Dublin police seized “pertinent evidence” from the home of Candice Jang, the estranged wife of slain the outlet executive Jonathan McKinsey, in the days after her elderly parents allegedly gunned him down at a public park.
Officers executed a search warrant at Jang’s Northern California residence on Sept. 29, three days after McKinsey, 40, was shot dead in broad daylight at the Dublin Sports Grounds, according to Dublin Police Capt. Miguel Campos. “I can confirm that items were seized during the execution of the search warrant,” Campos told SFGate.
A neighbor who watched the operation unfold said officers removed several of Jang’s belongings, including her vehicle and cellphone. “I personally witnessed law enforcement seizing property,” the neighbor said. “I saw her car being seized and towed away, along with other items, including her phone.”
Police have not disclosed what exactly was taken or whether Jang is now considered a person of interest in her husband’s alleged murder. She has not been charged with any crime.
McKinsey, the outlet’s director of engineering for games player experience, had been embroiled in a bitter family and custody battle with Jang and their three children at the time of his death. He was limited to supervised visits with the children and was reportedly seeking additional parenting time.
Court records revealed explosive claims from both sides of the fractured marriage. Jang had previously accused McKinsey of physically disciplining their children and obtained a domestic violence protection order against him last year after he was arrested and charged with misdemeanor child abuse.
McKinsey fired back with his own allegations. He filed for divorce and sought a protection order against Jang, claiming his mother-in-law, Shili Chen, had directed anti-LGBTQ+ slurs at him and one of the children, according to the San Jose Mercury News. McKinsey also accused his wife of abusive behavior during medical procedures connected to his transition.
The violence that ended McKinsey’s life erupted around 3 p.m. On Sept. 26 at the Dublin Sports Grounds. Witnesses reported seeing two masked assailants approach him in a parking lot before multiple shots rang out. Officers patrolling nearby encountered the bloody scene as 911 calls poured in. First responders desperately tried to save McKinsey, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Jang’s parents, Shouyong Zhang and Shili Chen, both 77, were quickly arrested and booked into Alameda County’s Santa Rita Jail. They face charges including first-degree murder and conspiracy. Authorities have not publicly announced a motive for the alleged ambush.
McKinsey had built a nearly two-decade career in the tech world before his 2023 move to the outlet. His resume included stops at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Oracle, Coursera and Splunk. At the Times, he rose to director of engineering for games player experience, leading a team working on the brand’s hugely popular puzzle products.
Zhang and Chen remain jailed without bail and are scheduled to return to court for a plea hearing Oct. 19.