TheMorningStar
March 23rd, 2009, 06:08 PM
Victim:Timothy MacNeil
http://www.10news.com/2007/0720/13728189.jpg
Nathanial Gann
http://www.sandiego6.com/media/news/3/e/d/3ed35d43-0604-4468-a2c9-605d850058da/Original.jpg
Brae Hansen with her attorney
http://media.signonsandiego.com/img/photos/2009/03/23/UTI14176821_t350.jpg?1640fae913a1dac1b26c7eb88806b 9f9b0341305
Background
Nathaniel Gann and Brae Hansen, now 19 and 18, respectively, are accused in the death last July 19 of Timothy MacNeil, a 63-year-old criminal defense attorney.
Gann, the alleged gunman, could face the death penalty if convicted. His sister faces a penalty of up to life in prison without parole if found guilty because she was 17 at the time of the killing.
A trial date could be set on Feb. 7, when the siblings are scheduled to be arraigned in Superior Court.
Deputy District Attorney George Bennett told Judge Kerry Wells that Hansen told police the truth when she said she planned with her brother -- who lived in Arizona -- to kill their stepfather because she was angry with him.
"The bottom line is they set this man up," the prosecutor said. "They were waiting for him and left him virtually defenseless and blasted him."
Bennett called the defendants a couple of "cold-blooded murderers" who acted in a vicious way for no reason.
According to Hansen's original account, the intruder asked MacNeil for the combination to a safe, but he refused and she heard what sounded like a struggle, then a gunshot, and turned around to see the suspect shoot her stepfather again in the face, San Diego police Detective Maria Rivera testified.
Hansen told the detective that since her hands were tied, she used her tongue to call 911 and told the operator, "My dad's been shot. I think he's dead. I'm tied up," the detective testified Tuesday.
Before leaving, the suspect took a watch, ring and cell phone from Hansen, she told the detective.
After the first interview at police headquarters, Rivera said she took Hansen to her aunt and uncle's home in La Mesa.
Rick MacNeil, the victim's brother, and his wife told Rivera that the victim would have given any intruder the information they were seeking if he was being held at gunpoint.
Rivera said she talked to Hansen again at the urging of Rick and Bonnie MacNeil.
The detective said Hansen changed her story to say the suspect cut a zip tie from her wrist so she could pull down her stepfather's zipper, then retied her wrists after she performed the task.
Hansen then blurted out, "Nathan tied my wrists," Rivera testified. The girl then stopped herself and said she meant the suspect tied her hands, according to the detective.
Upon further questioning, Hansen told Rivera that she had a brother named Nathan who lived with his grandmother in Arizona. Hansen denied mentioning the name Nathan, then said she did say it but didn't mean her brother, Rivera said.
Gann's attorney, Ricardo Garcia, argued there was no physical evidence tying his client to the crime and there was no reason Gann would have left his home in Arizona to kill his stepfather in San Diego.
Garcia claimed Hansen was angry at MacNeil because he had chosen a new girlfriend over her and was trying to force her out of his life.
The attorney said Hansen lied to detectives when she implicated her brother in the slaying.
"If her mouth is moving, she's lying," Garcia told the judge.
http://www.10news.com/news/15015154/detail.html#
Update 12:14 p.m. March 23, 2009
Bennett told jurors that Hansen lived with MacNeil since she was a little girl and he treated her as if she were his biological daughter. He took her on trips all over the world, he said.
The day of the shooting, police found her with her hands tied behind her back and did not initially consider her a suspect, Bennett said.
“Up until that point in time, the evidence will show that Brae Hansen had been a good actress,” Bennett said.
Hansen, he said, had told police that a masked gunman killed MacNeil. But her story changed in subsequent interviews with a police detective, he said.
“She slipped. She used a name. She called the intruder 'Nate,' ” Bennett said.
Troy Britt, Hansen's defense attorney, conceded that Hansen plotted the killing with her brother, who at one point suggested hiring a hit man.
Britt said Hansen was an “immature 17-year-old” who made a bad decision. She had been mad at MacNeil and wanted him dead, he said. However, she had a change of heart and pleaded with Gann to stop the plan, the attorney said.
Britt told jurors the issue in whether Hansen is guilty or not guilty “is her withdrawal” from the plan.
“She made a horrible decision. I'm asking for a not-guilty verdict because she wanted to get out of it,” Britt said.
http://www3.signonsandiego.com/stories/2009/mar/23/bn23hansen122446/
Her Myspace (private) http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=33961647
His Myspace (open blogs) http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=28484396
http://www.10news.com/2007/0720/13728189.jpg
Nathanial Gann
http://www.sandiego6.com/media/news/3/e/d/3ed35d43-0604-4468-a2c9-605d850058da/Original.jpg
Brae Hansen with her attorney
http://media.signonsandiego.com/img/photos/2009/03/23/UTI14176821_t350.jpg?1640fae913a1dac1b26c7eb88806b 9f9b0341305
Background
Nathaniel Gann and Brae Hansen, now 19 and 18, respectively, are accused in the death last July 19 of Timothy MacNeil, a 63-year-old criminal defense attorney.
Gann, the alleged gunman, could face the death penalty if convicted. His sister faces a penalty of up to life in prison without parole if found guilty because she was 17 at the time of the killing.
A trial date could be set on Feb. 7, when the siblings are scheduled to be arraigned in Superior Court.
Deputy District Attorney George Bennett told Judge Kerry Wells that Hansen told police the truth when she said she planned with her brother -- who lived in Arizona -- to kill their stepfather because she was angry with him.
"The bottom line is they set this man up," the prosecutor said. "They were waiting for him and left him virtually defenseless and blasted him."
Bennett called the defendants a couple of "cold-blooded murderers" who acted in a vicious way for no reason.
According to Hansen's original account, the intruder asked MacNeil for the combination to a safe, but he refused and she heard what sounded like a struggle, then a gunshot, and turned around to see the suspect shoot her stepfather again in the face, San Diego police Detective Maria Rivera testified.
Hansen told the detective that since her hands were tied, she used her tongue to call 911 and told the operator, "My dad's been shot. I think he's dead. I'm tied up," the detective testified Tuesday.
Before leaving, the suspect took a watch, ring and cell phone from Hansen, she told the detective.
After the first interview at police headquarters, Rivera said she took Hansen to her aunt and uncle's home in La Mesa.
Rick MacNeil, the victim's brother, and his wife told Rivera that the victim would have given any intruder the information they were seeking if he was being held at gunpoint.
Rivera said she talked to Hansen again at the urging of Rick and Bonnie MacNeil.
The detective said Hansen changed her story to say the suspect cut a zip tie from her wrist so she could pull down her stepfather's zipper, then retied her wrists after she performed the task.
Hansen then blurted out, "Nathan tied my wrists," Rivera testified. The girl then stopped herself and said she meant the suspect tied her hands, according to the detective.
Upon further questioning, Hansen told Rivera that she had a brother named Nathan who lived with his grandmother in Arizona. Hansen denied mentioning the name Nathan, then said she did say it but didn't mean her brother, Rivera said.
Gann's attorney, Ricardo Garcia, argued there was no physical evidence tying his client to the crime and there was no reason Gann would have left his home in Arizona to kill his stepfather in San Diego.
Garcia claimed Hansen was angry at MacNeil because he had chosen a new girlfriend over her and was trying to force her out of his life.
The attorney said Hansen lied to detectives when she implicated her brother in the slaying.
"If her mouth is moving, she's lying," Garcia told the judge.
http://www.10news.com/news/15015154/detail.html#
Update 12:14 p.m. March 23, 2009
Bennett told jurors that Hansen lived with MacNeil since she was a little girl and he treated her as if she were his biological daughter. He took her on trips all over the world, he said.
The day of the shooting, police found her with her hands tied behind her back and did not initially consider her a suspect, Bennett said.
“Up until that point in time, the evidence will show that Brae Hansen had been a good actress,” Bennett said.
Hansen, he said, had told police that a masked gunman killed MacNeil. But her story changed in subsequent interviews with a police detective, he said.
“She slipped. She used a name. She called the intruder 'Nate,' ” Bennett said.
Troy Britt, Hansen's defense attorney, conceded that Hansen plotted the killing with her brother, who at one point suggested hiring a hit man.
Britt said Hansen was an “immature 17-year-old” who made a bad decision. She had been mad at MacNeil and wanted him dead, he said. However, she had a change of heart and pleaded with Gann to stop the plan, the attorney said.
Britt told jurors the issue in whether Hansen is guilty or not guilty “is her withdrawal” from the plan.
“She made a horrible decision. I'm asking for a not-guilty verdict because she wanted to get out of it,” Britt said.
http://www3.signonsandiego.com/stories/2009/mar/23/bn23hansen122446/
Her Myspace (private) http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=33961647
His Myspace (open blogs) http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=28484396