A 43-year-old Walnut Creek man with an alleged history of domestic violence has now been charged with the murder of his wife and mother-in-law in the home that the three shared last week.

We learned late last week about an unusual double homicide on a quiet cul de sac in Walnut Creek, in which two women were found dead inside a home on Kelobra Court. We soon learned that a suspect had been arrested, 43-year-old Howard Wang, and that the victims were related to him, but we are now learning more of the details of the case.

Wang was charged Monday with the murder of his wife, 41-year-old Linlin Guo, and the murder of his mother-in-law, Beimin Cheng. As Bay Area News Group reports, Wang called 911 just before 11:45 pm on Thursday night, September 18, to report that his wife and mother-in-law had been stabbed and that he'd caught an intruder in the act of killing them. He said he had fired his gun and the intruder ran off.

But, according to police, Wang's story quickly fell apart. And police soon learned of a domestic violence call that had occurred on August 31 — for which Wang is now charged with making criminal threats of death and great bodily injury — and there was also some sort of domestic incident on January 7.

Two children were reportedly at home in the house at the time of the murders.

Wang is also charged with dissuading a witness, according to court records, with regard to the January incident. And there are special enhancements to the murder charges for there being multiple victims.

"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 County District Attorney Diana Becton in a statement. "Our office is committed to aggressively pursuing justice in this case."

Wang is scheduled for an arraignment on Wednesday afternoon. If found guilty, he faces a potential life sentence (or two) without the possibility of parole.

These were the first homicides to occur in Walnut Creek since November 2023.

Anyone with information about this incident is encouraged to contact the Walnut Creek Police Department at 925-943-5844, or provide information anonymously through the tip line at 925-943-5865.

Previously: Double Homicide Shocks Walnut Creek, Two Women Found Dead Inside Home

Photo via Google Street View