Investigators say a Minnesota woman had sought court protection before she and her son were shot.
LEXINGTON, Minn. — The murder case against Irving Van Marsaw opened with more than a crime scene. By the time prosecutors charged him in the shooting deaths of Jennifer Sue Marsaw and her 5-year-old son, court records already showed allegations of threats, stalking and prior petitions for protection.
That paper trail has become one of the most important parts of the case because it places the March 18 killings inside a longer conflict, not a sudden encounter with no warning signs. Authorities say Jennifer Marsaw, 44, had twice gone to court for restraining orders against her estranged partner. Prosecutors now accuse the 53-year-old Minneapolis man of killing her and Marzai Andrew Dawson inside the Lexington home where several children were also present.
According to records cited in local reporting, Jennifer Marsaw sought a restraining order in November 2025 and told the court that Van Marsaw threatened to hurt her if she did not tell him where she was living. She also wrote that he threatened to interfere with food support and disability benefits. In February 2026, she returned to court and sought another order, writing that he had threatened to kill her and her children, followed her and entered her home without permission. Judges granted both petitions, but each one was later withdrawn within about a month. The public record available so far does not explain the withdrawals.
Investigators also say the conflict had not gone quiet in the days before the shootings. A daughter told police that Van Marsaw had assaulted Jennifer Marsaw and threatened to kill her as recently as March 3. On March 17, according to the criminal complaint described by local outlets, Jennifer Marsaw kicked him out of the house after an argument involving a knife. The daughter said she later heard her mother tell him he should believe she was taking him to trial. His reported answer was one word: “Bet.” Within hours, prosecutors say, the case moved from family court history to a homicide scene.
Police say officers were called to the Ryan Place home shortly before 1 a.m. on March 18 after a child reported that her mother and brother had been shot by Irving. The complaint says the girl and two siblings had stepped outside for a short walk and were returning when they heard several pops. A younger brother ran into the house as Van Marsaw came out holding a handgun, then ran back out screaming that their mother and little brother had been shot. The children fled to a neighbor’s home for help. Inside the residence, officers found Jennifer Marsaw dead from a gunshot wound to the chest and her son gravely wounded. He died later at a hospital.
The physical evidence described by investigators sharpened the charge sheet. The medical examiner concluded that Jennifer Marsaw was shot in the chest at contact range and that Marzai Dawson was shot in the back at contact range. Police reported finding spent bullets and an unspent round near the bodies, then recovering a 9 mm handgun in a nearby area hours later. Van Marsaw was found hiding in a wooded area west of the home after officers set up a perimeter and used a K-9 team. While in custody, police said, he made remarks suggesting the shooting happened in the “heat of passion.”
The neighborhood response added another layer to the account. A nearby resident, Steven Clark, told television reporters that children pounded on his door in the middle of the night begging for help. He said they were frightened, one or more lacked shoes, and they had chosen his house because his dogs bark loudly enough to wake the family. The account does not alter the charging facts, but it shows how the first minutes after the shooting were shaped by children acting under extreme stress and by a neighbor who turned his house into the first safe stop on the block.
As of now, Van Marsaw has been charged with two counts of second-degree murder. County officials identified the victims on March 19 and said the investigation remained active, involving local police, the sheriff’s office and medical examiners. An initial court appearance was set for March 20, and another hearing was scheduled for April 14 as prosecutors continued to build the case.
Author note: Last updated April 13, 2026.