Suspect’s Death Not Closure for Lin Family

Jenny Lin’s family and the Alameda County Sheriff’s Department want the community to know that the case remains open in her 1994 killing. The public’s help is still needed in the ongoing investigation, despite the death of a man once considered a suspect in the case.

“We found evidence clearing him,” said ACSO Sgt. Ray Kelly.

“Our top priority is to the Lin family, and we don’t want the public to think it’s all settled now that a former suspect died,” Kelly continued.

“We still need the public’s help, and our investigation of who killed Jenny Lin continues,” Kelly said. “The family wants to keep this in the public’s mind, and so do we.”

Lin, a brilliant student and musician at Canyon Middle School, was killed in her Castro Valley home two days after her 14th birthday and a few hours after returning home from school on the Friday of Memorial Day weekend, May 27.

Sheriff’s deputies took away bags of evidence and talked to neighbors and many people who knew the victim. Nobody saw anything unusual and the evidence has so far not identified a suspect, according to the family.

Police in Oregon soon arrested a man, Sebastian Alexander Shaw, who had stolen a car in San Ramon a few days after the killing and driven it to Oregon. Inside they found what they termed a “murder kit” of items sometimes used to kidnap and murder victims.

Oregon authorities investigated Shaw further and discovered he had murdered three people in Oregon. He also boasted of killing another 10 to 12, including one in California, but he refused to provide details or names. 

Shaw was sentenced to three life terms and died in prison on Oct. 3 at age 53 from undisclosed causes. 

Alameda County authorities immediately investigated Shaw after that initial arrest, and at one time he was considered a suspect. However, prosecutors at the time dropped the case, saying there was not enough evidence to link Shaw to Lin’s killing.

John Lin, Jenny’s father, said “We are very much in need of the public’s information.”

Jenny’s mother, Mei-Lian Lin, said “Someone might have seen or heard something that day. Perhaps they were too young, or too scared, to share the information at that time.”

“People look at things differently as they get older. Perhaps with maturity they’re now able to come forward,” she added.

Mrs. Lin also puts hope into a new DNA lab the Sheriff’s Department is currently building that would allow for more sensitive tests on evidence. 

“Our family and other victims’ families, I’m sure, are awaiting more advanced testing being done that might help solve these crimes, she said.

The Lin family urged anyone with information, or who now remembers something they saw or heard that day, to contact the Sheriff’s department at (510) 667-7721 or the Jenny Lin Foundation at (855) 4-JENNY-LIN. Callers can remain anonymous if they wish. They can also email jhlin@sbcglobal.net. 

There is a reward offered of $10,000 for information leading to the arrest of a suspect, and $100,000 leading to the arrest of Jenny’s murderer, the Lins said.

Jenny is remembered in Castro Valley partly through the foundation that bears her name. It hosts an annual memorial event promoting safety, and provides a summer training program for young musicians followed by their giving a free community concert. Its website is at https://jennylinfoundation.org.

The program, which uses school facilities and thus must follow health guidelines, was forced online by the pandemic. John Lin is hopeful it will return to in-person in 2022 and that the concert will return as well.

“Our fingers are crossed,” he said.