Man admits killing pregnant girlfriend who was found shot and stabbed in suitcase in Wisconsin

Mani was a student, worked with special needs children, and had aspirations of becoming a dentist

Shannon Mani was reported missing by her family on Friday 13th June (Facebook)

A man has been charged with the murder of his 21-year-old girlfriend whose shot and stabbed body was found stuffed in a suitcase.

Quentin Neal, 27, admitted to stabbing 21-year-old Shannon Mani, a student and aspiring dentist who was five months pregnant at the time of her death, police in the US city of Milwaukee alleged.

He has been charged with first degree intentional homicide, first degree intentional homicide of an unborn child and possession of a firearm by a felon.

Ms Mani was reported missing by her family last Friday after she failed to pick her younger brother up from school and did not show up at the cosmetics shop where she worked.

Mr Neal seemed “uneasy” and said he “would not go along” when asked by the police about Mani’s whereabouts, a police complaint stated.

It also alleged that he changed his story – initially saying to police that he had texted her on 13 April but hadn’t received a response, before saying that she had sent him a photo that day.

Investigators later discovered a conversation between the pair on that morning which saw him ask if she was still visiting his home and her reply that she was almost there.

A police search of Mr Neal’s home two days later found blood in the basement.

Defendant Quentin Neal

Mr Neal claimed that he had last seen Mani on the afternoon of 12 April, but when approached about the blood he admitted that she had been at his home on the 13, the police complaint said.

He claimed that there had been an argument, and also that he had shown Ms Mani a gun that he had bought “for protection”.

He claimed that Ms Mani took the gun and a knife from the kitchen, then tried to pull the trigger, but it failed go off because of the safety.

According to the complaint, Mr Neal said that he then shot her twice in the head, causing her to fall down the stairs into the basement. She then “came at him” at which point he took the knife and stabbed her in the head and neck.

Mr Neal allegedly then led officers to a storage locker he had rented, where they found Mani’s body in a suitcase with a bag over her head.

She was bound at the wrists and ankles with duct tape, and duct tape had also been used to cover her eyes. The suitcase also contained bloody towels, duct tape, a knife handle, and a knife blade, police alleged

Mr Neal told police that they could find Ms Mani’s phone in a pond and her purse in a gas station bin.

Ms Mani was hoping to become a dentist and as well as working in the cosmetics shop, she worked with special needs children.

“She was like my little sister, so it’s really hard,” her friend, Christina Hic told Fox6. “She was wonderful. I don’t...she wouldn’t hurt a fly, so I don’t know why this happened to her. She wanted to change the world. She wanted to. Sorry. She just had so many dreams she didn’t get to accomplish,” she said.