WALNUT CREEK — A man with a history of alleged domestic abuse against his wife allegedly killed her in their home before dying of suicide, just days before a widely-publicized double homicide that shocked the local community, court records show.
On Sept. 13, police were called to check on the welfare of a couple in their 70s who hadn’t been responding to communications from family members. When officers entered the residence on Cafeto Court, they found the woman, dead, near the home’s front door and her husband dead in a bedroom closet, authorities said.
Police haven’t released the preliminary cause of death and say the coroner’s office is still investigating. But the wife had injuries that indicated she’d been killed by her husband, authorities said.
It’s unclear exactly when the deaths occurred; authorities say the wife had last been accounted for on Sept. 10, three days before the bodies were discovered. Public records indicate that police had responded to the same home twice, once in 2023 for a domestic disturbance, and once last February for a report of the man strangling his wife.
It was the first of two shocking alleged crimes in Walnut Creek during September, but this one has thus far avoided publicity. A Walnut Creek police spokesman said the department didn’t disclose the suspected murder/suicide earlier because the couple’s family requested privacy, and because the coroner’s report isn’t finished.
On Sept. 18, 43-year-old Howard Wang allegedly stabbed to death his wife, Linlin Guo, 41, and his mother-in-law, Beimin Cheng, before allegedly staging the crime scene and calling 911 to report that an intruder had killed the victims, authorities said.
Days later, a possible motive was uncovered, when 45-year-old Yan Wang — Howard Wang’s alleged mistress who coincidentally shares his last name — was arrested on suspicion of breaking back into the home to destroy evidence at Howard Wang’s behest, court records show.
If you or someone you know is struggling with feelings of depression or suicidal thoughts, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline offers free, round-the-clock support, information and resources for help. Call or text the lifeline at 988, or see the 988lifeline.org website, where chat is available.