Shawnna Forgus was only 22 years old when her life was taken on February 21st, 2012. At the time of her death, the young woman lived in a Valparaiso, Indiana residence with her mother, stepfather, two children, and three siblings. It was inside that home where Shawnna was brutally murdered. To this day, she has never received justice.
Shawnna was discovered to be deceased by her then-5-year-old son. The young boy went to wake his mother up and found her unresponsive in bed. Police and medics were called, but unfortunately it was too late. Shawnna was pronounced dead on the scene.
Investigators were able to quickly determine that Shawnna's death was a homicide, as her body had obvious signs of trauma. It was later confirmed via autopsy that Shawnna was beaten and strangled. She had been murdered in her bedroom, inside a home that she shared with several other family members - but initial reports about her case stated that "no one heard anything unusual [that] night." Despite this claim, suspicions against the family inevitably began to build.
Just days later, on February 25th, 2012, those suspicions were all but confirmed. Shawnna's stepfather, Allen Warnes, was arrested by Valparaiso Police. The Porter County Prosecutor's Office charged Warnes, then 55, with the murder of his stepdaughter.
In the months that followed, investigators remained quiet about their case against Warnes. Rumors about what happened circulated both locally and on social media, but nothing was ever publicly confirmed. Then, in October 2012, it was announced that the charges against Warnes were dropped. A report citing this decision states, "The Porter County prosecutor's office said the move was taken because three individuals, who initially gave statements implicating Allen Warnes in the murder of 22-year-old Shawnna Forgus, later recanted their claims."
Since the charges were dropped, news about Shawnna's case has been scarce. Many still believe Allen Warnes is responsible. There has been social media speculation about the family or other people in Warnes' circle covering for him. Investigators have never disclosed the identities of the witnesses who recanted their statements.
Shawnna's case is classified as a cold case. The Valparaiso Police still have agency over the murder investigation. If you have any information that could help solve the murder of Shawnna Forgus, please contact investigators at (219) 462-2135.
Sources:
ABC 7 Chicago
CBS News, (2)
Justice For Shawnna
Northwest Times, (2), (3)
ABC 7 Chicago
CBS News, (2)
Justice For Shawnna
Northwest Times, (2), (3)
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