Divorce and custody battle preceded killing, court records show
Chen and Zhang were arraigned Wednesday in a Dublin courthouse on murder charges that include additional allegations of lying in wait and using a firearm. The Associated Press was not able to reach an attorney for the couple prior to the court appearance. Their daughter, Candice Jang, could not be reached, though she appeared virtually at Wednesday’s hearing.
McKinsey was shot dead Saturday in the parking lot of a sports complex in Dublin, east of San Francisco, according to a Dublin police news release. A police sergeant who was driving nearby saw McKinsey on the ground as witnesses began calling 911 and pointing out Chen and Zhang in their vehicle. The couple, who were still near the scene, were detained as they attempted to drive away.
Prosecutors said Zhang admitted to shooting McKinsey during a later interview. A firearm was found in his car that he admitted to using during the crime. Prosecutors also said surveillance video was recovered showing Chen and Zhang shooting the victim “in concert.”
The killing came during a contentious divorce with Jang and a custody battle over the couple’s three young children, according to court records. McKinsey and Jang had been married since July 2011. The killing occurred a week before a hearing was scheduled in the divorce case.
In petitions for restraining orders filed last year, the couple accused each other of physical, emotional and psychological abuse going back more than a decade. McKinsey, who is transgender, alleged that both Jang and her parents were verbally and physically abusive regarding a gender transition he underwent years ago.
McKinsey joined the New York Times in January 2023, the paper said, and served as director of engineering for New York Times Games. A New York Times spokesperson declined to comment further on the killing.