City Council Member Charged In Wife's Drowning
HART, Mich. (WWJ/AP) - A city council member in a small Michigan community has been charged with open murder in the bathtub drowning of his wife that was initially reported to authorities as an accident.
Authorities say 34-year-old Timothy Shannon, of Hart, was arraigned Wednesday in the death of 34-year-old Lee-Ann Shannon. He was ordered held without bond and is due back in court for a preliminary hearing on Jan. 14.
Shannon, who has served on city council since 2011, told police the morning of Dec. 29 that his wife had accidentally drowned at their home in the small community of Hart, about 60 miles northwest of Grand Rapids. Family members of Lee-Ann Shannon, however, raised questions about the death with investigators.
Shannon was detained following a Tuesday interview with investigators.
"It is believed the suspect drowned the victim in the tub and attempted to report it as an accidental drowning," Oceana County Sheriff's Lt. Craig Mast said.
Police in Hart handled the case along with the sheriff's department. Specifics about the circumstances surround the death weren't immediately released.
The Shannons have no known history of domestic violence, but family members allegedly told police there were marital problems. They were married in 2006 and have two children, ages 3 and 4.
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