CA couple accused of killing son-in-law at park charged with murder: New details on arrest revealed

DUBLIN, Calif. -- A California couple has been charged with murder after authorities say they shot their son-in-law to death Saturday in a public park, days before he and the couple's daughter were set for a hearing in a bitter divorce case.

The couple, both 77, were due in court Wednesday for an arraignment on the charges. The Associated Press was not able to reach an attorney for the couple prior to the court appearance. Their daughter could not be reached, though she appeared virtually at Wednesday's hearing.

Jonathan McKinsey, a 40-year-old gaming engineer for The New York Times, was shot to death in the parking lot of a sports complex in Dublin, 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, who were still near the scene, Dublin Police Services said in a news release.

RELATED: Dublin man allegedly killed by 77-year-old in-laws was New York Times engineering director

Surveillance footage recovered at the scene showed both suspects shooting McKinsey, according to court documents. Authorities recovered multiple firearms while detaining the couple and searching their car, a black Honda Civic.

Records also indicate that the 77-year-old man later confessed to the murder while being interviewed by police.

The couple faces additional charges of conspiracy, negligent discharge of a firearm and child endangerment — due to children being present at a crowded park when the shooting occurred.

Court records show McKinsey's killing came during a contentious divorce with his wife 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 his wife and her parents were verbally and physically abusive regarding a gender transition he underwent years ago.

In his petition for a protection order, McKinsey alleged that his mother-in-law had directed anti-LGBTQ slurs at him and his oldest child.

RELATED: Dublin man allegedly shot, killed by in-laws suffered anti-trans abuse, court records reveal

He also accused his wife of being physically and emotionally abusive during medical procedures related to his transition. He alleged that one of his in-laws punched him in the chest while he was recovering from double mastectomy surgery.

Victim had been charged with misdemeanor child abuse

McKinsey was arrested last October and charged with misdemeanor child abuse for allegedly hitting their oldest son. Police said he acknowledged having slapped the child. Prosecutors also charged him with endangering their youngest child after deputies responded to the family’s home to talk with him and found their 2-year-old had been left home alone, according to court documents.

RELATED: Documents reveal child abuse, domestic violence claims of Dublin man allegedly killed by in-laws

McKinsey pleaded not guilty to the charges and alleged in court records that he had been set up by his wife, who had left the house without telling him the child was sleeping in a crib upstairs. He was released from jail on the condition that he complete 12 parenting classes. At the time of his killing, McKinsey was out on bail and had been trying to enter a mental health diversion program.

It was also in October that McKinsey's wife obtained a domestic violence protection order against McKinsey.

The wife said in her filing that in 2010 McKinsey had grabbed her by the forearms during one argument and caused her to hit the corner of a coffee table, fracturing a vertebra in her upper back. She also said that in 2023 she called the police to their home after McKinsey pushed their oldest son hard on the head. The wife also accused McKinsey of emotionally abusing her mother.

Victim filed a competing protective order request

McKinsey in December filed his own request for domestic violence protection against his wife, alleging years of abuse that included her hitting him in the head with a frying pan. He later filed for divorce and sought more time with the three children, noting that he had been limited to two hours of supervised visits per week since last fall, Alameda County court documents show.

In late August, McKinsey was granted unsupervised visits in public twice a week.

The killing occurred a week before a hearing was scheduled in McKinsey and his wife’s divorce case. The couple had been married since July 2011.

McKinsey joined The New York Times in January 2023. He was director of engineering for New York Times Games and based in the San Francisco Bay Area, the paper said. A spokesperson declined to comment further.

ABC7 Eyewitness News contributed to this report.