In-laws plead not guilty to murdering their son-in-law, a NYT executive, at local park

The couple accused of killing their son-in-law, New York Times executive Jonathan McKinsey, pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder, a defense attorney said Monday. Defense attorney Curtis Briggs argued that his client, Shili Chen, who is married to Shouyong Zhang, did not premeditate the shooting, NBC Bay Area reported. Instead, Briggs told NBC Bay Area that the couple, both 77, acted out of concern after seeing something disturbing while their son-in-law had a supervised visit with his children. “My client was absolutely concerned for her own life and also concerned for her grandchildren,” Briggs told NBC Bay Area. Zhang is being represented by a public defender. Alameda County prosecutors say Chen and Zhang watched and waited in a parking lot in Dublin, California, to attack McKinsey, who was embroiled in a bitter divorce and custody battle with their daughter.

Briggs said that McKinsey, 40, had previously threatened Chen’s life three times through a hit man. The couple purchased firearms in March to defend themselves, Briggs said, and were moved to act last month in the parking lot of a popular park. “They are not cold-blooded killers. They didn’t premeditate anything,” Briggs told NBC Bay Area. Briggs did not elaborate on what the elderly couple witnessed that drove them to kill their son-in-law. If convicted, they could both face life in