The Case of Shanoha Hansell

Shanoha Michelle Hansell, 40, was found dead in Wichita, Kansas, on 28 February 2023. Police initially treated her death as an investigation into an unexplained death, with the cause and manner of death still under investigation. Derek Joseph Daigneault, who had been in a relationship with Hansell, was later linked to the case but was never convicted of her death.

Shanoha Hansell was born in Wichita on 6 November 1982. She was an entrepreneur who was described by family and friends as caring, ambitious and generous. Her obituary stated that she had hoped to establish a nonprofit organisation providing a safe haven and support for people who had experienced sexual or physical abuse. Hansell was in a relationship with Derek Joseph Daigneault. Daigneault later became connected to the investigation following the discovery of Hansell's body. His connection to the case is significant because he was subsequently convicted of murdering his cousin, Mandy Rose Reynolds, in Texas, but he has not been convicted of Hansell's death. On the night of 28 February 2023, Wichita police were called to the 1100 block of South Rock Road after a body was reported in the area. The woman was subsequently identified as Hansell.

Police found Hansell's body in the 1100 block of South Rock Road in Wichita at approximately 10:43 p.m. At the time of the initial investigation, police had not established how Hansell died. Authorities publicly stated that both the cause and manner of death remained under investigation and appealed to anyone who had recently been in contact with her for information.

The Wichita Police Department opened an investigation into Hansell's death and sought information from people who had recently had contact with her. Derek Daigneault subsequently became linked to Hansell's death. His connection became particularly significant after he was identified as a suspect in the April 2023 murder of Mandy Rose Reynolds in Robinson, Texas. Daigneault was arrested following a police pursuit in Kansas after fleeing in Reynolds' vehicle. Although Daigneault was ultimately convicted of Reynolds' murder, no conviction has been obtained against him for Hansell's death. Publicly available reporting does not establish that he has been charged or convicted in connection with Hansell's case.

The death of Shanoha Hansell remains an investigation rather than a solved murder case. Derek Joseph Daigneault was subsequently convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of Mandy Rose Reynolds, but that conviction does not establish responsibility for Hansell's death.

Hansell's family and friends remembered her as a compassionate and ambitious woman who wanted to help others who had experienced abuse. Her March 2023 obituary described her death as unexpected and said she had hoped to establish a nonprofit safe haven for victims of sexual and physical abuse.