In the summer of 2023, the life of 45-year-old Shanay Michelle Hunt was tragically cut short in Evansville, Indiana. A woman with a passion for life and a deep love for God, her journey had not always been easy, but she consistently found the strength to persevere with a resilient smile. She found joy in crafting, good food, and music, and was a devoted animal lover.
On July 14, 2023, a man walking near his former residence on Harriet Street was struck by a foul odor emanating from the
vacant house. Upon investigating, he discovered Hunt's body on a mattress inside the home, in a state of advanced decomposition. Initially, due to the condition of the remains, foul play was not immediately suspected. However, a subsequent autopsy revealed a grim truth: Shanay Michelle Hunt had been shot in the head. The ammunition was identified as a. 45 GAP round, a type noted by investigators to be relatively uncommon.
The investigation into her death soon focused on her 28-year-old son, Jaron Anthony Michael Wells. It was discovered that Wells had purchased a. 45 caliber Glock handgun less than a month before his mother's murder, along with the same rare type of ammunition found at the crime scene. He later sold the weapon after her death. The last time a friend had spoken to Hunt was on July 8, following an argument she had with her son.
Further investigation uncovered a series of disturbing actions by Wells in the wake of his mother's death. He did not attend her funeral and made numerous online searches for news media reports about the case. Weeks after her body was found, on the same day a local news story first identified her, Wells unfriended his mother on Facebook. Authorities also found a note in a notebook belonging to Wells in which he wrote about doing something that left him without a living parent and would devastate his sister.
Jaron Wells was arrested in Harrisburg, Illinois, on a warrant for his mother's murder. His first trial in February 2025 resulted in a hung jury, with one juror holding out for a not guilty verdict. However, prosecutors pursued a second trial. On July 24, 2025, a jury found Jaron Anthony Michael Wells guilty of murdering his mother, Shanay Hunt. He also pleaded guilty to a firearm enhancement. He faced a lengthy prison sentence for his crime, with sentencing scheduled for September 16, 2025.
