Shannon Higgins: Roommate of Phoenix murder victim sentenced

PHOENIX - On Dec. 4, a court in Phoenix handed down a sentence for a woman whose male roommate was murdered in 2023.

The woman, Shannon Higgins, admitted to hindering prosecution following 49-year-old Jake Kelly's death. In court on Wednesday, a judge sentenced Higgins to three years of supervised probation, the same sentence that was recommended.

Incident happened at north Phoenix house

Jake Kelly

We have previously reported on Kelly's murder. According to police, Kelly was found unresponsive in the driveway of a home near Cave Creek Road and Grovers Avenue on August 27, 2023. Kelly's face was reportedly unrecognizable following the incident.

"Trauma to his brain. He had three separate injuries to his brain. His face was crushed. He went through eight hours of plastic surgery, and they couldn't even use his bones because they were pulverized," said Kelly's mother, Jan Kelly.

Jan flew in to see Kelly, but his health continued to decline. He had broken ribs, his colon had to be removed, and his kidney started to fail.

"Pretty soon, there was no hope, so I had to make the decision," said Jan.

Police said Kelly died as a result of his injuries on September 8, 2023.

Another suspect has also pleaded guilty

Higgins is one of three people arrested in connection with the incident. Another suspect, identified as Cory Young, also admitted to hindering the investigation into Kelly's death. The roommates are accused of waiting for hours before getting Kelly help, and Young is still awaiting sentencing.