Brae Hansen, 37, was granted parole Friday after serving about 20 years for plotting her stepfather’s murder as a teenager.
Hansen and her sibling, who has since transitioned and changed their name to Aerith Asora, were convicted of first-degree murder in the 2007 killing of Timothy MacNeil in San Diego. The siblings were teenagers when they planned the slaying to look like a home invasion, according to court filings.
In 2007, Hansen lived with MacNeil on Marraco Drive in San Diego’s Rolando neighborhood. Her mother had died by suicide the year before. After that loss, MacNeil began dating another woman, leaving Hansen feeling “unloved and worthless,” court records show.
The breaking point came when MacNeil told Hansen she would have to move out upon turning 18. Hansen called Asora, who was away at college in Arizona, and they began plotting to kill him. Their first scheme involved hiring a hitman, and they went as far as leaving money, their late mother’s gun and a spare house key outside the home.
When they could not find a killer for hire, Asora decided to carry out the murder personally. Hansen later told police she had changed her mind after the hitman plan collapsed.
On July 19, 2007, Asora drove to San Diego, woke Hansen and told her she intended to go through with the murder “whether she wanted to or not,” according to court documents. Asora then shot MacNeil multiple times — above his right hip, in the face, shoulder and back of the head.
MacNeil’s final words were reportedly, “Why are you killing me, Nathan?” and “Why are you doing this to me?”
Asora fled the scene, tossing the black clothes and ski mask into a tree before driving back to Arizona. Police found MacNeil lying in a pool of blood inside the home, with Hansen nearby, her hands zip-tied.
Detective Maria Rivera initially interviewed Hansen at the police station before taking her to the home of her aunt and uncle, Richard and Bonnie MacNeil. Rivera questioned Hansen again that evening. Hansen finally cracked, saying, “Nathan tied my hands.” That statement exposed her involvement and pointed investigators toward the killer.
Hansen’s path to freedom was made possible by changes to California law that expanded parole consideration for people who committed crimes before turning 25. Youth offenders can now qualify for special parole hearings, according to state corrections and parole officials.
Hansen’s first parole hearing was held Jan. 7, according to the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office. She was initially denied parole for three years, but the hearing was later moved up to Aug. 21.
San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan strongly opposed her release.
“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.
“We are deeply disappointed by the Board of Parole Hearings’ decision to grant Brae Hansen parole.”
In the viral moment that has resurfaced across true-crime coverage, the 2007 slaying stands out for its calculated domestic betrayal: two teenagers methodically planning a parent’s death, staging a fake home invasion, and leaving the victim pleading for his life by name. The case has drawn renewed attention as Hansen walks free while Asora, who pulled the trigger, continues serving a 25-years-to-life sentence.
Hansen was released from custody following the parole board’s decision.