A Minnesota nurse and her two adult sons were found dead in an apparent double murder-suicide carried out by the eldest child, authorities confirmed this week.
Jamie Lee Charles, 43, Jaymison Samuel Shaw, 22, and William Samuel Shaw Jr., 19, were discovered Sunday during a welfare check at a townhouse in Inver Grove Heights, Inver Grove Police Chief Melissa Chiodo announced Tuesday. The three bodies were found inside the residence, and investigators quickly determined the violence had not spread beyond the home.
“Preliminary findings indicate this incident was a double murder-suicide,” Chiodo said in a statement.
The chief added a critical detail about who bore responsibility: “Based on the investigation to date, the incident appears to have been contained within the residence and Jaymison Shaw has been identified as the suspect.”
Police have not disclosed what prompted the welfare check or how the three family members died. The investigation remains active as authorities work to establish a timeline and motive for the killings.
Charles had spent the past nine years working as a nurse with the Minneapolis VA Health Care System, a career dedicated to caring for veterans. Her final days included a visit to the Minnesota State Fair, where she posted a photo with Fox9 chief meteorologist Ian Leonard just three days before her death.
The tragedy struck less than two weeks after Charles marked a deeply personal milestone on social media. On August 16, she reflected on a health crisis that had nearly claimed her life one year earlier.
“One year ago today I was laying in a hospital dying,” she wrote in a Facebook post, without specifying her medical condition.
“I didn’t understand how with a blink of an eye my life got flipped upside down. I am forever grateful for my family and friends that have been there for me in my journey! Without all of you I would not have made it.”
Charles was a devoted mother who frequently celebrated her sons’ milestones. Jaymison had turned 22 in June, while William had graduated from high school just last year.
The loss has devastated extended family members now left to mourn three lives cut short. Charles’s niece, Polly Morgan, launched a fundraiser and issued a statement grappling with the magnitude of the tragedy.
“There are no words that can truly express the pain of losing three precious lives,” Morgan said.
“Each of them touched the lives of so many people and brought their own unique love, joy, and memories into our family and community. Their absence has left a space that can never be filled.”
The Inver Grove Heights community gathered to remember the family as news of the deaths spread, with neighbors and friends struggling to comprehend violence that struck without warning inside a quiet suburban townhouse. The case has reignited conversations about mental health resources and the warning signs that often precede such domestic catastrophes.
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255) or text Crisis Text Line at 741741.