Naman Shrestha
The episode titled ‘The Han Family Murder’ of CBS’ ’48 Hours’ chronicles the tragic killings of the Han family members — Dr. Henry, his wife, Jennie, and their 5-year-old daughter, Emily Han. Since the doctor was well-reputed in the area, his passing, along with that of his family, shook the entire community to its core. The detectives managed to apprehend the perpetrator behind the triple homicide following a swift investigation, all of which is covered in detail in the documentary.
Henry Han Ran a Successful Herb Clinic in California
Weidong Han was born on October 6, 1958, in China. Affectionately referred to as Henry by his loved ones, he grew up in Beijing in a stable and warm household packed with medical professionals. With a herbalist grandfather, an oncological gynecologist mother, and a dermatologist father, he was immersed in the world of medicine, care, and compassion from a young age. Naturally, it influenced Henry’s professional path. In 1982, he graduated with top honors from Beijing University of Chinese Medicine and Western Medicine, earning dual degrees — an O.M.D. (Doctor of Oriental Medicine) and an M.D. (China). He fulfilled his residency requirements in internal medicine at Beijing Dongzhimen Hospital.
Holding a Chinese government scholarship, Henry moved to the US, where he pursued graduate-level psychology. His brilliance later led him to secure the position of a featured lecturer at Pacific National University, where he imparted knowledge on Chinese Medicine. With big dreams and a hopeful vision for the future, he entered private practice in 1989. When his student visa expired, Henry married a US citizen. However, things didn’t work out between the two, and they went their separate ways. Soon after, he began working at the Santa Barbara Herb Clinic, under the guidance of the celebrated herbal practitioner Jean Yu. Jean sold the clinic to Henry in 1991, and over the next 25 years, he took the business to newer heights.
Henry had built a strong reputation in the community for his contribution to Alternative Medicine. He continued to work hard and established his clinic in downtown Santa Barbara, specifically in the Lobero Building. A while later, he relocated it to Upper State Street, directly behind Chuck’s Steak House, according to reports. He not only served on multiple advisory and scientific boards, but also wore the author hat and co-wrote ‘Ancient Herbs, Modern Medicine’ and ‘Healing Our Planet, Healing Our Selves: The Power of Change Within to Change the World.’ He amassed immense success and went on to purchase a space spanning 7 acres, complete with a quarter-mile-long driveway, to cultivate his own plants and herbs.
The Han Family Was Found Dead in Their Garage
On the personal front, despite his first marriage ending in separation, Henry kept his heart open, and fate eventually led him to Huijie “Jennie” Yu Han, born on November 22, 1986. On March 26, 2010, the pair welcomed their daughter, Emily Han, into the world. As for Jennie’s profession, for two years in the early 2010s, she was employed as a server at Saigon Noodle House, where she would often bring Emily along to eat. She had gained years of experience working at several Asian food spots in Santa Barbara County before going on to work at Santa Barbara Herb Clinic. By the time, Henry’s parents had also made a move to the US, and the family lived together in Goleta at 4640 Greenhill Way. In 2015, tragedy struck the Han household when Henry sadly lost both his parents in a span of weeks.
By the time 2016 rolled around, Henry was working towards his third book, focused on the integration of Chinese and Western medicine. Meanwhile, after graduating from preschool at the Waldorf School of Santa Barbara, Emily was enrolled at Foothill Elementary School as a kindergartener. The family’s world turned upside down in March 2016. When Henry failed to arrive at a business meeting on the morning of March 23 and couldn’t be reached on the phone, two of his colleagues went to check on him and his family near Goleta, California. When they noticed that the front door was open, they called the authorities and requested a welfare check.
As the authorities arrived at the Han residence, they discovered the remains of 57-year-old Dr. Henry Han, 29-year-old Jennie Han, and 5-year-old Emily Han, wrapped in plastic and duct taped in the garage. Although all three of them had been shot multiple times, it was determined that the cause of their deaths was gunshot wounds to the head. An investigation was immediately launched to get to the bottom of the case.
The Han Family’s Killer Was Motivated by Money
Not long after the investigation began, the detectives were led to an Oceanside resident named Pierre Haobsh, who was involved in a business transaction with Henry in the days leading up to the murder. The clues suggested that the suspect was motivated by financial gain. As they dug deeper into Pierre’s life, they learned that he had lied to Henry about being a successful entrepreneur in order to do business with him when, in fact, he was living in a San Diego apartment with his father. Moreover, the police found him purchasing the plastic sheeting and duct tape found at the crime scene from a Home Depot in Oceanside, California. He had also sent a text message to one of his acquaintances after Henry’s remains were discovered. It read, “Yep. Am screwed. They just found everything. My life’s over.”
Armed with enough evidence for an arrest, the investigators spotted him at a gas station east of Oceanside, where he was taken into custody without incident on March 25, 2016. As they searched his car, they found a loaded 9mm handgun, a .22-caliber Ruger pistol, which was the murder weapon, electronic devices belonging to the Han family, a credit card, Henry’s wallet, a homemade suppressor, and ammunition. The suspect also had a screenshot of Henry’s bank information, including his social security and account numbers. Thus, Pierre Haobsh was charged with three counts of murder in connection with the Han family murders.
Pierre Haobsh is Serving His Time at a California State Prison Today
In October 2021, Pierre Haobsh’s murder trial commenced. Over the next five weeks, the prosecution presented a series of evidence that connected the defendant to the murders and called many witnesses to testify against him. Finally, on November 24, the jury deliberated and reached a final verdict. Pierre was found guilty of three counts of first-degree murder. Soon after the conviction, the killer asked for new attorneys to represent him and a new trial. Although his request for a new trial was denied, he was given permission to represent himself at his sentencing hearing.
On April 15, 2022, Pierre was sentenced to three consecutive life terms for the triple homicide, in addition to 75 years to life for the enhancement of using a gun to inflict death. The following month, he reportedly filed an appeal to get his conviction overturned. However, a couple of years later, his appeal was denied and his conviction was upheld. As of today, the 35-year-old killer is serving his sentence at Kern Valley State Prison in Delano, California.
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