Minneapolis murder suspect allegedly strangled, beat man in response to sexual assault

A Robbinsdale man is facing murder charges in connection with a fatal assault Friday morning in a Minneapolis apartment.

Jhmahl Leevernon Shannon, 31, is charged with two counts of second-degree murder, court records show. He remains in custody at the Hennepin County Jail on $1 million bail.

According to a criminal complaint, Shannon had called 911 to report that a man had sexually assaulted him and that he had “knocked out” his assailant. Officers responded to an apartment building on First Avenue North and found Shannon standing outside.

At first, Shannon was taken to the hospital for a sexual assault examination but was later arrested after medics pronounced the 50-year-old man dead at the scene.

On May 16, the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the deceased as Patrick Derryl Moore of Minneapolis. The cause and manner of his death was still pending.

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Shannon told investigators he had met the homicide victim the night before at bar close, at Fifth Street and Hennepin Avenue South. The man had invited Shannon up to his apartment “to smoke marijuana and party with other people,” the complaint states, but the man did not have any marijuana, and no one else showed up.

The man let Shannon take a shower and stay the night; they both slept on the man’s bed. Shannon told police he awoke to the man performing a sex act on him, prompting him to get out of bed and voice his displeasure. Shannon told police he then went to the bathroom before returning to the bed and pretending to fall asleep.

At one point, the man tried to pull down Shannon’s underwear. Shannon told police he then “wrapped his legs around (the) Victim’s neck and squeezed hard,” the complaint states. Shannon also admitted to punching the man in the face, neck and body.

Shannon told police he “wanted to kill the Victim but was thinking about his own six children,” according to the complaint.

The man’s death was the 24th homicide in Minneapolis this year. The Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office will release his name following an autopsy.

Shannon’s first court appearance is set for Tuesday afternoon.