Fayetteville, North Carolina - A 16-year-old girl has pleaded
guilty to murdering her stepfather and will testify against her mother, who is
accused of plotting the killing.
Elizabeth Shannon admitted she shot Army Major David Shannon twice as he slept
on July 23, 2002. Shannon, 40, was assigned to the US Army Special Operations
Command at Fort Bragg.
Elizabeth Shannon pleaded guilty on Friday to second-degree murder and
conspiracy. She will be sentenced to a minimum of 25 years in prison if she
cooperates in the prosecution of her mother, Joan Shannon, according to an
agreement with prosecutors.
Elizabeth Shannon told investigators she killed her stepfather because she was
tired of her mother asking her to do it. She also said her mother gave her the
gun.
Prosecutor Greg Butler said that according to witnesses, Joan Shannon had tried
for three months to find someone to kill her husband. One witness told
investigators she saw Joan Shannon ask another person to kill her husband and
promise to pay the person from insurance money.
Joan Shannon, 37, is free on bail and living in Thaxton, Virginia, with her late
husband's sister, Brenda Strong, who believes Elizabeth acted alone. Joan
Shannon did not attend Friday's hearing, though her sister-in-law did.
"Elizabeth cold-bloodedly planned the murder," Strong said. "She put the gun to
the head of the man who raised her since she was four years old and pulled the
trigger."
No trial date has been set for Joan Shannon, who is charged with first-degree
murder and conspiracy.
It was the fifth domestic-related slaying linked to the base in June and July
2002. The other four involved Fort Bragg wives who were allegedly killed by
their husbands.
Contact/Submit
theNSAisWATCHIN
News Monster
Images Archive
News Monster Archive
The Frances Farmers Revenge Web
Portal