Shraman Mitra
On December 29, 2012, Lee-Ann Shannon drowned to death in the bathtub at her Hart, Michigan, home. The police received a call from her husband, informing them that Lee-Ann had an accident that resulted in her death. Investigation Discovery’s ‘Forbidden: Dying for Love: Good Deed Punished’ chronicles the heinous murder and shows how the investigation soon turned into a homicide when the police began uncovering horrifying details about the slaying. Let’s take a trip into the dark mind of the killer and find out where he is today, shall we?
How Did Lee-Ann Shannon Die?
Lee-Ann Shannon was married to city councilman Timothy Shannon at the time of her murder. The two got acquainted in college and decided to get married soon after graduating. The couple shared two children and always put out the image of having a happy marriage. To take care of her children, Lee-Ann found employment as a part-time real estate agent. The family even took on Jamie Hathaway as a full-time nanny who lived with them and looked after both children.
On December 29, 2012, the police received a call from Timothy Shannon, who informed them that his wife had a tragic accident while in her bathtub. When first responders arrived on the scene, they found that Lee-Ann had drowned while in her bathtub. Her bloated body was lying inside, and the water had been drained. The medical examination showed that she was intoxicated with alcohol on the day of her drowning. The empty alcohol bottles were also found in her home. Believing it to be an accident, the investigation was wrapped up. However, a deeper look into the death would soon reveal a sinister plot.
Who Killed Lee-Ann Shannon?
With Timothy Shannon’s role as a city councilman, the neighboring Oceana County investigators looked at the case a second time. When looking into Lee-Ann’s death, authorities found that she had invited the nanny, Jamie Hathaway, into her own home despite others warning her not to do so. They even discovered that Jamie and Timothy had started an affair with Lee-Ann present in the house. Timothy told Lee-Ann about the affair and even informed her that he wanted out of their marriage and would be filing for divorce. This led Lee-Ann to spiral into depression as she struggled with her failing marriage. Moreover, the investigation revealed that Timothy had asked Lee-Ann to move out of their house the same day she was murdered.
Suspicion against the husband strengthened when officers noticed how Jamie Hathaway began living with Timothy immediately after Lee-Ann’s death. Although Jamie was not present in the Shannon residence at the time of the murder, authorities decided to take her in for questioning. While being interrogated, Jamie told police how she and Timothy had started a sexual affair and decided to live together after Lee-Ann left the house. Further evidence of their affair was found in Jamie’s diaries and online chats, which the police found when they searched the Shannon residence. With a motive forming in their minds, authorities then called Timothy Shannon to the police station and put him under heavy interrogation.
Although Timothy initially denied having anything to do with Lee-Ann’s murder, constant interrogation forced him to come clean. Timothy then told police how he found Lee-Ann intoxicated with alcohol in the bathtub on the day of the murder and tried to pull her out of the tub. According to the show, he alleged that his wife began hitting him and also pulled him into the tub with her, which resulted in him sitting on top of her. Timothy insisted that he lost focus for a while and confessed to holding Lee-Ann under the water for quite some time. When the city councilman finally came back to his senses, Lee-Ann was already dead and floating in the tub. With a confession on their hands, the police promptly arrested Timothy Shannon and charged him with murder.
Where Is Timothy Shannon Now?
Once Timothy was produced in court, he pleaded no contest to second-degree murder. Although once convicted of the charge, the persecution sought only the minimum sentence of 20 years. Ultimately, Timothy Shannon was sentenced to 13.5 to 75 years in prison, and the judge tasked the Michigan Dept. of Corrections parole board with determining when his sentence will end. Currently, Timothy Shannon remains incarcerated at the Thumb Correctional Facility in Lapeer, Michigan, with the earliest possible release date of 2026.
Read More: Where is Jamie Hathaway Now?
