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Writer's pictureGia Marie Wright

Janessa Shannon, 13, July 3, 2017, Riverview, Hillsborough County, Florida



Janessa's father, Nahshon Shannon, 37, reported her missing July 3, 2017, saying that she often snuck away from home, and was recently grounded after seeing a boy she wasn't allowed to see. But Janessa always returned home.

On July 12, 2017, Janessa's lifeless body was found near 13305 Balm Boyette Road, at a nature trail at the Triple Creek Nature Preserve in Riverview, Hillsborough County, Florida after two locals discovered her. There was a man made hole near where her remains were located. Her death is being investigated as a homicide.


The hole was approximately 2 feet deep and it appeared consistent with being dug with a shovel. This hole appeared to be a shallow grave. A black plastic garbage style bag was discovered underneath the remains with pieces of black plastic being recovered from around the same area the body was located. Located in the hole were black pieces of plastic, consistent with the black plastic bag underneath the body. This indicates the bag and the body were in the hole at some point. It appears the body was unearthed from the shallow grave by animals indigenous to the area. The burial site was located approximately .36 miles from the entrance of the Triple Creek Nature Preserve. This area is a county park, since 2000, and filled with large areas of woods and empty fields. It also appeared to have a driving path from the entrance all the way to the area where the body was buried. There were what appeared to be tire impressions off the pathway, leading towards the location where the body was recovered. The tire impressions measured approximately 61 and 5/ 16 inches in width from center to center. The distance from the park entrance to the location the body is located would have required the use of a vehicle. Also, it appeared the body was placed in the bag, sealed in multiple places with clear tape, and then buried at the location it was later found. Also at the scene was a small, gray in color Phillips head exterior wood screw. This screw was located near the gravesite along a linear path from the tire impressions to the gravesite. While searching the area of the gravesite, investigators used a metal detector four times in an attempt to locate any other possible screws, nails, or other metal objects with none found.



Pieces of Janessa's pajama-style bottoms were located near the remains, with a short sleeve t-shirt with blue and white graphics on the front, consistent with the clothes her dad reported she had in the missing persons report he filed. She had no shoes, no bra or underwear located at the scene.


The coroner ruled her death a homicide, reporting the cause of death with blunt impact injuries and possible strangulation. her body appeared consistent to being buried and preserved in the bag found at the scene for at least seven days or more. She had fractures above both left and right incisors, a nasal fracture cause near the time of death, and visible contusions near her mouth, nose and face.


In her system was cocaethalene which is a combination of cocaine and alcohol present near the time of her death. The consumption of the cocaine and alcohol was believed to have been within six hours of her death.


The morning of July 1, 2017, Janessa and her little sister Jalyssa snuck out of their legally appointed guardian's home (Michelle Mosley) in the early morning hours, and went to two boys' house, two streets over, for several hours, then returned to Michelle's home, still that same morning. When Michelle found out what they did, she reported it to their father Nahshon, requesting he pick Janessa up early because of it. He arrived between 5:00 and 6:00 p.m. that night, gets Janessa in his vehicle and forces her to show him where they went to. When they got to the boys' house, the father got in to a verbal altercation with the boys', nearly escalating the argument to become physical, then leaves the area about 6:00 p.m. with Janessa. No one ever saw or heard from Janessa again.


July 2, 2017 about 6:31 p.m., Janessa left his home at an unknown time. His phone showed his statements did not coincide with his girlfriends statements of her being with him when Janessa disappeared. The girlfriend said she was not there with him when Janessa disappeared. Michelle reported the last time she saw Janessa was when he took her away in his vehicle July 1 between 6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m., and she was wearing a pink bathing suit top and bottoms or shorts. A search warrant of his home at 11219 Cocoa Beach Drive confirmed the bathing suit described was found inside the bathroom at his home.


Nahshon said he attempted to give Janessa 3 spankings on her buttocks with a belt. She resisted by moving 'and all that kind of stuff'. She 'tried to get up' by the third spanking and trying to grab the belt, and he told her to 'get down'. He stopped the spankings, and she went to her room. He said his girlfriend was not at his residence at this time. He then claims that after he sent Janessa to her room, approximately 10:00 p.m., he watched Dragon Ball Z, took a muscle relaxer and went to sleep the next morning. He went to check on Janessa at 5:00 p.m. on July 2, 2017 (19 hours later)


He also failed to mention to his work that his daughter was missing. He failed to tell investigators that while he was out of his house he purchased Patron Tequila at Sams Club prior to returning home. He waited 39 hours before he reported her missing.


During the search of his home, they also found tape that was consistent with the tape found at the burial where Janessa's body was located. In the garage, a shovel was located, which had holes where the screws were supposed to be. The screws, that were found at the burial site, that exactly matched. At the blade of the shovel was a small amount of dirt soil that later confirmed to be consistent to the soil at the burial location. The tire tracks in the trail to the gravesite was consistent with his tire tracks on his vehicle.


October 2017, Janessa's father, Nahshon Shannon, was arrested and accused of the murder, facing first-degree felony murder, and aggravated child abuse. He also had prior charges for abuse on more than one child.


COURT

Case Number: 17-CF-014750-A

Somehow, this case is still in the Florida courts awaiting trial.


Information accumulated by:

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