Walnut Creek man charged with murdering wife, mother-in-law

WALNUT CREEK, Calif. - A 43-year-old Walnut Creek man has been charged with double murder after two women's bodies were found inside the home that they shared.

The Contra Costa County District Attorney's Office on Monday charged Howard Wang with murdering his wife, Linlin Guo, and his mother-in-law, Beimin Cheng, at their home in the 100 block Kelobra Court, according to documents released by the office.

Police were called to the home just before midnight on Thursday on reports of gunfire, and found the two women dead at the scene. 

Wang was arrested and booked into jail on suspicion of the killings that same night.

Wang is scheduled to be arraigned in court at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday. The Contra Costa County District Attorney Office said he is also charged with making criminal threats of death and great bodily injury against his wife last August, and with preventing his wife from reporting a crime to law enforcement in January  2023.

"This tragic case is a stark reminder of the devastating toll domestic violence takes — not only on the victims whose lives were lost, but on families and the community as a whole," said Contra Costa District Attorney Diana Becton. "Our office is committed to aggressively pursuing justice in this case."

If found guilty by a jury, Wang could be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.