A Florida man has been found guilty by a jury for the tragic death of his 13-year-old daughter, whom he strangled and beat before placing her lifeless body in a garbage bag and burying her in a shallow grave at a nature preserve near Tampa, according to prosecutors.
Nahshon Shannon, 43, had initially faced first-degree murder charges, but the jury returned a verdict of guilty on the lesser charge of third-degree murder, potentially resulting in a prison sentence of up to 20 years, instead of a mandatory life sentence for first-degree murder.
The victim, Janessa Shannon, was discovered deceased on July 12, 2017, 11 days after she was reported missing. The tragic case deeply impacted the victim's family and friends, and State Attorney Suzy Lopez expressed condolences for the young girl's life that was tragically cut short.
Janessa's remains were found in a shallow grave approximately 36 miles from the entrance of the Triple Creek Nature Preserve, where the burial site had been disturbed by animals. Investigators located tyre tracks near the grave and a screw believed to be from a shovel.
An autopsy revealed that the body had been at the location for over a week, with the cause of death determined to be blunt force injuries and possible strangulation. Additionally, a toxicology report indicated the presence of cocaine and alcohol in the girl's system.
Janessa, who went by Nessa, had last been seen on July 1, 2017, leaving her mother's home. She had been staying with her father during the week and some weekends.
The incident began when her father, Nahshon Shannon, learned she had sneaked out of her mother's house to see some boys the night before. This led to a confrontation, with Shannon ultimately taking his daughter home, administering a spanking, and sending her to her room.
Despite the events, Shannon did not report his daughter missing for almost 40 hours, and he sent a text message to his girlfriend instructing her not to visit his house because he needed to "deal" with his daughter.
Further investigation uncovered crucial evidence, including a shovel with two missing screws at Shannon's residence, matching the one found at the crime scene. His 2008 Jeep Cherokee was found to match the tyre width of the tracks near the burial site.
Inside the Jeep, investigators discovered a trash bag with dirt that was 99.9% likely to have originated from the area where Janessa's body was found. The same type of bag and tape used to conceal the victim's body were also discovered in the vehicle.
Nahshon Shannon was arrested on October 5, 2017, and has been held without bond since. The trial lasted two weeks, with the jury deliberating for approximately 14 hours over two days before delivering the verdict.
Shannon is set to be sentenced in November.
Janessa Shannon's obituary described her as a fun-loving child who enjoyed video games and spending time with her sisters. Fishing trips with her father were among her cherished memories.
In another news, a Long Island mother, who took matters into her own hands to confront her son's bullies and ran over a 15-year-old twice, has been found not guilty of attempted murder by a jury of her peers earlier this week. See detailed story here
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