Before the tragic events unfolded, 63-year-old Timothy MacNeil, a respected defense lawyer from San Diego, had recently started dating someone new. This did not sit well with his stepdaughter, Brae Hansen, especially since MacNeil missed a birthday lunch to spend time with his new partner. Hansen’s frustration and resentment might have been factors that led to the horrifying murder of her stepfather.
On July 19, 2007, at around noon, police received an urgent call from Hansen. She reported that a masked intruder had tied her and her father up before shooting him dead in their family game room, which had a pool table. When the police arrived at their home on Marraco Drive in the upscale Rolando neighborhood of San Diego, they found MacNeil’s lifeless body on the floor, surrounded by blood. He wasn’t wearing pants, and a zip tie was nearby. Hansen was also found tied up and crying, claiming that she saw the killer run out the back door. Authorities searched the area and discovered a gun and some black clothing hidden in a nearby tree.
Initially, Hansen was seen as a victim. However, inconsistencies in her story caught the police’s attention. For instance, she claimed she used her tongue to dial 911 and that her stepfather had called the killer “Nathan,” which was also her brother’s name. Hansen later tried to distance herself from her brother, but these details, along with other oddities, led to her and her brother Nathan Gann being arrested.
Gann, after being apprehended, revealed to his cellmate that he had accidentally shot his stepfather while he was at home unexpectedly. He described MacNeil’s final moments and his own actions during the incident.
During questioning, Hansen admitted that she had planned the murder and expressed regret. She confessed that they had originally considered other methods, like using a baseball bat or poison, but eventually settled on a gun. Hansen detailed the events of the murder, including Gann’s struggle and the subsequent fatal shot.
A letter Hansen wrote from jail further exposed her involvement and lack of remorse. Prosecutor George Bennett described how Hansen orchestrated the murder with her brother, likening her control over him to a person controlling a dog on a leash.
After an initial trial ended in a hung jury, Hansen and Gann were tried together. Hansen was initially sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, but this was later reduced to 26 years to life after it was revealed she was only 17 at the time of her trial. Gann received a 25-year-to-life sentence and will be eligible for parole in 2032.
