An elderly couple accused in the killing of their son-in-law in Dublin last month pleaded not guilty Monday to charges of first-degree murder with special circumstances of lying in wait.
Shili Chen and Shouyong Zhang allegedly both shot their son-in-law, 40-year-old Jonathan McKinsey, to death on Sept. 26 in the parking lot of a sports complex in Dublin.
Curtis Briggs, an attorney for Chen, said McKinsey was at the complex for a supervised visit with his children, who he shared with his estranged wife Candice Jang. Briggs claims Chen and Zhang did not premeditate the alleged crime but rather saw something that made them concerned about the safety of their grandchildren and forced them to act. Briggs did not elaborate.
“They are not cold-blooded killers,” Briggs said. “They didn’t premeditate anything. There was nothing planned. They were just concerned grandparents who were afraid for their grandchildren’s safety.”
Briggs described the couple as sweet, docile and loving grandparents. He said Chen was a live-in nanny who was devoted to her grandchildren.
McKinsey, a gaming engineer for The New York Times, and Jang were in the midst of a bitter divorce and child custody dispute, both accusing the other of physical and emotional abuse.
Briggs said McKinsey allegedly threatened to kill Chen at least three times, including once with a hitman.
Investigators said Chen had a gun on her when she was arrested. They said they found a second gun in the couple’s car.
Briggs said the couple purchased the guns in March for their own protection against McKinsey.
A bail hearing was set for Nov. 4, followed by a pre-trial hearing on Nov. 23.
