Shanetta Dixon, a 37-year-old resident of Banning, California, tragically lost her life on December 29, 2017. The incident occurred when Kris Kenny, her ex-boyfriend, entered her home and fatally shot her. The relationship between Dixon and Kenny had ended approximately six months prior to the shooting. On the night of the incident, Kenny contacted Dixon's mother, claiming he had been diagnosed with terminal cancer and wished to speak with Dixon.
Despite her mother's initial interaction with Kenny, he proceeded to enter Dixon's room and shot her multiple times.
Following the shooting, Kenny fled the scene, leading to a month-long manhunt. He was eventually apprehended by a U.S. marshals' task force in Rialto, California, on January 30, 2018. During his arrest, Kenny attempted to evade capture, resulting in a chase and search operation. Upon his capture, he was charged with murder and attempted murder, with the charges later being amended to include multiple murders following the death of Dixon's stepfather, Francisco Sanchez, who succumbed to his injuries after being in a medically induced coma for several weeks.
Kenny faced additional allegations of lying in wait and committing multiple murders, which could have made him eligible for the death penalty. However, prosecutors decided not to pursue capital punishment. Instead, Kenny pleaded guilty to the double murder charges and all special circumstance allegations. As a result, he was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole, plus an additional 50 years. This sentence was handed down on November 7, 2018, bringing some measure of closure to the tragic events that unfolded in Banning.
