Man Sentenced for Killing Woman in Eagan Hotel Room

Aug 13

A Little Canada man has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for the 2023 killing of a woman in an Eagan hotel room.

Philip Jedidiah Wong, 27, pleaded guilty in March to second-degree intentional murder in the death of 53-year-old Jianqin Zhang.

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His plea was entered on a partial Alford basis on the element of intent, meaning he did not admit to that part of the crime but acknowledged the state’s evidence was likely sufficient for a conviction. In exchange, a first-degree manslaughter charge was dismissed at sentencing.

According to the criminal complaint, officers were called to the hotel just before midnight on Oct. 12, 2023, after a friend and a hotel employee found Zhang unresponsive. She was pronounced dead at the scene. The Hennepin County Medical Examiner determined she died from strangulation and ruled the death a homicide.

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Investigators learned Wong had been at the hotel earlier that afternoon, arriving just before 3 p.m. and leaving less than an hour later. A friend of Wong later told police he admitted that after paying Zhang for sex, she tried to blackmail him by claiming she had a hidden camera in the room. Wong allegedly told the friend he “choked her out” before searching the room and leaving.

Wong was arrested several days later. In his plea agreement, both sides recommended a downward durational departure from state sentencing guidelines, citing Wong’s remorse, the negotiated resolution, and other factors. On Wednesday, a judge sentenced him to 240 months in prison with credit for 658 days served. Under Minnesota law, he must serve two-thirds of that term in prison before becoming eligible for supervised release.

Restitution has been reserved for six months while the court reviews potential losses to the victim’s family. Authorities have not released further information on those claims.

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