Shanghai Woman Died In Eagan Hotel Of Strangulation: Examiner

EAGAN, MN — The Hennepin County Medical Examiner on Monday released the autopsy report of a woman killed at an Eagan hotel.

Jianqin Zhang, 53 — of Shanghai City, China — died just before midnight at the Microtel Inn & Suites of strangulation on Oct. 12 and the manner of death was homicide, the examiner ruled.

Criminal charges were filed in Zhang's death on Oct. 30. Philip J. Wong, 25, of Little Canada faces second-degree murder and first-degree manslaughter. If convicted, he faces up to 40 years in prison.

Wong is being held at the Dakota County Jail on $750,000 bail.

On Oct. 12 just before midnight, Eagan police responded to a hotel on a report of an unresponsive woman. A hotel worker and a concerned friend found the woman, 53-year-old Jianqin Zhang, face down on the bed and cold to the touch, according to authorities.

She was pronounced dead at the scene and an investigation from the Hennepin County Medical Examiner revealed petechiae on Zhang's eyes, mouth, lips, and scalp and hemorrhaging on her neck, according to authorities.

There were no other outward signs of physical injury and an autopsy did not detect the presence of any controlled substances in the woman's system, police said.

The concerned friend was asked by an "organization" to check on Zhang — a sex worker — because they had not heard from her for a while, police said.

A member of the "organization" knew a client arrived at the hotel at about 3 p.m. earlier that day and that a message came from Zhang's phone at 3:39 p.m. stating that the client had left the hotel room, according to the criminal complaint.

However, Zhang was not responding to her phone, authorities said.

During the investigation, the concerned friend gave police a phone number for the client, whom authorities identified as Wong.

Surveillance video from the hotel showed Wong entering the building at 2:54 p.m. wearing an Atlanta Falcons hat and leaving the hotel at 3:48 p.m., police said.

Officers spoke with a hotel housekeeper, who said she entered Zhang's room around 4:30 p.m. that day to empty the garbage cans, and when no one answered, she entered with her key card.

The housekeeper saw a woman on the bed and immediately left the room, according to the criminal complaint.

Zhang was the only registered guest of her room and her reservation was for 15 nights, from Sept. 30 to Oct. 14, prosecutors said.

Keycard access to the room was reviewed and the room was entered with a key card only three times on Oct. 12, according to police:

• The room was accessed at 4:41 p.m. which coincides with a housekeeper entering the room
• The room was accessed at 10:56 p.m. which coincides with another hotel employee entering the room
• Finally, the room was entered at 11:56 p.m. which coincides with the concerned friend and a hotel employee entering the room and finding Zhang

According to the criminal complaint, a search warrant was executed on the hotel room and investigators found multiple cell phones, a large amount of used and unused condoms, a locked wallet, a SIM card taped to a white card, sheets with suspected blood on them, various pill bottles, food, clothing, and an Atlanta Falcons hat.

In a police interview, Wong told police he arrived at the hotel in Eagan on Oct. 12 to receive a massage and cuddle based on an online ad he responded to, according to the criminal complaint.

Wong said he went to Zhang's room, paid her $200, and after the message he paid her an extra $50 to have sex with her, investigators said.

According to the criminal complaint, Wong told officers after he was done, he took a shower and left the hotel, forgetting his hat.

Later that night, Wong said he received a phone call from someone associated with the "organization" who said Zhang was dead, the criminal complaint continued.

Wong told police that he did not believe this and thought it was only a scam to get more money from him, investigators said.

On Oct. 20, officers obtained a statement from a friend and roommate Wong.

"Witness 3 advised the officers Defendant told her the following," the criminal complaint states.

"After he and the Victim finished having sex, the Victim attempted to blackmail him. The Victim told Defendant she had a hidden camera in the room and requested more money. In response, Defendant 'choked her out,' but he believed she was still breathing. Defendant then searched the room for the hidden camera, and left when the Victim’s phone rang."

Editor's note: A previous version of this article was updated for clarification.