Parents of NYT Exec's Wife Appear in Court for Alleged Murder

Shouyong Zhang and Shili Chen, both 77, made their first court appearance Wednesday, accused of murdering their son-in-law, Jonathan McKinsey, 40, the executive for The New York Times' games department. The couple allegedly gunned down McKinsey in the parking lot of a Dublin, California park on Saturday afternoon.

Zhang and Chen face murder charges and 11 other criminal counts, including "lying in wait," a charge that implies premeditation and carries a sentence of life in prison without parole. They were arrested shortly after the shooting when witnesses identified them to police. Authorities said a police sergeant driving nearby witnessed the victim on the ground as emergency calls began flooding in.

McKinsey, who transitioned from female to male in 2010, was in the process of a contentious divorce and custody battle with his estranged wife, Candice Jang, 46, who is the daughter of the accused killers. Jang, along with her three young children, was reportedly staying at the couple's townhome, which was raided by police Tuesday evening. On Wednesday, Jang was seen with her children but declined to comment on her husband's death or her parents' alleged involvement.

A female friend accompanying Jang's family requested privacy, citing the presence of the children, who are believed to be aged 7, 5, and 3.

Court documents reveal a history of acrimony and restraining orders filed by both McKinsey and Jang. McKinsey had alleged verbal and physical abuse from Jang and her parents concerning his gender transition. In one filing from 2023, McKinsey recounted an incident where his mother-in-law, Shili Chen, allegedly berated their son, calling him a "disgusting queer" and a "pervert" after he was seen wearing his sister's dresses.

McKinsey also claimed in court filings that Jang had been abusive, alleging she once tried to push him to commit suicide and had beaten him with a frying pan in 2013. Jang, in her own restraining order filing, accused McKinsey of threatening to kill her and her parents.

Last year, McKinsey was arrested and charged with misdemeanor child abuse related to allegedly hitting their oldest son and leaving a handprint bruise on his face. He also faced a charge of child endangerment for leaving their youngest child home alone. McKinsey pleaded not guilty to these charges and was released on bail with a requirement to complete parenting classes. Jang had obtained a domestic violence protection order against McKinsey in October, the same month as his arrest, alleging he had caused her to fracture a vertebra in 2010. McKinsey subsequently filed for divorce and sought his own domestic violence protection order.

McKinsey's death occurred just prior to a scheduled hearing in their divorce case. Zhang and Chen appeared in court Wednesday via a thick window, communicating through a Mandarin-language interpreter. Chen stated she could not afford a lawyer, and the judge agreed to assign her one. Zhang was represented by a public defender.

The couple, who had lived in Dublin after several years in Albuquerque, New Mexico, reportedly walked calmly away from the scene after the shooting before being apprehended in a nearby vehicle.