TRUE-LIFE
Did Nessa’s father betray her in the most horrifsic way?
Janessa Shannon, 13, loved being out and about in nature with her family.
The fun-loving teen – known as Nessa – adored cats and horses.
Wanted to be a vet.
She spent time fishing, and despite not being the best dancer, she liked to dance.
Sang, too – had a crush on Bruno Mars.
Loved playing MineCraft and hanging out with her three sisters.
She went back and forth between her parents’ houses.
Attended school near her father Nahshon Shannon’s home in Riverview, Florida.
Spent weekends with her mother Michelle Mosley.
But, like most teens, Nessa had a mischievous streak.
Started sneaking out after her parents went to bed.
She always came home, though.
Only, when Nessa snuck out again in the early hours of Saturday 1 July 2017, Michelle discovered she’d gone to a boy’s house. Horrified, she sent her back to her father’s house a day early.
Before Nahshon collected Nessa, the teen spent Saturday on the beach with her sisters. There, Michelle explained Nessa’s punishment, and why she shouldn’t sneak out. ‘I just explained to her that I cared about her, loved her, and I don’t want anything bad to ever happen to her,’ she said.
Nessa’s father took her home around 6pm, and immediately grounded her.
So, Nessa went to her bedroom after dinner.
Desperate appeals
Only, at noon on Monday 3 July, Nahshon reported Nessa missing.
He told officers he’d not checked on his daughter until 5pm on Sunday.
Finding her bedroom empty, he assumed she was upset at her punishment and had gone for a walk. Only, she still wasn’t back. As Nessa had snuck off before, police classed her as a runaway.
They didn’t launch a public appeal.
But her family were terrified that something terrible had happened.
‘She’d snuck out before, but she never stayed gone,’ Michelle said, posting desperate appeals on Facebook.
Along with Nessa’s sisters, Michelle trawled the streets.
Handed out leaflets and recruited others to search.
Nahshon did the same, scouring the streets from his car.
Reported Nessa’s absence to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.
Though police hadn’t launched an appeal, they did hunt for Nessa.
Visited places she was known to go, and searched her social media for clues.
But nine days later, on 12 July, a dog walker spotted vultures just off a hiking trail at Triple Creek Nature Preserve. They were circling Janessa’s remains.
The teen had been stuffed in a bin bag and buried
