A Homicide Bureau detective with the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department confirmed the arrest of their lone suspect in the murder of Emily King, in a phone interview Thursday.
Lt. Michael Modica said Jack Minh Terry, 22, of Garden Grove, was arrested Feb. 16 as the result of an investigation by Homicide, with assistance from the department’s Major Crimes Bureau, which surveilled Terry prior to his arrest.
Detectives believe Terry murdered Emily King, whose given name was Menghan Zhuang, a 23-year-old Chinese national who was a fourth-year student at California Institute of the Arts. King was found dead in her apartment around 6:45 p.m. Feb. 4 by her roommate in the Nandina Lane apartment they shared.
Detectives said early on that the roommate was not a suspect, releasing only a blurry surveillance photo of the man they believe is Terry. Detectives said Thursday that Terry matched the person in the photo.
Detectives previously said they believe the murderer entered King’s apartment with her the day before she was killed and then was seen leaving her bedroom window on the second floor hours before her body was found.
Shortly after the murder, the initial lack of information available to detectives about what happened prompted a $20,000 reward that county leaders authorized for information leading to the arrest of King’s murderer.
Modica said that while the reward led to a lot of information, he ultimately believed detectives were able to track down Terry without the tips. He also said detectives confirmed their prior suspicion that the suspect and the victim knew each other, but he declined to state the nature of their relationship.
Prosecutors presented one count of murder against Terry on Feb. 19, he was held to answer, and pleaded not guilty at a preliminary arraignment in Department S of the San Fernando courthouse, according to L.A. County Superior Court records available online.
He’s due back in court March 27 for a scheduling of his preliminary hearing. At a preliminary hearing, the evidence is presented to a judge who decides whether there’s enough to merit a trial.
Homicide detectives questioned Terry, who was described in LASD custody records as 5 feet, 8 inches and 128 pounds with black hair and brown eyes.
Sheriff’s deputies did not release how Terry was tracked down, because it was part of an active case that had been presented to the District Attorney’s Office. Modica said Terry had been questioned but declined to release any details from the interview for the same reason.
