NYT Engineer's Mother-In-Law Accused of Murder Says He Hired a 'Hit Man,' Her Defence Lawyer Claims

The defence lawyer for Chen, the 77-year-old woman accused of murdering New York Times Games engineering director McKinsey, said on Monday that McKinsey had threatened her life, including through a purported hit-man arrangement.

Briggs made the allegation outside the Alameda County courthouse in Dublin, California, after Chen and her husband, Shouyong Zhang, also 77, pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder charges. Prosecutors allege the couple shot McKinsey, 40, on 26 September in the car park of Dublin Sports Grounds, where he had been attending a court-ordered visit with his three children.

Briggs said witnesses had described at least three occasions on which McKinsey allegedly threatened Chen. One involved a hit man, he said, while two more recent incidents involved comments that McKinsey would 'get rid of her.' The claims have not been established in court, and the allegation does not by itself establish that anyone was hired to kill Chen.

Defence Portrays Couple as Protective Grandparents

Briggs has argued that Chen and Zhang did not plan the shooting, saying they were worried about their grandchildren's safety. He described Chen as a devoted live-in caregiver and said the couple were not 'cold-blooded killers'.

Prosecutors, however, allege that the couple acted together and lay in wait for McKinsey. Investigators said Chen had a gun when she was arrested and that a second firearm was found in the couple's car. Briggs said the pair bought two guns in March for protection against McKinsey.

The defence account remains untested, as does the prosecution's allegation of a planned killing. Both defendants have pleaded not guilty and remain accused, not convicted.

Turbulent Divorce and Competing Abuse Claims

McKinsey and his estranged wife, Candice Jang, 46, were involved in a contentious divorce and custody dispute over their three children. Court filings included competing allegations of physical and emotional abuse.

Jang alleged that she and the children had experienced physical, verbal and emotional abuse from McKinsey, and that her mother had experienced emotional abuse. McKinsey made his own allegations against Jang and her parents, including claims of anti-transgender abuse connected to his gender transition. Those claims, too, remain allegations rather than findings of fact.

McKinsey, a transgender man, had sought a restraining order against Jang and filed for divorce in December 2025, according to court records cited in local reporting. Jang had also sought a restraining order. McKinsey was arrested in 2025 and pleaded not guilty to misdemeanour child-abuse charges relating to allegations involving one of the couple's children.

The family history is part of the legal context, but prosecutors have not publicly established a motive for the fatal shooting. Jang has not been charged in connection with McKinsey's death.

Murder Charges, 'Lying in Wait' Allegation and Upcoming Hearings

Chen and Zhang face first-degree murder charges, along with a special-circumstance allegation of lying in wait and firearm-related allegations. If convicted, they could face life in prison without the possibility of parole, according to the Alameda County District Attorney's Office.

A bail hearing for Chen and Zhang was scheduled for 4 November, followed by a pre-trial hearing on 23 November, NBC Bay Area reported. Briggs has indicated he intends to seek Chen's release, arguing that her age and frailty make detention difficult.

A judge has ordered criminal case records unsealed, allowing more details about the investigation and the competing family allegations to emerge. Those documents and the forthcoming hearings may clarify what evidence prosecutors intend to rely on and how the defence plans to challenge the claim that the killing was premeditated.

McKinsey was the engineering director for The New York Times Games and the father of three children. The charges against Chen and Zhang remain allegations, and the claims made by their lawyer about McKinsey's alleged threats have not been adjudicated.