The family and friends of Jianqin Zhang, 53, are grieving the tragic and untimely loss of a beloved daughter, friend, and community member whose life was taken in a violent act in Eagan, Minnesota, in 2023. Jianqin, originally from China, had come to the United States seeking opportunity, connection, and a brighter future. Her passing has left a deep void in the hearts of those who knew and loved her, both here and abroad.
On October 12, 2023, police were called to an Eagan hotel shortly before midnight after a staff member discovered an unconscious woman in one of the rooms. Responding officers found Jianqin lying face down on the bed, unresponsive. Despite the efforts of emergency personnel, she was pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigators later determined that she had been strangled. According to court records, Philip Jedidiah Wong, 27, of Little Canada, admitted to killing Jianqin following a dispute during their encounter. Wong told police he believed she was still alive when he left, but an autopsy confirmed that her death was the direct result of strangulation.
This week, the Dakota County Attorney’s Office announced that Wong had been sentenced to 240 months (20 years) in prison for Jianqin’s murder, with credit for 658 days already served. While the sentence brings a measure of legal closure, it cannot undo the heartbreak her loved ones have endured.
Jianqin’s life was far more than the circumstances of her death. Those who knew her remember a woman of quiet strength, kindness, and resilience. She had an independent spirit and a gentle presence that made people feel at ease. Friends describe her as someone who faced life’s challenges with grace and determination, often putting the needs of others before her own.
Her passing is not just a loss to her family and friends, but also to the communities she touched during her time in the United States. She leaves behind loved ones in China who now mourn her from afar, aching for the daughter and friend they will never again see or embrace.
Though justice has been served in the legal sense, her death serves as a sobering reminder of the violence that can abruptly end a life filled with dreams and promise. Jianqin Zhang will be remembered not for the tragic way she left this world, but for the kindness she showed, the connections she made, and the quiet strength she carried throughout her life.
Her loved ones will carry her memory forward, honoring her in the way she lived — with dignity, warmth, and a generous heart.
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