Necklace ties clues together

"She wore it everywhere," O'Connor said. "She wore it to work and you see her wearing it in numerous family photos. We know she had it on while she was laying in bed the night she was murdered."

Right now, there are few leads on the two Asian male suspects who broke into the mansion the morning of June 19. The invasion led to the death of Ng and sent boyfriend Andrew Chang to the emergency room with a skull fracture. Because the victims' heads were covered with blankets and bedding, Chang recalls few details about the suspects.

Now police are hoping someone will recognize the missing jade necklace.

After immigrating to the United States, Ng purchased the necklace as a gift to her mother, who lived in Hong Kong, with her first earnings from State Farm Insurance, O'Connor said. When Ng later married Stephen Ng, her mother presented the jade necklace back to her daughter as a wedding gift.

Since then, O'Connor said Ng hardly ever took the necklace off.

"Because of the sentimental value and distinctive nature of the necklace, we think someone will see and recognize it," O'Connor said.

Also ripped from the body of Priscilla Ng in the pre-dawn hours of June 19 was a gold necklace. A ladies Oyster Rolex gold wristwatch and $250 cash were also taken from a wallet on the bathroom counter. But police are focusing on the necklace because of its unique design.

Aside from that, O'Connor said not much else is missing from the sprawling mansion.

The suspected motive remains robbery.

A white Toyota

with its headlights on

An eyewitness noted a mysterious white Toyota sedan in the parking lot of the Burlingame Plaza shopping center along El Camino Real the morning of the crime.

The car was unusual because the headlights were on, and the parking lot is relatively clear at around 5 a.m. when it was spotted. A person was sitting in the vehicle, according to the eyewitness.

"They may have been positioned there to assist the suspects in fleeing the area," O'Connor said.

The Lexus stolen from the mansion after the attacks was discovered legally parked at the shopping center days after the attack. Police believe the suspects drove the stolen vehicle to the plaza directly from the crime scene.

Investigators are in the process of working with the county crime lab to review the considerable physical evidence collected from the home and Lexus. Of the numerous fingerprints collected, O'Connor said no unidentified prints were found yet.

Blood samples, tissue samples, hair strands and fibers are also being processed.

Grisly details

Meanwhile, more grisly details emerged yesterday about what went down at 2545 Butternut Drive in the pre-dawn hours of June 19.

Ng and Chang were still asleep in the master bedroom when the intruders entered the second-story master bedroom. Blankets and bedding were placed over their heads - most likely to obscure their vision - according to police reports. The confused victims were bound by electrical cords and received "blunt force trauma" to their heads and faces before any demands were made.

When Chang asked the intruders what they wanted, O'Connor said the suspects demanded cash and jewelry. The victims were then strangled with a ligature. Tape was then placed over the faces of Ng and Chang, which resulted in Ng's asphyxiation and death.

Despite suffering a fractured skull, Chang was able to crawl to an adjacent room where he dialed 911.

It is not yet known at what point in the attack Ng died.

Anyone who recalls seeing the jade necklace and pendant is asked to contact the Hillsborough Police Department at 375-7470. Those with information who speak Cantonese or Mandarin are asked to call 375-7473. Callers may remain anonymous.

Yunmi Choi can be reached by e-mail at yunmi@smdailyjournal.com or by phone: (650) 344-5200 ext. 109.