Attorney says woman will plead not guilty in killing of son-in-law at California park

(AP) — The attorney for a Northern California woman who was charged along with her husband in the killing of their son-in-law said Thursday that she plans to plead not guilty and focus her defense on the abuse allegedly perpetrated by the victim. Shili Chen and her husband Shouyong Zhang, both 77, appeared in court briefly to ask the judge for more time before entering formal pleas. They were both charged Wednesday with murder after authorities say they both shot their son-in-law, Jonathan McKinsey, to death Saturday in a public park.

The killing came days before he and the couple’s daughter were set for a hearing in a bitter divorce and custody case. Curtis Briggs, a court-appointed attorney assigned Thursday to Chen’s defense, said the court documents he has reviewed raised concerns that McKinsey was rageful and could not control his temper. McKinsey was extremely violent and dangerous to his family,” he said.

Jennie Otis, a public defender representing Zhang, asked the judge on Thursday that he be medically evaluated, though she did not say for what. Both required Mandarin interpreters in the courtroom. McKinsey, a 40-year-old gaming engineer for The New York Times, was killed in the parking lot of a sports complex in Dublin, a city east of San Francisco.

A police sergeant was driving nearby and saw him on the ground as witnesses began calling 911 and pointing out the couple in their vehicle, who were still near the scene, Dublin Police Services said in a news release. Police detained the couple as they were driving away in the parking lot and found a gun in Chen’s possession. Prosecutors said Zhang admitted to shooting McKinsey during a later interview, and another firearm was found in the car that he admitted to using during the crime.

Prosecutors also said surveillance video was recovered showing both Chen and Zhang shooting the victim. Court records show McKinsey’s killing came during a contentious divorce with his wife, Candice Jang, and a custody battle over the couple’s three young children. In petitions for restraining orders filed last year, the couple accused each other of physical, emotional and psychological abuse going back more than a decade.

McKinsey, who is transgender, alleged that both Jang and her parents were verbally and physically abusive regarding a gender transitio… McKinsey was extremely violent and dangerous to his family,” he said.Jennie Otis, a public defender representing Zhang, asked the judge on Thursday that he be medically evaluated, though she did not say for what. Otis declined to comment.Both required Mandarin interpreters in the courtroom.McKinsey, a 40-year-old gaming engineer for The New York Times, was killed in the parking lot of a sports complex in Dublin, a city east of San Francisco.