Details of NYT exec slaying revealed as in-laws appear in Bay Area court

The married couple accused of gunning down their son-in-law in broad daylight at an East Bay park appearedin a Dublin courthouse Wednesday afternoon. New York Times Games engineering director Jonathan McKinsey, 40, was found shot to death behind a white SUV in the crowded sports complex parking lot on Saturday afternoon.

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Alameda County prosecutors charged Shili Chen and Shouyong Zhang, who are both 77, with murder on Wednesday, alleging that they lay in wait to kill McKinsey and that each personally and intentionally fired a gun, causing his death. The filings mark the first formal charges against the couple since their arrest Saturday, minutes after McKinsey was found fatally wounded in the parking lot of the Dublin Sports Grounds. The killing has drawn national attention, as court records have revealed a bitter divorce, competing allegations of family abuse and a custody dispute involving McKinsey’s children.

The lying-in-wait special circumstance alleges that the couple waited for an opportunity to attack by surprise. If convicted of first-degree murder with that special circumstance, Chen and Zhang could face life in prison without parole. Both also face firearm enhancements, including an allegation that carries a potential, additional sentence of 25 years to life.

Dozens of local and national reporters gathered Wednesday at the East County Hall of Justice in Dublin, about 2 miles from the park where McKinsey was killed. The couple appeared together in a courtroom behind thick glass at around 2:45 p.m. Chen, her thick silver hair cut short, appeared in dark blue clothing, wearing a surgical mask. Next to her, Zhang wore yellow. Both spoke quietly to a Mandarin translator to answer Judge Diane Meier’s questions. Chen said she did not have the financial means to hire an attorney. The judge read her the charges, including murder and lying-in-wait, and told her she would be given a public defender. Zhang was represented by public defender Jennie Otis. The judge requested that both defendants return to court Thursday to complete their arraignment.

New details released by the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office describe the couple’s alleged actions during the shooting and their arrest. Witnesses directed officers toward a black Honda Civic leaving the sports grounds, the District Attorney’s court filings show. Police stopped the vehicle and detained Chen, who was driving, and Zhang, the passenger. Officers found a firearm in Chen’s possession and another in the car. Zhang later admitted to using the second weapon to shoot McKinsey, according to the district attorney’s office. The DA’s office said surveillance footage showed the couple shooting McKinsey “in concert” in a crowded parking lot where several children were present. 

Meanwhile, police entered the home of McKinsey’s estranged wife, Candice Jang, on Tuesday evening, according to the California Post. The Post reported that video showed officers knocking around 7 p.m. before a man opened the door. Multiple officers reportedly entered and left by about 9 p.m. No arrests were made, and no property was seized, the publication reported. 

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McKinsey and Jang married in Texas in 2011 and were pursuing a divorce while disputing custody of their three children. Each sought a domestic violence restraining order against the other last year. Jang accused McKinsey of abusing her and their children. McKinsey, who was transgender, alleged that Jang and her parents had physically abused him and directed anti-LGBTQ+ slurs at him and one of their children.

McKinsey also faced two misdemeanor charges involving alleged child endangerment and corporal injury to a child. He pleaded not guilty. Court records reviewed by SFGATE show he was released on a $50,000 bond and ordered to take parenting classes. A mental health diversion petition was pending when he died.

McKinsey joined the Times in 2023 and became the director of engineering for games player experience in December 2025, according to his LinkedIn profile.

This breaking news story has been updated.