Fundraiser launched for twin girls after Walnut Creek double homicide

(KRON) — Eight-year-old twin sisters and their family are “reeling from unimaginable grief” after a double homicide in Walnut Creek, a family friend told KRON4.

The girls’ mother, Linlin Guo, and grandmother, Beimin Cheng, were slain inside their home on Kelobra Court on September 18, according to prosecutors.

“Linlin leaves behind 8-year-old twin girls who are now without both their mother and grandmother. This is more than a tragedy. It’s a wake-up call to the silent epidemic of domestic violence. Linlin was a loving mother. Her story deserves to be heard, and her children deserve a secure future,” wrote the family friend, Lucy Chen.

A GoFundMe page is raising donations for Guo and Cheng’s funerals, as well as living and education expenses to support the twin girls.

Police and prosecutors said the killer was Guo’s husband, 43-year-old Howard Wang. When officers arrived at the home and found the bodies, Wang and two young children were still inside the house, according to police.

Guo’s daughters meant everything to her, and she was in the process of leaving a troubled marriage, Chen said. “She told me that her marriage was painful. She wanted to get out,” Chen said. Guo recently obtained a license to earn money by running a beauty services business at home.

“She wanted to be strong, independent,” Chen said.

The GoFundMe is also raising money for legal expenses over child custody because the 8-year-old sisters are currently in foster care, Chen said. “At this point they are the most important people we are trying to help,” she said.

An Oakland woman, 45-year-old Yan Wang, is accused of helping Howard Wang cover up evidence of the homicides. Yan Wang and Howard Wang are not related, and they were having an affair leading up to the killings, according to investigators.

“Howard Wang was married to Linlin Guo but was in a romantic relationship with Yan Wang,” the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office wrote.

On October 8, Howard Wang pleaded not guilty to murdering his wife and mother-in-law. He is being held in jail without bail, court records show.

“What happened inside of that home has left the family shattered,” District Attorney Diana Becton said.

Yan Wang is charged with accessory after the fact, destroying evidence, and burglary, court records show. Investigators said she destroyed cellphones to cover up evidence on the same day of the homicides. The following day, she broke into the married couple’s house, entered the crime scene, and stole items from the home, court documents state. Yan Wang also pleaded not guilty.

If convicted, the husband could face life in prison without the possibility of parole. He is scheduled to return to court on December 12 to set a date for his preliminary hearing.