Minh Nguyen: Co-founder of social media site Plaxo charged with murdering ex-wife's new husband

Police say several children were at the property at the time of the shooting

The co-founder of a California social media software company has been charged with murder after police said he shot and killed his ex-wife’s new husband.

Minh Nguyen, who created social media site Plaxo with Napster pioneer Sean Parker, was arrested by police in northern Virginia after he allegedly killed Corey Mattison in the town of Ashburn. Mr Mattison’s wife, who had once been married to Mr Nguyen, was not at home at the time but several of her children were.

Reports said that Mr Nguyen is a former student of George Mason University whose career has spanned at least ten different technology start-ups, including Plaxo. Plaxo boasts 50m users in 83 countries, though its scale and user numbers are eclipsed by those of social media giants such as Facebook and Twitter.

The Washington Post said that Mr Nguyen’s LinkedIn profile lists him as an advisor to San Francisco-based sales software company ToutApp and District-based contact management firm Contactually.

Supporters have launched a website to try and raise funds for the 38-year-old’s legal fees.

“Many of us know Minh as a helpful and energized supporter in our local tech community, and loving father to his three children,” the funding page says. “He helped countless DC area start-ups get their start with invaluable advice and ideas, often taking his time to speak on panels and judging start-up competitions requesting his counsel.”

A funding page has also been separately established for Mr Nguyen’s former wife and children.