Nahshon Shannon was convicted of third-degree murder in the death of his 13-year-old daughter Janessa Shannon, who was found dead in a shallow grave at a Tampa-area nature preserve in 2017. (Nahshon photo: Hillsborough County Jail; Janessa photo: National Center for Missing & Exploited Children)
A Florida jury convicted a man who strangled and beat his 13-year-old daughter to death, and then stuffed her body inside a garbage bag and buried her in a shallow grave at a Tampa-area nature preserve, prosecutors said.
Nahshon Shannon, 43, was charged with first-degree murder but the jury came back with a guilty verdict on the lesser charge of third-degree murder, according to prosecutors. He faces up to 20 years in prison as opposed to the mandatory life sentence he would have received had he been convicted of first-degree murder.
His daughter, Janessa Shannon, was found dead on July 12, 2017, which was 11 days after she was reported missing.
“The victim in this case was a child whose life was only beginning. Our thoughts remain with the victim’s family and friends as they navigate through this tragedy. Our prosecutors were presented with a challenging circumstantial case which they skillfully presented to jurors. We are thankful for the jury’s service and appreciate their time and dedication to this trial,” State Attorney Suzy Lopez said in a statement.
Janessa Shannon’s remains were found 36 miles from the entrance of the Triple Creek Nature Preserve in a 2 1/2-foot grave that was apparently dug up by animals in the area, a probable cause arrest affidavit said. Investigators found tire tracks near the body and a screw that apparently came from a shovel.
An autopsy determined the body had been at the location for more than seven days. The cause of death was blunt force injuries and possible strangulation. A toxicology report also showed the girl had cocaine and alcohol in her system, the affidavit said.
Janessa, who went by Nessa, was last seen on July 1, 2017, when she left her mother’s home. She stayed with her father in Hillsborough County during the week and some weekends. Nahshon Shannon was upset that his daughter had snuck out of her mom’s home to go see some boys the night before and made her take him to where she went, according to the affidavit. Shannon then got into an argument with the boys and their family, nearly coming to blows.
Nahshon Shannon later told detectives he took his daughter home, gave her a spanking and sent her to her room while he took a muscle relaxer and watched Dragon Ball Z before going to sleep. He did not report his daughter missing for nearly 40 hours, investigators said. A text message to his girlfriend instructed her not to come to his house because he had to “deal” with his daughter, according to the affidavit.
He also went to Philadelphia for work and never told his boss that his daughter was missing, the affidavit said.
Investigators obtained a search warrant for Nahshon Shannon’s home where they found a shovel with two missing screws, which matched the one found at the scene. His 2008 Jeep Cherokee also matched the tire width of the tracks found at the scene.
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Inside the Jeep was a trash bag with a small amount of dirt inside. An anthropologist determined that there was a 99.9% chance that the dirt came from the area where the body was found, the affidavit said. They also found the same type of bag and tape used to conceal Janessa Shannon’s body in the Jeep.
Nahshon Shannon was arrested on Oct. 5, 2017, and has been in jail without bond ever since.
In opening statements at the trial, State Attorney Jessica O’Connor showed jurors a picture of the victim, according to ABC affiliate WFTS.
“This is Janessa Shannon, aka Nessa. In July 2017, she was just shy of her 14th birthday. Sadly, she didn’t make it, and sadly, this is not how her body looked when she was found,” the prosecutor said.
O’Connor told jurors that Nahshon Shannon strangled and beat his daughter to death because he was upset that she had snuck out of her mom’s house.
“The puzzle pieces, once you put all of those pieces together, the evidence will be clear to you. The evidence will be clear to the point of which the state is confident you will find the defendant guilty,” she said.
The jury deliberated about 14 hours over two days to come to the verdict after a two-week trial, the Tampa Bay Times reported.
Shannon will be sentenced in November.
Janessa Shannon was described in her obituary as a fun-loving kid who enjoyed playing video games and hanging out with her sisters.
“Going fishing with Daddy Eugene was the highlight of her life,” the obituary said. “She was so thrilled when she learned to bait her own line.”
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