Reverend William Huang - Recent Updates

Substantial updates coming soon

2008-06-19T17:38:00.001-07:00

Over the next week or two, I intend to redo a lot of stuff on this site. I don't like how difficult it is to navigate on the "Updates" archives. Also, I've noticed some outdated information on the main page. Finally, I'd like to post more pictures and more updates from the family - Jade went on an AIDS humanitarian mission last year, and all the family members have written journal entries and scanned old documents I feel are worth sharing on this site. So don't worry, I haven't forgotten this site.

Verdict and Sentence

2007-08-30T14:33:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, a 12 person jury convicted Leon Lugo Andrade of murdering William Hsing Wei Huang with a deadly weapon. They sentenced him to life in prison. Andrade will be eligible for parole after having served 30 years (including the time he spent in jail awaiting the outcome of this case), but the D.A. believes that it is unlikely that Andrade will ever get let out, because of the brutal circumstances of the murder and the identity of the victim.

Trial date

2007-08-20T17:06:00.001-07:00

The murder trial for Leon Lugo Andrade is scheduled to begin on Monday, August 27th, 2007. If there are any last minute changes to the date, we will update as soon as possible.

The Court:
Jim Wallace
263rd District Court
Harris County, Texas
1201 Franklin St, 15th Floor
Houston Tx 77002

The time is 8:45 AM on Monday, August 27th. The family would appreciate appearances by friends or family to lend support.

Video Slideshow

2007-01-07T13:33:00.000-08:00

Charlotte, my younger sister, has made a video and posted it online:

Technical cleanup

2006-12-19T18:27:00.000-08:00

I had some settings set incorrectly, and there were a lot of broken links throughout the website. I am currently going through them and fixing what I can. I just fixed the archive links at the bottom of this page, so if you wanted to refer back to the things we had posted in previous months, they are available there.

Events from Dec. 12

2006-12-19T18:24:00.000-08:00

Jade was in court on Dec. 12, and from what we, the victim's family, can tell, not much is happening behind the scenes in anticipation of the actual trial, so we don't really know what to expect next. I will keep posting as we find out more.

Pre-trial hearing in court 12/12/06

2006-12-09T09:08:00.000-08:00

There will be a court appearance on December 12th. The details are as follows:

Case#: 106127001010
Court: 263
Court Address: 1201 Franklin
Arraignment: 12/12/2006 - 9am
Charge: Murder
Name: ANDRADE, LEON HUGO
SPN: 01195051
DOB: 04/11/1970

Plea deal rejected

2006-10-29T13:18:00.000-08:00

Andrade has rejected the plea deal of 55 years in prison for a guilty plea, so the case will be going to trial. The next pretrial setting will be on Dec. 7, 2006, and the trial itself will most likely start around April or May 2007.

Updates from the last month

2006-10-15T11:27:00.000-07:00

The District Attorney's office has been working to prepare for the case, and will offer a plea deal to Andrade and his publicly appointed attorney. Also, we are working to get the details of the case in which Andrade was not charged in connection with another possible murder/manslaughter.

I don't know what details are appropriate for posting on the internet, so forgive me for not posting specifics. I can answer your questions individually using the contact link in the navigation bar above.

Also, Robert Crowe at the Houston Chronicle has posted an article where he did more research onto the details of Andrade's history, in the context of immigration policies:
Loopholes remain for immigrant repeat offenders

Clarification on arraignment and press conference

2006-08-29T18:53:00.000-07:00

The arraignment is Wednesday morning at 9 AM. Andrade himself will probably not be present, and he will probably simply be assigned a defense attorney who will prepare documents for his case. The actual trial and court dates will probably not be set for a while, but we will post them here when we know about it.

On Friday at 10AM, we will be conducting a press conference. There will also be an Officer Po Chen from HPD, in addition to my family and Rep. Martha Wong. Both were very helpful to our family throughout the entire ordeal, and we are grateful for their support.

Events this week

2006-08-28T20:07:00.000-07:00

Leon Andrade is now in a Harris County Jail, and his arraignment is set to be on Wednesday, August 30, 2006. I will post more as I find out more.

We will probably conduct a press conference either Wednesday or Friday at the Law Offices of Robert Kwok, LLP. When a hard time/date is set, I'll post it here. If it is on Friday I will participate in it.

EDIT: The press conference is in fact going to be on Friday at 10pm. So I'll be there, and so will Texas State Representative Martha Wong, who has been very helpful in getting attention and resources on the case, will attend as well.

A letter from the United States Marshals Service

2006-08-09T16:56:00.000-07:00

I received this email from the U.S. Marshals Service yesterday -

Dear Shane:

Like you, I am Army (29 years; armored cavalry; started as a private and retired with the rank of colonel); and a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin.

In April, I received an information copy of your letter to Senator Cornyn describing the tragic loss of your father and the subsequent flight of Leon Andrade. I also received a copy of the FBI’s letter to Senator Cornyn informing him that the United States Marshals Service was pursuing Andrade. Your poignant email to the Senator touched us deeply and strengthened our resolve to locate and apprehend this violent felon.

It is my hope that you have already been informed of Andrade’s apprehension. He was arrested by U.S. Marshals in Elkins, West Virginia. Investigators with the Houston-based U.S. Marshals Gulf Coast Violent Offenders & Fugitive Task Force developed leads in West Virginia and sent that information to U.S. Marshals in Elkins, WV who arrested him at 12:00 pm yesterday. Andrade is being held in Tygart Regional Jail pending extradition proceedings.

You and your family are in our thoughts and prayers.

Sincerely,

Jay McNulty

Chief, Office of Congressional and Public Affairs
United States Marshals Service

Some local news stories concerning the arrest

2006-08-08T07:10:00.000-07:00

Although we have not personally confirmed any of the facts with the U.S. Marshals, except that Andrade was arrested in West Virginia around noon central time yesterday, there are already two local news stories posted online:

Houston Chronicle - Man Arrested for March machete attack, killing
KHOU - U.S. Marshals capture alleged machete killer In West Virginia

Edit (08/08/06) : Here are some more links -
Google News on Andrade Arrested (many links to various similar stories)
The Inter-Mountain Newspaper in Elkins, West Virginia

The Inter-Mountain contacted me directly and I sent them a statement, which they used. Also, it appears that his roommate was detained for his illegal residency in the U.S. I will keep posting as I learn more.

(08/09/06) - 殘殺黃興維兇手昨在美東被捕
From the Charleston Daily Mail, with a description of how they caught him.

Andrade arrested in W. Virginia

2006-08-07T17:17:00.000-07:00

I have been notified by the U.S. Marshals office in Houston that Leon Andrade has been arrested in West Virginia at around noon Central Time today, and that they are bringing him back to Houston to face charges.

I will post more details as I learn more. Thanks everyone for your prayers and your support. Please continue to pray for my family and to pray for justice.

FBI update

2006-07-28T17:03:00.000-07:00

I just received word that the authorities have handed down federal charges for Leon Andrade, so the FBI now has the jurisdiction and authority to officially pursue Andrade themselves. I want to thank each person who has helped us attract attention and awareness to this case. Some public officials at the city, state, and federal level have all been quite helpful with the pursuit of Andrade. Also, please continue praying for my family and the authorities involved, that justice may be acheived.

翻譯成中文的文件

2006-07-27T17:03:00.000-07:00

I have posted translated copies of Jade's journal entry and my letter to America's Most Wanted. I'm still working on a few things on the site, so be sure to check back, especially if you prefer to read in Chinese.

Complete video of the entire funeral available online

2006-06-27T18:05:00.000-07:00

I have uploaded the file of the video of the entire funeral service at West Houston Chinese Church:

Reverend William Huang's Funeral Service

I am working on getting separate video files of individual songs, speeches, and eulogies, so that viewers don't have to search around on a 2 hour video clip for the part that they want to watch. I hope to have individual clips online soon.

Andrade on Billboard in Houston, America's Most Wanted

2006-06-12T17:29:00.000-07:00

Crimestoppers has labeled Leon Andrade one of Houston's 5 Most Wanted:
Cash for Crooks

Also, Andrade's face is posted on a billboard at Richmond and Hillcroft, which looks like this:

I've also sent another submission to America's Most Wanted with a more personal emphasis with some updated information:

Dear Americas Most Wanted:
I am writing concerning the murder of my father, Reverend William Huang. My father was murdered in Houston, TX on March 12, 2006 by Leon Andrade from multiple machete blows to the head. My family and I are eager to see justice served to Andrade, and believe that America's Most Wanted can dramatically tip the outcome of this manhunt.
On the evening of March 12, 2006, hours after celebrating my brother's tenth birthday, my father returned to his restaurant to close the doors. As he closed, one of his employees and her 14-year-old daughter were confronted by Leon Andrade, the employee's ex-husband and the girl's father. Andrade became violent with his ex-wife, and my father moved in to protect her from harm by attempting to reason with Andrade. Drunk and possibly under the influence of drugs, Andrade became furious, retrieved a machete, and began chasing my father. The surveillance video shows that my father had ample opportunity to escape, but chose to stay near so that Andrade would not use the weapon on the women. After a few minutes, Andrade caught my father and split his head wide open in three places and shattered his skull. Also, my father suffered deep lacerations in his forearm, and his thumb remained attached to his hand only by a flap of skin. Other witnesses came running, but Andrade sped away with an unidentified passenger in his vehicle.
I believe that my father's actions saved the life of his employee, her unborn child, and her 14-year-old daughter. Leon Andrade has an extensive criminal history including a long history of violence towards his ex-wife and children, as well as alcohol and firearm violations. Houston Police Department has filed murder charges against him, and the FBI and U.S. Marshals are actively searching for him as well.
In the three months since, Andrade has at least been to Georgia, North Carolina, and back to Houston. One of the greatest problems hampering this investigation is the lack of community awareness. People who see Leon Andrade do not go to the police because most are not aware of his status as a murder fugitive. On more than one occasion, reports of sightings have gotten to police weeks after their occurrence, because there is not widespread awareness. In addition, Andrade continues to intimidate his ex-wife's family on the phone. Andrade is not hiding, and I believe that a simple increase in awareness will result in the police receiving good tips immediately, and possibly save the lives of the witnesses he is trying to find and kill.
http://www.revwilliamhuang.com has a detailed description of the case and the victim's life, as well as photographs of the victim and the fugitive. Also, the website has essays detailing the emotional impact of this murder, as my father was a well known man in his community, as well as communities he had touched around the world.
Sincerely,
Shane Huang

2006-05-19T13:56:00.000-07:00

We have been told by Houston Police that Leon Andrade's photograph will be posted on at least one prominent outdoor billboard in Houston. However, the police believe that Andrade is no longer in Houston, and may have gone back to North Carolina. Also, calls to Crimestoppers concerning Andrade have decreased recently, so pray that one of his friends or acquaintances will have the courage to do the right thing and help the authorities.

Submission to Nancy Grace.

2006-05-10T18:19:00.000-07:00

Here is the document that Crimestoppers of Houston sent to Nancy Grace at CNN, describing the case. The guys at Crimestoppers think that it's probable that they will run something about this case, from the perspective of two different immigrants (one back-door, one front door) whose lives collided with one another.

29 KB Word Document

Recent sightings and correspondence from authorities

2006-05-09T16:30:00.000-07:00

I recently received letters from Sen. John Cornyn, who was the person who forwarded my request to the U.S. Marshals. I've attached the documents as jpgs, cropped and resized for easier viewing.

Crimestoppers has been getting tips that Leon Andrade has expressed the intention to return to Georgia and North Carolina. He has also been seen recently in a Dollar Store.

Spanish Media Interviews Andrade's Neighbors

2006-04-29T07:00:00.000-07:00

My friend's co-workers mother was flipping through the Spanish channels and saw your dad's story and the press conference. Then they showed the Spanish reporter (a lady) go to the trailer park where he used to live and knock on his door. No one answered. Then the reporter saw a neighbor and started interviewing her. The neighbor had no idea this guy was a criminal.

--Teresa Lee

U.S. Marshals and Crime-Stoppers UPDATES

2006-04-29T06:53:00.000-07:00

"Crime-stoppers has gotten a few calls. One of the callers said that Andrade was in Houston on the 4th, which we already knew. The caller said that he had gotten rid of his truck and was now driving a car. He did not know what kind of car it was, but told Crime-stoppers that he would call back with the info. He also said that Andrade was going back to North Carolina or Georgia. This call came in on the afternoon of the press conference. The caller did not leave his name or phone number and has not called back.

The tip at the Dollar Store turned out to be a woman that had been in the store. She has not called back.

Another tip came in that he had been seen the week before at an office building on Westpark. The caller did not say which day he was supposedly there or how she knew that it was Andrade since the press conference had not even occurred on the day that she supposedly saw him.

Apparently, the Marshals included Andrade's warrant in that Operation Falcon II that has been going on for a couple of weeks. I have not heard back from them." --Phil

Update from HPD Sergeant

2006-04-26T07:55:00.000-07:00

Jade received an email update from Sergeant Phil Guerrero this morning:

"I did get one tip of a sighting at a Dollar store on Aldine Bender. I went to the store, but no one seemed to know what I was talking about. The caller did not leave a name at Crime-stoppers. It was one of those overnight calls and I don't have a person to talk to and get more info. I am hoping that he is still in Houston and that someone will come forward with the information that will help. I have not heard from the U.S. Marshals, but they had said that they would only call if they had anything good. The Gulf Coast Violent Offenders Task Force is also working on finding Andrade." --Sgt. Guerrero

New Crime Stoppers Press Conference Clip on MEDIA page and new entries on SHARED THOUGHTS page

2006-04-22T17:39:00.000-07:00

We have added the latest media clip from the Crime Stoppers press conference on April 20, 2006. We had several family/friends come out to the press conference this Thursday: thanks to my husband - Patrick Wang, Pastor Su, my aunt from Malaysia - Ann Lau, in-laws Henry and Wendy Wang, and my friends Teresa Lee, Christine Ha, and Karen Lang for coming to support us.

This press conference was aired on the local news stations including the Hispanic stations. The Crime Stoppers Executive Director is hoping that national news will pick this up - she has submitted to shows like America's Most Wanted, Nancy Grace (CNN), etc. Hopefully with this in addition to our family's submissions to the national stations, the story will be picked up at a national level.

There has also been an addition on the SHARED THOUGHTS page written by the New Life Chinese Baptist Church members (my father's old church).

Thanks,
Jade