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

The attorney for Shili Chen, charged alongside her husband Shouyong Zhang in the killing of their son-in-law Jonathan McKinsey, announced on Thursday that she intends to plead not guilty. Both 77-year-olds appeared briefly in court to request additional time before formally entering their pleas. Prosecutors allege that both Chen and Zhang shot McKinsey to death in a California park on Saturday, days before McKinsey and the couple's daughter were set to appear in a divorce and custody hearing.

Curtis Briggs, assigned to Chen's defense, expressed concerns in court documents that McKinsey was violent and dangerous. Jennie Otis, representing Zhang, requested a medical evaluation for her client. Both defendants required Mandarin interpreters in court. McKinsey, a 40-year-old gaming engineer for The New York Times, was killed in a Dublin parking lot, where police found a gun in Chen's possession and another in the vehicle he admitted using during the crime.

Surveillance footage allegedly shows both Chen and Zhang shooting the victim. McKinsey's killing occurred during a contentious divorce and custody battle with his wife, Candice Jang, and a history of abuse allegations.