The L.A. County Medical Examiner’s Office has identified a California Institute of the Arts student as the woman found dead Feb. 4 in her Nandina Lane apartment in Newhall.
Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station deputies found Menghan Zhuang deceased around 6:45 p.m. during a welfare check at her residence, according to an alert from the Sheriff’s Department that was sent out shortly after midnight on Feb. 5.
Homicide investigators also announced Wednesday a news conference would be held 11 a.m. Thursday at the SCV Sheriff’s Station, where they plan to release information about their person of interest in the woman’s death. There is one person sought in connection with the murder.
“Homicide Bureau is seeking the public’s help in identifying a person of interest described as a male seen entering the victim’s apartment the night before and then seen exiting from her second-story bedroom window on the afternoon of the day she was discovered deceased,” said an LASD Nixle alert released Wednesday afternoon.
Zhuang, whose preferred name was Emily King, was an undergraduate student in her fourth year at CalArts, Ann Wiens, vice president for marketing and communication for the Valencia university, confirmed via email Wednesday.
She said the campus’ community has been devastated by the news, and that dedicated grief counselors were available for students who might be struggling with what happened, in addition to CalArts’ regular mental health support.
“A memorial gathering for the campus community is being planned,” she wrote, adding that L.A. County Sheriff’s Department officials also notified college officials that there was no evidence of a threat to the campus.
King’s cause of death was listed as “multiple injuries,” although there were no specifics given in the medical examiner’s initial online posting. There was no other contributing cause listed.
Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau officials confirmed she rented the apartment with a male roommate.
The roommate is not believed to be connected to the murder, according to Homicide Lt. Mike Modica.
Modica said no arrests had been made as of Friday, but the investigation was very active, and that no information was being released yet regarding any possible motive or means in the murder.
Neither Modica nor the Sheriff’s Information Bureau were immediately available for comment Wednesday.
Detectives could be seen at the residence throughout the night on Feb. 4 and most of the following day.
Anyone with information about this incident can contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500. If you prefer to provide information anonymously, you may call “Crime Stoppers” by dialing (800) 222-TIPS (8477), use your smartphone by downloading the “P3 Tips” Mobile APP on Google play or the Apple App Store or by using the website http://lacrimestoppers.org.
