Jamie Lee Charles and her two adult sons were found dead during a welfare check at their Minnesota townhome.
INVER GROVE HEIGHTS, Minn. — Police say a 22-year-old man is the suspect in a suspected double murder-suicide that left his mother and younger brother dead inside the family’s townhome, where officers discovered all three during a welfare check Sunday.
Authorities identified the three people as Jamie Lee Charles, 43; her older son, Jaymison Samuel Shaw, 22; and her younger son, William Samuel “Willie” Shaw Jr., 19. Inver Grove Heights Police Chief Melissa Chiodo said preliminary findings indicate the deaths were a double murder-suicide and that Jaymison Shaw had been identified as the suspect. Police have not announced a motive or provided a complete account of what happened inside the residence.
Officers went to the 3200 block of 78th Street East on Sunday, Aug. 30, after receiving a request to check on someone’s welfare. Police said officers entered the townhome and found three people dead inside. The department initially said there was no known threat to the public. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension assisted Inver Grove Heights police with the investigation, along with personnel from several surrounding law enforcement agencies.
The Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office later identified Charles and her sons. Police released their preliminary finding Tuesday, with Chiodo saying the incident appeared to have been confined to the residence. “Preliminary findings indicate this incident was a double murder-suicide,” Chiodo said in the department’s statement. Authorities said Jaymison Shaw was the suspect but continued to describe the finding as preliminary while investigators worked to establish the full sequence of events.
A Pioneer Press report published Thursday said a newly filed court document indicated that the three family members apparently were shot. Police had previously declined to disclose how the deaths occurred or whether investigators recovered a weapon. Final publicly available medical examiner findings describing the causes and manners of all three deaths had not been released in the other reports reviewed, and authorities had not said what investigators believe led to the violence.
Charles was a licensed practical nurse at the time of her death, according to Minnesota state records cited by the Minnesota Star Tribune. Other reports described her as a longtime health care worker. Relatives and friends began sharing remembrances after the deaths became public, focusing on her role as a mother and the relationships the family had built in the Inver Grove Heights community.
Willie Shaw had ties to Simley High School and its boys basketball program. MPR News reported that he was a 2025 graduate of the school. In a remembrance shared after his death, the basketball program described Willie as a friend and teammate who made an impact on people around him. The message said his connection to the Simley community continued through students and friends who knew him.
Family members also established an online fundraiser to help with funeral and memorial expenses. Polly Morgan, identified in local reports as Charles’ niece, wrote that relatives were facing “unimaginable heartbreak” after losing three members of the family at once. The fundraiser remembered all three people and said each had left lasting memories with relatives and others who knew them.
Friends, relatives and community members gathered for a memorial at South Valley Park on Monday, according to published reports. A memorial also developed near the family’s residence. The gatherings came before police publicly identified Jaymison Shaw as the suspect, as relatives and neighbors were still processing the discovery of the three deaths and awaiting additional information from investigators.
The case also drew a sizable emergency response. In addition to the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the Minnesota Star Tribune reported that police personnel from Apple Valley, Burnsville, Eagan, Rosemount, South St. Paul and West St. Paul assisted in some capacity, along with the Dakota County Sheriff’s Office. Police said incidents involving multiple deaths can affect relatives, neighbors and emergency personnel who respond to the scene.
As of Thursday, the investigation remained active. Police continued to identify Jaymison Shaw as the suspect based on preliminary findings and said they did not believe another suspect posed a danger to the public. Authorities had not publicly announced a motive or a complete timeline explaining what occurred before officers arrived at the townhome.
Author note: Last updated September 3, 2026.