hether the attack was fueled by transphobia, as McKinsey was a transgender man. McKinsey had previously alleged in a restraining order request that his mother-in-law used transphobic slurs against his child and him.

Briggs quashed that theory.

 That's not the case at all,  Briggs said.  They seem to have been fairly supportive. 

Featured article

Defense points to abuse allegations

Briggs quickly shifted the narrative off his client and onto McKinsey, pointing to messy divorce filings between the victim and his wife. McKinsey's wife was previously granted a temporary restraining order against him.

 If the court documents are true, he was extremely rageful, could not control his temper, abused his wife so badly, at one point he fractured her spine, abused the kids so badly that a court in Alameda County had to send him to parenting classes,  Briggs said.  McKinsey had a reputation [of] terrorizing his family, extremely violent, volatile, rageful, and he was a dangerous person. 

According to the East Bay Times, McKinsey and his wife were due back in court this Friday.

McKinsey, the head engineer of games player experience for The New York Times, was shot and killed a week before at the Dublin Sports Grounds.

Prosecutors have not revealed a motive and Briggs said he could not comment extensively on the allegations because the case is in its preliminary stages. However, he did speak about the love between Chen and her husband.

 The moment I saw in court right now was two elderly grandparents who love each other very much,  Briggs said.  There was a moment when the interpreter went to hand my client an earpiece and she couldn't get it on. And there was this endearing moment where her husband reached over and put it on for her. And I just thought, wow, this is completely inconsistent with what the allegations are. 

Editor's Note: KTVU is not naming Jonathan McKinsey's wife because she has not been charged with a crime.