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1928 Fairfield murders

SOLVED1927Bryan (Wong Gee) ranch, near Fairfield, Solano County, California3 SOURCESUPDATED JUL 2026

Documents violence · crimes against children · suicide · torture — written to inform, not to shock.

Illustrative

On the morning of August 22, 1928, a mass shooting and axe attack occurred at the Bryan ranch, also known as the Wong Gee ranch, located near Fairfield in unincorporated Solano County, California. Eleven people were killed, including seven members of the Wong family, in an attack that lasted less than twenty minutes and was, at the time, the worst mass murder in California history. The ranch, a 65-acre pear and peach orchard operated by Wong Gee, primarily employed Chinese laborers connected to the nearby Hatch ranch colony and Rockville's Chinatown community.

The perpetrator, Leung Ying, had worked briefly at the ranch as a cook and fruit picker in the spring of 1928 before being dismissed in June, reportedly after attacking Wong Gee's teenage daughter Nellie. Armed with a rifle and, by some accounts, a hatchet or cleaver, Leung moved through the ranch's dwellings, killing workers and members of the Wong family, including Wong Gee, his wife, and several of his children. Two of Wong Gee's daughters survived by hiding. Leung fled in a stolen car, prompting a manhunt across Solano, Napa, and Nevada Counties involving law enforcement from four counties as well as members of the Bing Kong Tong. He was located and captured without resistance near Grass Valley in the early morning of August 23 by Nevada County Sheriff George Carter and Deputy Sheriff Arthur Hellings, after officers observed him discard his rifle.

Following his arrest, Leung confessed to the killings, offering shifting explanations that included a belief the Wong family had tried to poison him, romantic rejection by Nellie Wong, and admiration for two other publicized killers. Investigators, including Solano County Sheriff John R. Thornton, dismissed early speculation that the killings were connected to tong warfare, instead attributing the attack to Leung's long-term narcotics use and resulting mental instability. While in custody, Leung attempted suicide by hanging in his jail cell, which was interrupted by guards.

Leung was arraigned on August 24 and pleaded guilty at a preliminary hearing on August 27, during which two men separately attempted to attack him before being disarmed by deputies. His trial at Solano County Superior Court in Fairfield began on August 30 and concluded the following morning with a death sentence, described as one of the shortest formal murder trials in California history. He was sent to San Quentin State Prison to await execution by hanging, scheduled for November 9, 1928.

On October 22, 1928, Leung died by suicide in his San Quentin cell by hanging himself with a knotted towel, becoming the first successful death-row suicide at the prison. The victims were buried in Rockville and later, in 1952, exhumed and reinterred near Colma by the Tung Sen Benevolent Association; some victims were repatriated to China for burial. The surviving Wong sisters, Ruth and Helen, were initially placed in an orphanage before being raised by relatives and later worked as nurses in San Francisco.

Key facts

Victims
Wong Gee, Yeung Foon, Cheung Yueng, Willie Wong, Nellie Wong, Wong Hueng, Low Shek Way, Johnnie Wong
Date
1927
Location
Bryan (Wong Gee) ranch, near Fairfield, Solano County, California
Case status
solved

Case timeline

  1. 1927-09-17

    Jung Lee Fong, a worker from a nearby ranch, set fire to workers' quarters at the Bryan ranch and was fatally shot by Wong Gee in what was later ruled justifiable homicide.

  2. 1928

    Leung Ying was employed for about three months as a cook and fruit picker at the Bryan ranch before being dismissed in June following an attack on Wong Gee's daughter Nellie.

  3. 1928-08-22

    Eleven people, including seven members of the Wong family, were killed in a shooting and axe attack at the Bryan (Wong Gee) ranch near Fairfield.

  4. 1928-08-23

    Leung Ying was captured near Grass Valley, Nevada County, by Sheriff George Carter and Deputy Sheriff Arthur Hellings.

  5. 1928-08-24

    Leung Ying was arraigned at Superior Court in Suisun City and attempted suicide in his jail cell, which was interrupted by guards.

  6. 1928-08-27

    A preliminary hearing was held at which Leung pleaded guilty; Nellie Wong, the eleventh victim, died of an infected wound at Vallejo hospital.

  7. 1928-08-30

    Leung Ying's trial began at Solano County Superior Court in Fairfield.

  8. 1928-08-31

    Leung Ying was sentenced to death by hanging, with execution scheduled for November 9, 1928.

  9. 1928-10-22

    Leung Ying died by suicide in his cell at San Quentin State Prison, hanging himself with a knotted towel.

  10. 1952

    The Tung Sen Benevolent Association exhumed victims' remains from Rockville and reburied them at a Chinese cemetery near Colma.

Best coverage

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People

  • Wong Gee

    VICTIM

    Operator of the Bryan (Wong Gee) ranch, killed in the August 22, 1928 attack.

    citation on file

  • John R. Thornton

    LAW ENFORCEMENT

    Solano County Sheriff who led the manhunt and interrogation of Leung Ying.

    citation on file

  • Yeung Foon

    VICTIM

    Ranch worker shot while working in the orchard.

    citation on file

  • Cheung Yueng

    VICTIM

    Ranch worker fatally shot during the attack.

    citation on file

  • George Carter

    LAW ENFORCEMENT

    Nevada County Sheriff who tracked and arrested Leung Ying.

    citation on file

  • Leung Ying

    CONVICTED

    Convicted and sentenced to death for the August 22, 1928 killings; died by suicide on death row at San Quentin before his execution date.

    citation on file

  • Willie Wong

    VICTIM

    Three-year-old son of Wong Gee, killed by a blow to the skull.

    citation on file

  • Nellie Wong

    VICTIM

    Fifteen-year-old daughter of Wong Gee, shot in the abdomen and died of her wounds five days later.

    citation on file

  • Wong Hueng

    VICTIM

    Brother of Wong Gee, shot through a window at his residence.

    citation on file

  • Low Shek Way

    VICTIM

    Ranch cook, shot and later died at Fairfield hospital.

    citation on file

  • Arthur Hellings

    LAW ENFORCEMENT

    Nevada County Deputy Sheriff who assisted in the capture of Leung Ying.

    citation on file

  • Johnnie Wong

    VICTIM

    Four-year-old son of Wong Gee, shot through the head.

    citation on file

Places

Bryan (Wong Gee) ranch, near Fairfield, Solano County, California

38.2494, -122.0400

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Common questions

What happened to the victim?
On August 22, 1928, eleven people, including seven members of the Wong family, were shot and hacked to death at the Bryan (Wong Gee) ranch near Fairfield, California. Leung Ying, a former ranch worker, confessed, was convicted in a one-day trial, and died by suicide on death row before his scheduled execution.
Where did the murders happen?
Bryan (Wong Gee) ranch, near Fairfield, Solano County, California.
Who was convicted?
Leung Ying (Convicted and sentenced to death for the August 22, 1928 killings; died by suicide on death row at San Quentin before his execution date.).
What is the current status of the case?
Status: solved. Last verified July 2026.

Sources

  1. 1928 Fairfield murderswikipedia · Wikipedia · 2026-07-07
  2. Capture California Chinese Killernews · The New York Times · 2026-07-07
  3. Cemetery Tales: Ying and Youngnews · cdcr.ca.gov · 2026-07-07

Last verified JUL 2026

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