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A teen killer who helped plot the 2007 murder of her stepfather in San Diego has been granted parole nearly two decades after the crime.

Brae Hansen, now 37, was 17 when she and her sister, Aerith Asora (formerly known as Nathaniel Marcus Gann) planned the killing. Their stepfather was San Diego attorney Timothy MacNeil.

After the murder the siblings attempted to make the shooting appear to be a home-invasion robbery.

Hansen was convicted of first-degree murder in 2009 and originally received a sentence of life without parole. Her sentence was later changed to 25 years to life after California laws governing juvenile offenders were changed.

Teen Killer Eligible for Youthful Offender Parole

Hansen's parole became possible because California law provides special parole consideration for people who committed serious crimes while they were young.

The state's youthful-offender provisions allow certain inmates who committed crimes before age 26 to receive parole consideration after serving lengthy prison terms.

Hansen's first parole hearing was held Jan. 7, 2025. The board denied her parole at that time and set a three-year period before another hearing could ordinarily occur.

Hansen subsequently petitioned for the hearing to be advanced, and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation approved the request.

At a hearing Aug. 21, 2026, the California Board of Parole Hearings found Hansen suitable for parole. The San Diego County District Attorney's Office had opposed her release.

California Board of Parole Hearings

Teen Killer and Sister Planned the Murder

Prosecutors said Hansen and Asora plotted to kill MacNeil for financial gain. Asora was 19 at the time and was attending college in Arizona. The sisters initially considered hiring someone to carry out the killing.

According to prosecutors, Hansen withdrew money from bank accounts and prepared cash that was intended to be used to pay a hitman. A spare key and their late mother's firearm also became part of the plan.

The plan eventually changed when a hired killer could not be secured. Asora traveled from Phoenix to San Diego and decided to carry out the shooting herself.

Teen Killer Helped Stage a Fake Home Invasion

On July 19, 2007, Asora entered MacNeil's San Diego home dressed in dark clothing and wearing a ski mask. Prosecutors said she and Hansen attempted to make the killing appear to be a robbery.

Asora bound Hansen's hands and staged the scene. MacNeil was also restrained, but prosecutors said he managed to free himself and struggled with the attacker.

Asora then shot MacNeil four times, including two shots to the head, according to the San Diego County District Attorney's Office. He died at the scene.

Hansen initially portrayed herself as a victim when police arrived. Investigators eventually determined that she had been involved in the plot.

Early Release of Teen Killer Opposed by Prosecutors

San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan strongly opposed Hansen's parole, arguing that the killing was deliberate and financially motivated.

“This was a callous, premeditated murder motivated by greed that took the life of Timothy McNeil and forever changed the lives of his loved ones,” Stephan said in a statement.

“We are deeply disappointed by the Board of Parole Hearings’ decision to grant Brae Hansen parole.”

The parole decision does not apply to Asora. She remains incarcerated on her 25-years-to-life sentence after being denied parole in 2025. Her next parole eligibility review is scheduled for 2030.

The case has drawn renewed attention because Hansen was a juvenile when the murder occurred, while prosecutors and the victim's family have continued to emphasize the planning involved in MacNeil's death.

Additional Information

• San Diego County District Attorney — Parole announcement
• California Board of Parole Hearings
• San Diego parole case coverage
• Federal court records involving Brae Hansen