In-Laws of Slain New York Times Executive Charged With His Murder
The parents-in-law of a New York Times executive were charged with his murder on Wednesday, according to the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office.
Shouyong Zhang and Shili Chen, both 77, are accused of developing a plan to shoot 40-year-old Jonathan McKinsey in a parking lot near a Dublin park on Sept. 26.
Police officials located McKinsey lying on the ground with multiple gunshot wounds near the Dublin Sports Grounds just after 3 p.m. He was declared deceased on the scene.
Zhang and Chen, a husband and wife whose daughter, Candace Jang, was married to McKinsey, are accused of shooting him “in concert,” according to witness reports and surveillance footage obtained by the district attorney’s office. They also face multiple special enhancements — which could add extra prison time or penalties to a sentence — one on the grounds of “lying in wait,” which means that they premeditated the killing and waited for the moment to act.
Court documents said the couple fled the scene in a black Honda Civic, driven by Chen. They were detained after being pulled over while traveling westbound through the Dublin Sports Ground parking lot, toward Civic Plaza.
Officers later located a firearm in Chen’s possession.
If found guilty, the couple could face lifetime prison sentences without the opportunity for parole.
Chen and Zhang were due in Dublin’s East County Hall of Justice on Wednesday morning to make their initial appearance in the case. They are currently in custody at Santa Rita Jail.
Prosecutors have not yet revealed a motive for the killing, but court records show that family dynamics were fraught between Jang, her parents and McKinsey, who worked as the director of engineering for The New York Times’ games department.
In December, McKinsey filed for divorce after he and Jang had exchanged restraining orders, both alleging domestic violence in the months prior.
On Oct. 23, Jang requested a restraining order against McKinsey, and he responded with his own on Dec. 11.
Court records show they were also in the midst of a custody dispute over their three young children.
According to court documents obtained by the Times, McKinsey, who was transgender, had accused Jang and her parents of abusing him because of his identity. Jang alleged that McKinsey had abused her and the children.
At the time of his death, McKinsey was out of custody pending separate misdemeanor child abuse charges, which he pled not guilty to last year.
Prior to McKinsey’s death, he and Jang were due in court on Friday for a status conference.