A Minnesota nurse and her two adult sons have been found dead inside an Inver Grove Heights townhome, with police describing the case as an apparent double murder-suicide.
Jamie Lee Charles, 43, Jaymison Samuel Shaw, 22, and Willie Samuel Shaw Jr., 19, were discovered after officers responded to a welfare-check request on Sunday, August 30.
The three family members lived in Inver Grove Heights, a suburb located southeast of St. Paul.
• Three people were found dead inside a residence in the 3200 block of 78th Street East.
• Police identified Jaymison Shaw as the suspected perpetrator.
• Investigators believe the incident was confined to the residence.
• Authorities have not disclosed a suspected motive or how the three died.
Police identify three family members
The Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the deceased as Charles and her sons, Jaymison and Willie.
Inver Grove Heights Police Chief Melissa Chiodo said the department’s preliminary findings indicated that the deaths were the result of a double murder-suicide.
“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,” Chiodo said.
Police said there was no continuing danger to members of the public. However, the investigation remains active, and authorities have not released information about a possible motive or the events that led to the welfare check.
Local reports place the residence in the 3200 block of 78th Street East. Officers found all three people dead after entering the property.
The findings remain preliminary and could be updated as investigators receive medical examiner reports and complete other parts of the inquiry.
The deaths come amid several recent cases that have drawn attention to public safety and mental-health concerns across the United States. In a separate incident, authorities investigated a fatal Times Square stabbing involving Bank of America executive Erin Piacenti.
Community remembers Jamie Charles and Willie Shaw Jr.
Charles had reportedly worked as a nurse with the Minneapolis VA Health Care System for approximately nine years. Social media posts showed her spending time with her family and attending the Minnesota State Fair shortly before her death.
Her younger son, Willie, graduated from Simley High School in 2025 and had played basketball for the school. The Simley basketball community remembered him as a special young man who had made a lasting impression on his friends and former teammates.
A fundraiser established by Charles’ niece, Polly Morgan, said the family was facing “unimaginable heartbreak” following the three deaths. The campaign was created to assist relatives with funeral, memorial and transportation expenses.
“Each of them touched the lives of so many people and brought their own unique love, joy, and memories into our family and community,” Morgan wrote in the fundraiser description.
The Inver Grove Heights Police Department acknowledged the emotional effect of the case on the family, local community, emergency personnel and others who responded to the residence.
Additional details may be released after investigators and the medical examiner complete their work. Information in this report is based on preliminary statements from police and may be updated.
Note: This report avoids describing the method of death and does not speculate about a motive. Authorities have characterized their conclusions as preliminary while the investigation continues.
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