One Of The Three Men Charged With Killing Ebony Pack In Lansdale Is Held For Trial

LANSDALE, PA — One of the men charged in connection with the November 2020 shooting death of Ebony Pack will have to answer to his alleged crimes in Montgomery County Common Pleas Court.

Murder charges against Chong Ling L. Dan, 50, of Philadelphia, were held for court following a preliminary hearing Wednesday, according to media reports and court records.

The publication North Penn Now reported that Dan was held for court following what ended up being a five-hour preliminary hearing.

The procedural hearing had been scheduled for Jan. 12 at 3 p.m. before Magisterial District Judge Edward Levine in Levine's Lansdale courtroom, according to court records.

During a preliminary hearing, a lower court judge is tasked with determining whether sufficient evidence exists to send criminal charges against a defendant over to Common Pleas Court, which is the trial level court in Pennsylvania.

Dan has been charged with first-degree murder, third-degree murder and other counts, according to his criminal docket sheet.

Patch reported on Dan's arrest last month.

Montgomery County prosecutors say Dan had dated Pack before the woman broke off their relationship in order to pursue another romantic interest.

The killing, which authorities have deemed domestic in nature, occurred on Nov. 28, 2020, at the intersection of East Hancock Street and Church Road in Lansdale Borough.

Pack was shot dead in her vehicle.

Another defendant, Ricky Vance, also of Philadelphia, was arrested by police back in April of last year and a third co-conspirator, Terrance Marche, is still being sought by authorities after having apparently fled to Honduras, where he is said to have met up with Dan.

Dan ended up returning to the U.S. but Marche was apparently still on the loose.

Dan is next scheduled to have a formal arraignment at Montgomery County Common Pleas Court; a court date for that has not yet been set.

Dan remains confined to the Montgomery County Correctional Facility. Bail is not afforded to firsts-degree murder defendants in Pennsylvania.