NEED TO KNOW
- Howard Wang, 43, is accused of slitting the throats of his wife and mother-in-law and then claiming that an intruder murdered the two women
- He is now facing murder charges for the alleged crime, which was committed at the couple’s multimillion dollar California compound while their twin daughters, 8, were home
- Howard’s alleged mistress Yan Wang (no relation) has also been arrested and charged with larceny, accessory after the fact and destroying evidence
A California man is accused of murdering his wife and mother-in-law, and then getting his alleged mistress to destroy evidence of his alleged crime.
Howard Wang, 43, is now facing charges including two counts of murder with special circumstances enhancements as well as dissuading a witness for reporting a crime and making criminal threats of death and great bodily injury for two previous incidents involving his wife, Linlin Guo, according to the Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office.
Guo and her mother, Beimin Cheng, were both found with their throats slit inside the family’s multimillion-dollar compound in Walnut Creek, about 20 miles east of San Francisco.
Howard allegedly told police that an intruder had killed the two women and managed to escape, despite Howard firing multiple bullets at the individual.
The couple’s twin daughters, 8, were also home at the time.
Then, a little over a week after Howard was booked into custody, police arrested 45-year-old Yan Wang, whom the DA’s office said was in a relationship with Howard (the pair are not related despite sharing a last name).
Yan is charged with destroying evidence, being an accessory after the fact and first-degree residential burglary.
She “allegedly aided Howard Wang with knowledge following the murders and with intent to help him avoid arrest, trial, conviction, and punishment for killing his wife,” according to the DA’s office.
In addition, she is accused of entering Howard’s home after the murders with the intent to commit larceny and destroying cellphones to prevent evidence from being produced.
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KTVU also reports that at the first court hearing, Yan got into a physical altercation with a member of the victim’s family.
Deputies eventually had to break up the altercation.
“This case serves as a sobering reminder of domestic violence’s far-reaching consequences,” Contra Costa District Attorney Diana Becton said in a statement. “Our office will pursue justice with the seriousness and urgency this tragedy demands.”
Howard, who is currently being held without bail, could face life in prison if convicted of the murders.
He had previously filed for divorce back in 2024, court records show, but then withdrew his petition later that same year.
If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
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