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Friends, family mourn teen in machete slaying
By MIKE BRASSFIELD
ST. PETERSBURG -- He was a soft-spoken, sickly little boy who grew up to become a funny young man who made friends laugh with his jokes and dance moves. Gregory Shannon had some more growing up to do, but he never made it to his 19th birthday. Shannon was the 18-year-old who was decapitated Monday morning by his girlfriend's ex-boyfriend, police say. On Tuesday, his friends and family could still hardly believe the news. Shannon, born and raised in St. Petersburg, attended Boca Ciega High School and worked odd jobs through a temporary workers agency. On Monday morning, Shannon was in bed in his girlfriend's house in the Childs Park neighborhood when Dennis George Roache broke in through a window and beheaded Shannon with a machete, police say. Roache, a 34-year-old with a history of erratic behavior, is charged with first-degree murder. He used to date Shannon's girlfriend, Monique Pennywell, 29, and he was angry because Shannon was dating her. Roache was in the Pinellas County Jail under a suicide watch Tuesday, in a cell by himself in the jail's medical wing. Shannon's family was seeking to make funeral arrangements, but nothing was set Tuesday. Shannon was a short man, about 5 feet 2. His friends called him "Little Greg." Despite his stature, he liked to play football; his favorite position was wide receiver. "He was funny. He always made you laugh," said Arlo Taylor, 18, who had been Shannon's best friend since they met in the third grade at Northwest Elementary School. Shannon liked rap music -- Juvenile, Tupac Shakur, Keith Sweat. He had dreams of becoming a rap producer, said another friend, Samantha Keeble, 19. Family members recalled how Shannon overcame health problems as a young boy. He had to undergo several operations. "He went through a lot as a little boy. He had at least three surgeries," said Arthur Fields Jr., a cousin who is now a minister in Ocala. "He was soft-spoken. It was always, "Yes, ma'am,' and "No, ma'am.' To me, he always was a very humble little boy."
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