Co-Ed Jenny Low Chang Murdered

Written by: Kenzie Desrosiers

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At approximately 8:40 a.m. on September 12, 1977, psychology professor Robert Suczek, using a key card, entered the fourth floor faculty reading room of J. Paul Leonardo Library and discovered 19-year-old SFSU student Jenny Low Chang’s lifeless body.

She had been sexually assaulted, bludgeoned with a standing ashtray, and stabbed 30 times in the chest and stomach with a half-inch knife. Near her body, investigators found her clothing and school work neatly piled.

According to Chang’s roommate, Anne Thorson, she had left their apartment around 6 p.m. the previous evening headed for a reserved study room in the basement of the SFSU library. Thorson reported Chang missing at 6 a.m. when she noticed that she had not returned home.

Authorities were left to wonder how Chang gained access to the fourth floor after it had been locked prior to her arrival. It has not been ruled out that the door was left ajar or propped open to allow unrestricted access.

Three years after Chang’s murder, her family filed a million dollar wrongful death lawsuit against the school claiming they failed to provide adequate security or police supervision on the campus. SFSU public affairs officer Don Scoble confirmed that on the night of the murder, the alarm system which detected anyone in the building after it had been secured was not working and had not been working since the previous semester.

The lawsuit also claimed that the school allowed access without proper identification while entrusting keys to personnel who shouldn’t have had them. Furthermore, it was rumored that at least two unauthorized persons had keys including 23-year-old library guard, Floyd McCoy.

A week after Chang’s murder, on September 19, McCoy’s was fired as a library guard at SFSU. On October 28, McCoy was charged with assault with a deadly weapon, assault with intent to commit rape, and false imprisonment.

The woman, whose identity has been left a secret, advertised for dates in the Berkeley Barb, and made plans to meet with a man, later identified as McCoy, on the fourth floor of the SFSU library on July 24.

When she didn’t see anyone she left. But on the ground floor, she saw a man [McCoy]. She called and made new arrangements to meet in front of 23 Collingwood Street, just four doors done from where McCoy lived.

Upon arrival, [McCoy] pulled a gun and attempted to force her inside; however, she broke free and informed the police the following day.

According to police homicide inspector Toschi, the woman picked McCoy as her assailant from a handful of pictures. During questioning, McCoy maintained his innocence and broke into tears.

On the night of Chang’s murder, McCoy was working in the library basement. While McCoy was questioned extensively about the murder, no arrests have been made.

According to friends, Chang had no romantic attachments on campus. Some people theorize that Chang could be a victim of the Zodiac killer or Rodney Alcala. However, neither theory accounts for the restricted access of the facility reading room.

While police had a suspect in mind, there was “insufficient evidence” to make an arrest. Toschi “There was a person who we thought was a good suspect. He was never charged. We spoke to him several times but we could never do anything about it. No witnesses, no physical evidence.”