Indiana teen murdered college administrator mom after she served him eviction notice: court docs

2024-09-04 17:26:24
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An administrator at Loyal University in Chicago was strangled by her 19-year-old son after serving him an eviction notice, court documents show. 

Conner Kobold is approaching trial this summer for killing his Indiana mother, Shanelle Burns, after she filed an eviction notice against her then-19-year-old son on Feb. 5 of this year, according to online court records. 

To avoid eviction, Kobold had to clean his room, help his mother clean the common areas of their home and find a job within 30 days, the Post-Tribune reported. 

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Shanelle Burns, 43, was pronounced dead at a hospital on Feb. 7, two days after she served her 19-year-old son an eviction notice. (JOHNSON DANIELSON FUNERAL HOME)

That same day, police in Valparaiso, Indiana, responded to the home the mother and son shared after Kobold called 911 five times, according to court documents reviewed by Fox News Digital. 

When police arrived at the home on Diamond Boulevard, Kobold asked the responding officer to put him in handcuffs and put him in the back of their squad car, documents show. 

The officer noticed that there were superficial scratches on Kobold's face.

Kobold allegedly told the officer that "there is a dead person inside of the house on the corner," and that he "killed somebody in that house," WGN 9 reported.

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Conner Kobold, now 20, has pleaded not guilty to charges of aggravated battery and murder in connection with his mother's death. (Porter County Jail)

Inside the house, Valparaiso police found Burns suffering "serious injuries," unconscious, not breathing and without a pulse. Two days later, she died of her injuries in a hospital, police said.

Before she died, doctors told police they believe Burns suffered "substantial" brain damage," WGN9 reported.

Burns' death was ruled a homicide by asphyxiation secondary to manual strangulation, court documents show. Kobold, now 20, has pleaded not guilty to charges of aggravated battery and murder in connection to his mother's death, according to online court records. 

Kobold, currently being held at Porter County Jail without bond, is scheduled to appear in court in August. He had filed a waiver to represent himself in February, the Post-Tribute reported, but online court dockets indicate that he was appointed a public defender in April. 

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The art deco Madonna della Strada Chapel on Loyola University campus on Lake Michigan. Shanelle Burns was an assistant vice principal in advancement at the Chicago school. (Big Joe via Getty Images)

According to his LinkedIn Page, Kobold began studying at the United States Merchant Marine Academy in 2022. 

Burns was an assistant vice president in advancement at Loyola University in Chicago, according to the school's website. 

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"Shanelle was very witty, kind, and poised," colleague Karen Paciero said in a statement. "She had an exceptional ability to both strategically design and execute; she was a trusted advisor to many within Advancement and so many across the University. We all miss her and profoundly mourn the loss to our division and the University."

The 43-year-old taught herself to play classical piano and would "journal voraciously, writing poetry and stories that showed her creative and organizational prowess," her obituary reads.