Tragic Incident: Man Accused of Killing Estranged Partner and Young Son Amid Legal Dispute

A Minnesota man faces serious charges after allegedly murdering his estranged partner and her young son, mere hours following her announcement of pursuing legal action against him.

Irving Van Marsaw, aged 53, is accused of two counts of second-degree murder concerning the tragic deaths of 44-year-old Jennifer Sue Marsaw and her five-year-old son, Marzai Andrew Dawson. Currently, he is detained with bail set at $5 million.

According to a criminal complaint examined by Law&Crime, Irving Marsaw had a history of “assaulting” and making death threats against Jennifer Marsaw, with incidents reported as recently as March 3. Court documents further reveal a troubling pattern of abusive conduct.

In November 2025, Jennifer Marsaw sought a restraining order against her estranged partner, citing threats of harm if she failed to disclose her address, as reported by regional ABC affiliate KSTP. Her petition mentioned his attempts to manipulate her food support and disability benefits.

In a subsequent plea in February, Jennifer Marsaw requested another protective order, detailing threats made by the defendant to kill her and her children and alleging incidents of him entering her home uninvited and following her.

While both restraining orders were issued, records reviewed by KSTP show she asked for both to be withdrawn about a month after each was granted.

On March 17, Jennifer Marsaw “kicked Defendant out of the house after an argument involving Defendant holding a knife,” the criminal complaint states. The woman’s daughter said the last conversation she heard between the two was, at about 7 p.m., her mother “saying that Defendant better believe she was going to trial, to which Defendant responded, ‘Bet,’ and hung up.”

Hours later, after midnight, the daughter “went on a short walk outside” with two of her siblings. When they returned to their home on the 9300 block of Ryan Place in Lexington, Minnesota, about five minutes later, she heard several “pops.”

The daughter’s younger brother “ran into the home as Defendant walked out of the front door holding a handgun,” the complaint goes on. “Defendant made eye contact with her brother and paused as her brother ran into the home before Defendant ran to a shed on the property.”

Within a few seconds, the younger brother “came running out screaming that their mother and little brother were shot,” authorities stated. The daughter then assembled her siblings and “ran to a neighbor’s house” to call 911.

Officers with the Centennial Lakes Police Department arrived at the home at about 12:50 a.m. after the daughter had called and said her mother and brother “were shot inside their home” by a man named “Irving.” Officers noted that based on “prior contacts,” and with the description given, they identified their suspect as Irving Marsaw.

Police found Jennifer Marsaw “with apparent gunshot wounds to the chest.” Marzai, the 5-year-old boy, “was still breathing with apparent gunshot wounds to the chest and left arm.” He was brought to an area hospital where he was pronounced dead.

“Officers immediately established a perimeter and located Defendant hiding in a wooded area a few blocks west with the use of a K9 unit,” the complaint states. Irving Marsaw was taken into custody at 1:33 a.m. Several hours later, authorities found a 9 mm handgun across the street behind the residence.

Police said that while in custody, Irving Marsaw “made several statements referencing the incident insinuating it was committed ‘in the heat of passion.’”

The Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office conducted an autopsy on both shooting victims and found that Jennifer Marsaw’s cause of death was a gunshot wound to the chest “fired at contact range.” Marzai’s cause of death was determined to be “a gunshot wound to the back, fired at contact range.” The two “spent bullets” as well as an unspent round were found near the bodies.

Irving Marsaw was scheduled to appear in court for the first time on Friday, and he is set to return on April 14.