Charlie Tan did not admit to killing his father, Jim Tan, until 2019. The trial that took place months after the murder ended in a mistrial given that the jury was unable to reach a unanimous verdict after over 50 hours of deliberation. The judge responsible dismissed the charges against the young student on the grounds that the prosecution did not have enough evidence to prove his guilt.
4) Charlie tricked his friend into buying the gun used for Jim Tan's murder
According to sources, a Cornell freshman named Whitney Knickerbocker pledged to Charlie Tan's Chi Phi fraternity. The two shared the same hometown and thus began their brotherhood as Knickerbocker's "big brother" in the fraternity.
When Charlie failed to acquire a gun on his own from Walmart due to his Canadian citizenship, he offered Knickerbocker $800, convinced him that he needed a firearm for a hunting trip, and sent him to the store. After purchasing a Remington and two boxes of ammo, Knickerbocker gave them to Tan after signing a document stating that he was the ultimate purchaser of the firearm.
5) Jean phoned authorities while Charlie led them to the murder weapon
Jim Tan's wife, Jean, reportedly called 911 and frantically told them about her husband's murder. She said,
"My name is Jean Tan. I heard an argument. My son was talking to my husband."
Jean even told them she heard a gunshot. When the dispatcher asked if an ambulance was required, she responded, stating that her husband was already dead.
When authorities arrived at the family's Pittsford home, they saw both Charlie and Jean standing outside. The son was then asked about his father's whereabouts and the location of the weapon, to which he replied, saying,
"He’s upstairs. He’s dead. I had to do it. He was going to kill my mom."
Charlie Tan directed the cops to the firearm he used to murder Jim Tan, a Remington that Knickerbocker had previously bought on February 5. Tan's prints were allegedly discovered on the spent shell casings that were discovered close to his father's body.
Oxygen will drop the upcoming Dateline: Unforgettable episode this Tuesday, August 23, 2022, at 8 pm ET. Stay tuned for more.
