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The Murder of Menghan Zhuang
● Suspect Charged — Awaiting Trial
CalArts Senior — International Student
Newhall, California
February 4, 2025
Menghan Zhuang (Emily King)
| Full Name | Menghan Zhuang |
| Also Known As | Emily King |
| Age | 23 |
| Nationality | Chinese national |
| School | California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) |
| Year | Senior — planning to graduate 2025 |
| Date of Death | February 4, 2025 |
About the Victim
Menghan Zhuang
Menghan Zhuang was 23 years old, a Chinese national living in the United States on a student visa. She was a senior at the California Institute of the Arts, a prestigious arts college in Valencia, California, where she studied fine art. To the people who knew her in her daily life, she also went by the name Emily King, the name she preferred among friends, classmates, and community. She had come to the United States to pursue her education and was weeks away from graduating when she was killed.
CalArts remembered her publicly as a talented artist and beloved classmate. In a statement released after her death, the school said she would be deeply missed by everyone who knew her. Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Chair Kathryn Barger described her death as brutal and tragic, adding that Menghan's young life and bright future ended too soon.
Her family, who remained in China, was connected to investigators through CalArts, which the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department credited for being instrumental in facilitating that communication in the earliest days of the investigation.
01
Background
What We Know
On the evening of February 3, 2025, Menghan Zhuang arrived at her condominium at the Vistas complex on Nandina Lane in Newhall with a male companion. The following afternoon, surveillance footage captured that same man climbing out of her second-story bedroom window. On February 4, 2025, at approximately 6:45 PM, her roommate called 911 after finding Menghan unresponsive. Deputies and first responders arrived and found her with multiple injuries to her upper body. She was pronounced dead at the scene. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department later confirmed that her roommate is not a suspect and has cooperated fully with investigators.
Investigators determined from the outset that this was not a random act of violence. Menghan and the man she brought home were known to each other. The nature of their relationship has not been publicly disclosed. Surveillance footage of the man exiting through the window was released to the public on February 13, 2025, along with a request for help identifying him. Los Angeles County offered a $20,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.
On February 16, 2025, LASD Homicide Bureau detectives, assisted by the Major Crimes Bureau, located and arrested Jack Minh Terry, 22, of Garden Grove in Orange County. The case was presented to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office on February 19, and Terry was charged with murder. He has been held without bail since his arrest.
02
Case Timeline
How It Unfolded
February 3, 2025 — Evening
Menghan Arrives Home With a Male Companion
Menghan Zhuang arrived at her condominium at the Vistas complex in Newhall accompanied by a man investigators later identified as Jack Minh Terry. The two were known to each other. Their relationship has not been publicly disclosed.
February 4, 2025 — Afternoon
Surveillance Footage Captures Man Exiting Through Window
Security footage recorded a man climbing out of Menghan's second-story bedroom window. This footage would later be central to the investigation and to the public identification of the suspect.
February 4, 2025 — 6:45 PM
Roommate Calls 911 — Menghan Found Dead
After Menghan failed to respond to several messages, her roommate found her unresponsive in the bathroom of their shared apartment. Deputies responded to the 911 call and found her with multiple injuries to her upper body. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Her roommate was ruled out as a suspect.
February 13, 2025
LASD Releases Surveillance Images — Public Appeal Issued
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department held a press conference and released stills from the surveillance footage, asking the public to help identify the man seen exiting Menghan's window. Los Angeles County offered a $20,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.
February 16, 2025
Jack Minh Terry Arrested in Garden Grove
LASD Homicide Bureau detectives, assisted by the Major Crimes Bureau, located and arrested Jack Minh Terry, 22, of Garden Grove near his residence in Orange County. He was taken into custody without incident. Investigators had been surveilling Terry prior to his arrest.
February 19, 2025
Murder Charge Filed — Held Without Bail
The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office charged Terry with murder. He was held without bail at the North County Correctional Facility in Castaic. An initial court appearance was scheduled for March 27, 2025, at San Fernando Superior Court.
July 2025 — Ongoing
Preliminary Hearing Stage — Awaiting Trial
As of July 2025, the case was before Judge Pamela Usher at San Fernando Superior Court for preliminary hearing proceedings. The prosecution was presenting its evidence for the court to determine whether sufficient cause exists to proceed to trial. Terry remains in custody without bail.
03
Investigation
The Investigation
The investigation was led by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Homicide Bureau, with assistance from the department's Major Crimes Bureau, which surveilled Terry prior to his arrest. Investigators moved quickly, arresting Terry just 12 days after Menghan's body was discovered. The specific nature of Menghan's injuries and the exact cause of death have not been publicly released, consistent with an ongoing prosecution where evidentiary details are preserved for trial.
The relationship between Menghan and Terry has not been disclosed by investigators beyond the confirmation that the two knew each other. The motive remains under investigation. Authorities have been explicit that this was not a random act of violence, and that Menghan brought Terry into her home herself, indicating some level of prior acquaintance or connection.
CalArts played an important role in the early investigation, helping law enforcement connect with Menghan's family in China. Her family was unable to come to the United States immediately, and the school served as a liaison in those critical early days. The case is currently in preliminary hearing proceedings before San Fernando Superior Court, where the court will determine whether the evidence is sufficient to bring Terry to trial.
Surveillance Footage — Person of Interest
Jack Minh Terry — Surveillance stills released by LASD, February 2025
04
Suspect Information
Arrest and Charges
Charged Suspect
Name
Jack Minh Terry
Age at Arrest
22
Residence
Garden Grove, Orange County, California
Arrested
February 16, 2025 — Garden Grove
Charges
Murder (1 count)
Custody
Held Without Bail — North County Correctional Facility, Castaic
Prosecuting Agency
Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office
Court
San Fernando Superior Court — Judge Pamela Usher
Current Case Status
As of July 2025, the case is in preliminary hearing proceedings before Judge Pamela Usher at San Fernando Superior Court. The court is evaluating whether sufficient evidence exists to bring the case to trial. Terry remains in custody without bail. A trial date has not yet been set. This page will be updated as proceedings continue.
05
In Her Memory
She Is Not Forgotten
Menghan Zhuang was 23 years old. She had traveled to the United States from China to study art at one of the most prestigious arts institutions in the country. She was weeks from the finish line. She had a name she shared with friends, Emily King, and a name that carried her family and her roots, Menghan Zhuang. She was both.
She was killed in the home she shared with a roommate, in the hours between an evening spent with someone she knew and a morning her roommate hoped she would answer her messages. She did not get to graduate. She did not get to go home. Her family, thousands of miles away, learned what happened through a school that made sure they were not left out of the process entirely.
CalArts called her a talented artist and a beloved classmate. That is not enough to hold a life in. But it is something. Menghan Zhuang deserved to finish what she came here to do. She deserved to go home. She is not forgotten.
Sources
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department — Press Releases, February & March 2025 | NBC Los Angeles — Arrest of Jack Minh Terry, March 2025 | CBS Los Angeles — Murder Charge Filed, March 2025 | ABC7 / KABC — Arrest Coverage, March 2025 | Fox News — Arrest and Background, March 2025 | KTLA — $20,000 County Reward, February 2025 | Signal SCV — Preliminary Hearing Set, July 2025 | Gold Rush Cam / Sierra Sun Times — LASD Official Statement, March 2025
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