Suspect connected to the brutal murder of a Phoenix man avoided prison time through a plea deal

PHOENIX (AZFamily) — Shannon Young had nothing to say as she left court Friday in downtown Phoenix.

The 38-year-old faced nearly nine years in prison for her role in the brutal death of her former roommate Jake Kelly.

It now looks like Young won't be spending any time behind bars, and that doesn't sit well with the victim's mother, Jan Kelly.

“It doesn’t feel right,” Kelly said. “Nothing that happens to them will feel right because it won’t bring Jake back. It will never feel right. It’s terrible, terrible to think about.”

Young pleaded guilty to hindering prosecution, a charge that still could see him sentenced to a year in prison but also carries a suspended sentence of up to five years.

According to court documents, Jake Kelly was severely beaten and left unconscious in the driveway of a north Phoenix home in August 2023. There he lived with Young and her husband, Cory Young, who police say has ties to white supremacy.

Instead of calling 911, the Youngs reportedly carried Jake into the house, put him in a bathtub, changed his clothes and left him there.

The couple took him to the hospital a day later. Jake died the following week.

“Jake loved Shannon,” Kelly said. “He was her friend. He moved in with her to help her, he defended her. I’m not sure what she sees when she looks in the mirror, but she cheated on Jake in the worst possible way.”

Cory Young is a convicted felon who remains incarcerated and faces aggravated charges, while a friend of the Youngs, Angel Mullooly, has been charged with second-degree murder.

Jan is convinced that her son's murder was a hate crime because he was gay.

She hopes the other two people charged in her son's death receive much harsher sentences than what was offered to Shannon in court.

“I hope Angel takes all the time,” Kelly said. “I hope Cory does his best because I think Cory is dangerous and should get off the streets.”

Arizona's family contacted the Maricopa County District Attorney's Office and asked why the plea deal was offered. A department spokesman said: “We cannot discuss the details of any agreement as the case is ongoing and no comment can be made before sentencing.”

“We want justice for Jake because this shouldn’t happen,” Kelly said.

“As it relates to the process, plea agreements are at the discretion of this office. Our prosecutors work closely together and receive feedback from victims and their families before offering a plea deal. Ultimately, however, they make their decisions based on the facts of each case,” the law firm said in a statement.

Cory Young and Angel Mullooly remain in custody awaiting trial.

Do you see a spelling or grammatical error in our story? Please click here to report it.

Do you have a photo or video of a recent news story? Send it to us here with a short description.

Copyright 2024 KTVK/KPHO. All rights reserved.