A man from the Bay Area is now facing multiple murder charges after being accused of the brutal slayings of his wife and mother-in-law, while his young twin daughters were nearby. The case has taken a dramatic turn with a third murder charge linked to a Los Angeles-area shooting, and his mistress is reportedly connected to all three crimes.
Howard Wang, aged 43, has been charged with the September 2025 murders of his wife, Linlin Guo, 37, and her mother, Beimin Cheng. Both victims were discovered with their throats slashed inside the couple’s Walnut Creek home.
Wang’s alleged mistress, Yan Wang, 45, faces charges as an accessory for allegedly helping to destroy evidence and misleading investigators following the murders.
Additionally, Contra Costa County prosecutors have now charged Howard Wang with the murder of his mistress’s boyfriend, which took place in Southern California a year before the other killings.
Investigators claim that Wang, along with another accomplice, planned the murder and traveled from the Bay Area to San Gabriel, where 41-year-old Chengli Li was shot and killed in June 2024.
Authorities assert that Wang orchestrated the killing and was present at the scene when the victim was fatally shot outside his home.
The suspected gunman, Demarques James Pearl, 33, has also been charged with murder.
Prosecutors say the killing was driven by Wang’s relationship with his mistress and was meant to clear the way for their relationship.
Authorities said the grisly murders in Walnut Creek came after a troubled marriage marked by alleged threats and controlling behavior.
Prosecutors claim Wang made criminal threats against his wife and tried to stop her from reporting abuse.
When police entered the home, they found Guo and her mother fatally stabbed in what investigators have described as a targeted attack.
After the killings, authorities say Wang told police an intruder was responsible, a claim investigators believe was an attempt to deflect suspicion.
Wang was later arrested and remains in custody.
Prosecutors say all three killings across Contra Costa and Los Angeles counties are expected to be prosecuted together. Pearl was scheduled to be arraigned on April 1 and Wang on April 14.
The case has also drawn attention to the couple’s 8-year-old twin daughters, who survived the attack but lost their mother.
A GoFundMe campaign created to support them was later paused after raising a very small amount.
