Early on Wednesday morning, March 18, 2026, a double homicide occurred at a home in the 9300 block of Ryan Place in Lexington, Minnesota, which is located in Anoka County, just northeast of the Twin Cities metro region.
Around 12:52 a.m., many law enforcement organizations, including the Centennial Lakes Police Department, the Anoka County Sheriff’s Office, and other departments, responded to reports of a gunshot at the residence.
Officers discovered 44-year-old Jennifer Sue Marsaw deceased inside from gunshot wounds to the chest and her 5-year-old son Marzai Andrew Dawson gravely injured with wounds to the back. The boy was rushed to a hospital where he was pronounced dead shortly afterward turning the incident into a double homicide investigation at the Ryan Place address in Lexington.
The victims were a mother and son living at the Lexington home with Jennifer Marsaw’s estranged partner Irving Van Marsaw, 53, of Minneapolis identified as the suspect. Other children in the home escaped unharmed ran to a neighbor’s house and called 911 after hearing multiple pops as they approached the residence.
Law enforcement used a K-9 unit to search the surrounding wooded area locating Irving Marsaw nearby where he was apprehended around 1:33 a.m. A 9mm handgun was later recovered in the woods along his path of flight from the 9300 block of Ryan Place.
Irving Van Marsaw was initially taken to a hospital for treatment of minor injuries before being released to the Anoka County Jail. He faces two counts of second-degree murder with intent in connection with the deaths of Jennifer Sue Marsaw and Marzai Andrew Dawson.
Court documents detail a history of reported physical and verbal abuse with Jennifer Marsaw obtaining temporary protection orders in recent months that were later dismissed at her request. The charges stem directly from the shooting inside the Lexington residence where the estranged couple had ongoing relationship issues.
The Anoka County Sheriff’s Office coordinated with the Centennial Lakes Police Department and other agencies to process the scene at the 9300 block of Ryan Place confirming no additional injuries or threats to the public. Investigators recovered evidence from inside the home and the nearby wooded area while interviewing witnesses and reviewing any available surveillance. The case has been classified as a domestic-related double homicide with the suspect’s arrest providing immediate resolution to the manhunt in the Lexington neighborhood.
Family members have expressed profound grief over the loss of Jennifer Sue Marsaw and her young son Marzai Andrew Dawson describing the tragedy as the culmination of a relentlessly violent relationship. Neighbors in the 9300 block of Ryan Place have shared support for the surviving children who witnessed the aftermath and sought help from a nearby home. The community in Lexington and broader Anoka County has rallied with prayers and calls for stronger domestic violence intervention resources following the events at the residential address.
The investigation remains active with the Anoka County Sheriff’s Office and assisting agencies reviewing forensic evidence statements and the suspect’s history at the Ryan Place residence in Lexington. Anyone with additional information is urged to contact authorities as the case proceeds through the court system. The double homicide at the 9300 block of Ryan Place has left a lasting impact on the Lexington community where residents continue to process the sudden loss of a mother and child in their neighborhood.
