The mortified family of the New York Times exec gunned down by his in-laws have addressed the terrible situation he was in with his wife’s family around the time of his death.
asserted
he → mortify → death
Jonathan McKinsey was murdered after his elderly in-laws, Shili Chen and Shouyong Zhang, allegedly took turns shooting him in a Northern California parking lot Saturday.
uncertain
laws → murder → lot
The brutal alleged shooting happened as McKinsey and his estranged wife, Candice Jang, were locked in a nasty custody fight.
asserted
McKinsey → happen → fight
Lovell Garner, McKinsey’s cousin, spoke to The California Post about the turbulent time in the family.
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Garner → speak → family
He said it was apparent that the wife’s family had enough, and turned to drastic measures.
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family → say → measures
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Sign → sign → California
“Well, it’s all still pretty fresh for me still,” Garner said.
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Garner → ’ → me
“So far, everyone in my immediate family is completely shocked.
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everyone → shock → family
It seems obvious that they were done with him since they killed him.
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they → seem → him
Not sure what would make them do something that extreme.”
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them → make → something
Garner said he spoke to McKinsey a year ago after losing contact with him for several years.
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he → say → years
He had heard McKinsey had hit a rough spot and reached out to talk with him about life and what he was working on.
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he → hear → what
He said he didn’t mention his wife and kids or the custody battle during their chat.
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he → say → chat
Garner described McKinsey as a “very smart” and an “outgoing” person.
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Garner → describe → smart
I remember more of her than him,” referring to McKinsey before he transitioned from male to female.
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he → remember → female
McKinsey, formerly Dawn Finney, transitioned in 2010 and married Jang in Harris County, Texas, in 2011.
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McKinsey → transition → 2011
Little is known about Jang other than that she is a mother to three kids, all under the age of 10.
McKinsey’s strained marriage with Jang came to a boil when Alameda County prosecutors charged him with two counts of misdemeanor child abuse after his wife reported an incident where he allegedly hit their six-year-old son in the face with an open hand.
uncertain
he → know → hand
McKinsey pleaded not guilty to both crimes and was released from jail on the condition that he take parenting classes.
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he → plead → classes
Jang also alleged McKinsey threatened “to kill me and my parents” in a restraining order filed last year.
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McKinsey → allege → order
McKinsey filed a restraining order of his own against Jang, alleging Jang abused him emotionally and physically, including telling him he should kill himself because “no one would want to be with someone as f–ked up and transgender like you.”
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one → file → you
Garner said it appeared McKinsey’s family otherwise was supportive of his decision to transition.
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family → say → decision
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The elderly couple is facing serious charges, including first-degree murder, felony conspiracy, dangerously firing a gun, and child endangerment that could’ve caused major injury or death.
uncertain
that → download → injury
Cops arrested and booked the pair in Alameda County’s Santa Rita Jail on suspicion of murder.
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Cops → arrest → murder
Chen and Zhang had a strained history with McKinsey, according to court documents.
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Chen → have → documents
Chen visited McKinsey and his wife to watch their children in 2023, a restraining order filed by McKinsey against Jang said.
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order → visit → Jang
During the visit, she noticed one of McKinsey’s sons, Wyatt, had begun asking to wear his sister Alexis’ dresses, a “phase” he was going through, McKinsey said, according to the records.
uncertain
McKinsey → notice → records
She then began allegedly berating him for the behavior, calling the young child a “disgusting queer” and a “pervert.”
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She → begin → child
Chen also allegedly hit McKinsey’s young son in the back of the head when he asked.
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he → hit → head
When McKinsey begged her to stop, Chen turned her ire to the New York Times employee, calling him the same names.
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Chen → beg → names
“She blamed me for Wyatt wanting to wear his sister’s dresses and told me to get out of ‘her house’ even though we were in the home owned by Candice and I,” McKinsey wrote.
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McKinsey → blame → Candice
In a separate incident, the father-in-law allegedly punched McKinsey in the chest after he got a double mastectomy.
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he → punch → mastectomy
Garner is prioritizing the welfare of his remaining family, including the welfare of his uncle, McKinsey’s father, William Finney II.
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Garner → prioritize → uncle
Finney, he said, is currently in Taiwan with McKinsey’s mother.
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he → say → mother
Finney posted a chilling message on McKinsey’s Facebook page a few weeks before his death, imploring his son to come back home.
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Finney → post → son
“Jon, hope everything is going well,” Finney wrote on Sept. 8.
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Finney → hope → Sept.
“Hope you can visit us when you have some free time.
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you → hope → time
Mom and Dad love you so much and miss you.
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Mom → love → you
Hope everything goes well with you and Candice and the kids.”
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everything → hope → you
Jang’s parents allegedly killed McKinsey 18 days later.
uncertain
parents → kill → McKinsey
When asked if he believed outright that the in-laws allegedly killed McKinsey to support his wife’s custody bid, Garner had a definitive answer.
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Garner → ask → answer
…and 2 more, not listed.
The Aporia
