SAN TAN VALLEY – A San Tan Valley man, Daniel Shannon, has been arrested for fraud and improper disposal of a body. Shannon has been the subject of a two-month investigation related to the disappearance of his mother, 97-year-old Leonie Shannon of San Tan Valley.
According to Pinal County Sheriff’s Office, on April 5, 2019, deputies were called out to a home on the 2600 block of Jasper Butte Drive in San Tan Valley, after someone became concerned about Leonie Shannon, who had not been seen by anyone since December 2018. Leonie was being cared for by her son, Daniel Shannon. At the time, Shannon explained that his mother walked away from the home on December 21, 2018. He claimed this was not the first time his mother disappeared, adding that they just started getting her VA benefits and did not want to report her missing on the off chance that she returned home.
During the course of the investigation, Shannon’s story kept changing. When detectives questioned Shannon on Wednesday, he admitted that his mother passed away on December 21, 2018. Instead of reporting it, he decided to bury his mother in the backyard so he could continue to receive his mother’s Social Security and VA Benefits. Shannon told detectives that he needed to keep getting the benefits to help pay for the patent on his invention.
A search warrant was served at the home and detectives recovered a body in the backyard. The medical examiner will positively identify the remains and determine the official cause of death.
“Our detectives did a great job on this case, and in bringing Mr. Daniels to justice. These types of cases are especially troublesome when the crimes involve family members,” said Sheriff Mark Lamb, Pinal County.
At this time, Shannon is only facing charges for fraud and concealment of a body. This is an ongoing investigation and he could face more charges.