A couple accused of killing their son-in-law, a New York Times executive, at a California park has pleaded not guilty, while prosecutors have said the man was killed by his in-laws during a supervised visit with his children. The accused are Shili Chen and Shouyong Zhang.1,3
The New York Post reported that prosecutors describe the death as a murder carried out by the in-laws during the visit. NBC News described the case as a shooting. Neither the material reviewed for this story nor the outlets' headlines set out the charges in detail, the date of the killing, or the method beyond the shooting described by NBC News.1,2,3
The New York Post identified the victim as a New York Times executive and described him as transgender in its headline. The reports reviewed did not give his name, his title or his age, and they did not describe the work he did at the newspaper.1
The Washington Times reported that the in-laws had said the executive threatened to send a hit man after them. The Washington Times headline did not make clear who made that claim, whether it appears in a court filing, or whether investigators have confirmed it. The reports reviewed did not contain further details of the claim.2
NBC News reported that Chen and Zhang entered not guilty pleas to the charges. The reports reviewed did not say which court heard the plea, what charges the couple face, or whether they have been granted bail or have been represented by attorneys.3
The killing is said to have occurred at a park in California, according to NBC News. The New York Post described the visit as supervised. The reports did not explain who ordered the supervision, under what arrangement the visit was taking place, or how the couple came to be with the children on that day.1,3
The reports reviewed did not include statements from the New York Times, from the prosecutors' office, from the couple, or from their attorneys. Requests for comment from those parties are not reflected in the material available for this story.1,2,3
The case remains at the early stage of court proceedings following the not guilty pleas. Further hearings, any change to the charges and the timing of a trial have not been reported. The accused are entitled to the presumption of innocence unless and until a court finds otherwise.3
Further information on the case, including any court dates set by the court, is expected to come from the court record and from prosecutors as proceedings continue.1,3