SAN FRANCISCO On October 20, Stephanie Ching pleaded guilty to being an accessory after the fact and desecration of human remains in the murder of her 73-year-old father, Benedict Ching.
She received a suspended sentence of three years in prison and one-year jail sentence. The family told the San Francisco Chronicle Stephanie has been in jail for 17 months and was credited with time served.
In 2019, the San Francisco News previously reported a co-worker contacted a family member of Mr. Ching to alert her that he did not show up for work on May 18. On May 20 at approximately 11:40 a.m., officers from the Ingleside Station accompanied Benedict’s family member to his home for a well-being check.
After her father’s remains were found inside the refrigerator of his home, Stephane, 36, and her husband, Douglas Lomas, 45, fled to Beijing, China with their two children. With the help of federal Homeland Security, SFPD extradited the suspects back to San Francisco.
Law enforcement also found cardboard and plastic lining the walls and tub, which contained a bloody circular saw. According to the prosecution, officers stumbled across plastic sheeting, rolls of duct tape, latex gloves, and other tools inside the home.
Based on evidence, the motive for the killing was unclear and there were issues establishing which of the defendants did what.
Lomas pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and was sentenced to six years in prison.
