Yesterday, Phoenix courtroom witnessed the sentencing of Shannon Higgins, the roommate of a murder victim who pled guilty to charges of hindering prosecution in a case of a brutal attack that took place in August 2023. As per information from FOX 10 Phoenix, Higgins received three years of supervised probation for her part in the aftermath of 49-year-old Jake Kelly's death, who was found with severe injuries outside a home in north Phoenix.
Reportedly, Shannon Higgins and her husband, Cory Young, both stood accused of delaying vital medical attention for Kelly, who lay injured for nearly 18 hours before receiving help. According to the harrowing testimony of the victim's mother, Jan Kelly, and details from ABC15, the injuries were so grave that Kelly’s facial bones were pulverized, and despite hours of surgery, he succumbed to his injuries weeks later. Cory Young, who is also implicated in the case, has a dark history of his own with over a decade of incarceration and alleged links to white supremacist groups, shown by tattoos on his social media accounts as per ABC15's findings.
The complexities of the case deepen with the involvement of a third individual, Angel Mullooly, solely charged with Jake's murder. Amid various details of the crime scene and the alleged reluctance to seek timely medical intervention, court documents unveiled a disturbing image of the night Kelly was attacked. In the courtroom, the devastating effects of that night's decisions, or indecisions, played out before a judge, who handed down probation and a deferred jail sentence to Higgins.
Jan Kelly, exhibiting the heartbreak only a mother can feel, told ABC15, "It's not what I wanted, of course, and I made that clear in court". A GoFundMe has been established to support Jan in her efforts. As Cory Young's sentencing looms, and Mullooly's court date is rescheduled for February 2025, the narrative of Jake Kelly's untimely demise continues to unfold with painstaking persistence, as Jan vows to keep showing up for her son.
