NYT Executive Murder Charges
Elderly California In-Laws Charged With Murder of NYT Executive Amid Custody Dispute
Anonymous
Key Points
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McKinsey joined The New York Times in 2023 and was head of engineering for games player experience.
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According to police, Zhang admitted shooting McKinsey, while Chen—who allegedly still had one of the suspected weapons—refused to speak with investigators. A detective also said children were at a nearby playground when the shooting occurred.
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Prosecutors’ lying-in-wait allegation is an enhancement that, if established, carries a sentence of life without the possibility of parole.
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McKinsey alleged that his mother-in-law directed anti-LGBTQ+ slurs at him and one of the children, and called him “disgusting.”
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McKinsey’s cousin Lovell Garner speculated that the in-laws may have acted to support their daughter’s custody bid, telling the California Post, “I’d lay a lot of money on that.”
Two 77-year-old California residents have been charged with murder in the fatal shooting of Jonathan McKinsey, a 40-year-old transgender New York Times games engineer, at a Dublin, California park CBS News. Prosecutors say Shouyong Zhang and Shili Chen took turns shooting McKinsey and planned the attack by lying in wait, an allegation that carries a potential life sentence without parole CBS News. The killing followed years of family conflict tied to McKinsey's bitter divorce and custody battle with the couple's daughter KVUE.
Years of Family Conflict Preceded the Shooting
McKinsey's relationship with his in-laws deteriorated during his divorce from their daughter, which involved competing child-abuse allegations CBS News. McKinsey faced misdemeanor charges after allegedly striking one of their children, while he separately accused his wife and mother-in-law of abuse Beloit Daily News. McKinsey's cousin Lovell Garner told the California Post he believes the in-laws may have acted to help their daughter's custody case: "I'd lay a lot of money on that."
Alleged Anti-LGBTQ+ Harassment in the Months Before
According to court documents, McKinsey alleged that his mother-in-law Shili Chen directed anti-LGBTQ+ slurs at him and called him "disgusting" CBS News. McKinsey also reported that Chen made similar derogatory statements toward one of their children CBS News. These allegations paint a picture of escalating hostility within the family in the months leading up to the shooting.
Surveillance Video and Quick Arrests
Police say surveillance footage captured the shooting at the Dublin park WUSA9. According to detectives, Shouyong Zhang admitted to shooting McKinsey, while Chen refused to cooperate with investigators CBS News. Officers also recovered one of the suspected weapons while Chen was in custody CBS News. Children were playing at a nearby playground during the incident, though no other injuries were reported.
McKinsey's Role at The New York Times
McKinsey joined the Times in 2023 and led the engineering team for the games player experience division Beloit Daily News. His role focused on developing and improving the platform for the newspaper's popular games products, including the crossword and spelling bee. The Times has not released a public statement regarding McKinsey's death.
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