They returned to the car but became lost again and pulled up to another gas station. The incident attracted international attention due to both the brutality of the murder and the young age of the perpetrators, who were aged . [21] As with the other girls, Rippey began to self-harm at age 15. Washington, Vine Grove man accused of trying to kill a police officer, Baxter Avenue Theatres in the Highlands reopens after brief closure due to water main break, Crestwood man facing more than 100 child pornography charges, Prospect sues to stop low-income apartment development, Construction progressing for outdoor game yard at riverfront near downtown Louisville, 1 killed in collision with semi tractor-trailer on I-264 near Brownsboro Road early Tuesday, Kentucky's largest accounting, advisory firm relocating downtown Louisville office to PNC Tower, WDRB FCC Applications & Related Materials. On appeal, a judge reduced the sentence to 35 years. "I liked it because it wasn't planned," said Loveless. Indiana Offenders | National Organization of Victims of . Loveless hit the victims face with her knee until she bled profusely from her mouth. During Loveless's sentencing hearing, extensive open court testimony revealed that her father Larry had abused his wife, his daughters, and other children. Finally, in the early morning hours, the torturers stopped at a gas station and bought a two-liter bottle of Pepsi, which they quickly emptied and refilled with gasoline. Loveless ordered Sharer to tell the truth about stealing the girlfriend or have her throat slit. "That's the one Jacque had touched, had held, had named. She was compassionate. April 25, 2016. The fund planned to provide scholarships to two students per year from Prosser School of Technology in New Albany; one scholarship to a student who is continuing his or her education, and the other scholarship to a student who is beginning his or her career and must buy tools or other work equipment. Hope was handed down a 40-year sentence for her involvement, and she was supposed to serve 17-and-a-half years of it behind bars. Melinda has also reportedly changed her name since her release and prefers to stay away from the public eyes. Sharer was tortured, beaten and burned in a rural area of Jefferson County, Indiana. The murder of Shanda Sharer occured in Madison, Indiana early in the morning on January 11, 1982. [59][60] A few weeks following his release, Larry unsuccessfully sued the Floyd County Jail for $39 million in federal court, alleging he had suffered cruel and unusual punishment during his two-year incarceration. [18] In December, Tackett moved back to Madison on the promise that her father would buy her a car. In the end, Melinda and Mary pleaded guilty to murder, arson, and criminal confinement, receiving a 60-year sentence in January 1993. [24], Heavrin met Shanda Sharer early in the fall semester at Hazelwood Junior High when they got into a fight; however, they became friends while in detention for the altercation, and later exchanged romantic letters. On the cold winter night of Jan. 10, 1992, Loveless enlisted three friends Laurie Tackett (17), Hope Rippey (15), and Toni Lawrence (15) to help her take her revenge on Shanda Sharer. There, Lawrence and Rippey spotted a couple of boys and talked to them before once again getting back into the car and leaving, arriving some time later at the edge of some woods near Tackett's home in Madison. After that incident, she refused him sex for a month, until he raped her as their daughters overheard the event through a closed door. That's all I've ever said.". The details of her murder shocked the area. MADISON, Ind. The three other girls assumed Loveless was simply going to scare Sharer into breaking up with Heavrin. They left soon after, fearing they had drawn attention to themselves. Larry and Marjorie gave full confession and renounced drinking and swinging while they were members. They then strangled Sharer with a rope until she was unconscious, placed her in the trunk of the car, and told the other two girls that Sharer was dead. During her sentencing hearingin 1993, Tackettconceded that she let opportunities to save Sharer's life slip awayand that she was too afraid to stop it. Consequently, he was arrested in February 1993 on charges of rape, sodomy, and sexual battery. She was close to her mother, Jacqueline Vaught, who said her daughter was good at gymnastics, basketball, and baseball and was a cheerleader. She said her goal is to make Shanda proud of her, and she believes Angel would do that. "I saw someone who was almost reborn.". Jacqueline made her daughter switch schools, and that seemed to work. The girls drove Sharer to Witches Castle in Utica where they bound her legs and arms and began their torture of the twelve-year-old girl. After more than seven hoursof torture, the girls ended itby soaking Sharer with gasoline and burning her alive alongside a country road, evidence revealed. Heavrin was horrified and asked to be taken home. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. Shanda was the kind of girl you wanted to be friends with; she was bubbly, outgoing and a lot of fun. Two days later, with her girlfriend and Toni Lawrence, Tackett cut her wrists deeply and was returned to the hospital. She confessed to her involvement and said three others were involved: Hope Rippey, then 15, Mary Tackett, then 17, and Melinda Loveless, then 16. That torture wasnt enough to satiate the older girls. Larry became a Baptist lay preacher and Marjorie became the school nurse. [51] Rippey was sentenced to 60 years, with 10 years suspended for mitigating circumstances, plus 10 years of medium-supervision probation. She remained on supervised parole until April 2011. Loveless is the last of the four to be released from prison. Sharer's mother and sister were also guests on the show. After reading about the murder of Bobby Kent that inspired the film "Bully," learn about . [62] By November 2018 Shanda's mother Jacque Vaught stated that the scholarship fund had been depleted and is no longer accepting donations. [17], Tackett stayed in Louisville in October 1991 to live with various friends. [45], All four girls were charged as adults. And I know what my child would want. The 12-year-old seemed to have things working for her, and when she went missing, she was enrolled in a Catholic school. Shipley felt his heart sink as he read the description - blonde hair, five feet tall, around 100 pounds. It's something that should have never happened.". Jacque Vaught said she hopes to give away a service dog raised in prison every year in Shanda's name, and she is open to Melinda raising more of them. From what we can tell, she chooses to keep a low profile and spends time with her children and father. Sharer continued to make crying and gurgling noises, so Tackett stopped the car. It was also found that the victim's face and hands were burnt in an attempt to keep her unrecognizable and unidentifiable. Death of Innocence - The Murder of Young Shanda Sharer BY David Lohr Autopsy On Sunday morning, Dr. George Nichols conducted Shanda's autopsy. The man definitely died from a broken heart".[61]. [52], On January 8, 2008, Loveless's request was rejected by Jefferson Circuit Judge Ted Todd. [58] After serving 26+ years in prison, she will serve parole in Jefferson County, Kentucky. Thereafter, Minato and Miyano, then aged 15 and 18, respectively, and two other youths took her to a residence in the Ayase area of Adachi Ward . She still spent most of her time in Louisville and New Albany, and, by December, spent most of it with Loveless. Tackett made Rippey pour the gasoline on Sharer, and then they set her on fire. Florida Grandma Takes Out Dentures To Scare Off Naked Intruder, What Stephen Hawking Thinks Threatens Humankind The Most, 27 Raw Images Of When Punk Ruled New York, Join The All That's Interesting Weekly Dispatch. Everyone involved had been sworn to secrecy. When they divorced; Jacqueline remarried and moved to Louisville, Kentucky. Craig Schoonover made that statement after Melinda. Her parents discovered the self-mutilation and checked her into a hospital on March 19, 1991. [55], On April 28, 2006, Rippey was released from Indiana Women's Prison on parole after serving 14 years of her original sentence. Rippey was sentenced to 60 years, with 10 years suspended due to mitigating circumstances plus 10 years of medium-supervision probation. 'Wow.'". To further threaten Sharer, Tackett then retrieved a shirt with a smiley design from the car and lit it on fire, but immediately feared that the fire would be spotted by passing cars, so the girls left with Sharer. She was close friends with Rippey from childhood. Most of the crimes occurred from 1968 to 1977. The Events Leading to the Murder At the time of her murder, Shanda Renee Sharer was the 12-year old daughter of divorced parents, attending school at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic school in New Albany, Indiana, after transferring the previous year from Hazelwood Middle School. Shanda Sharer was born on June 6, 1979 in Pineville, Kentucky to Steve Sharer and Jacqueline Vaught. After another divorce, she moved her family to New Albany, Indiana. But 20 years later, something no one expected happened. While she was furious at first, she accepted her daughter's lifestyle. In November, 1988, Minato (then using the first name Nobuharu) and Hiroshi Miyano (now using the surname Yokoyama), worked together to abduct Junko Furuta as she commuted home from a part-time job. Clockwise from top left: Melinda Loveless, Laurie Tackett, Hope Rippey, and Toni Lawrence. People were even more shocked when it was revealed that four teenage girls were responsible for the brutal murder. But a dog named Angel is a dog like no other -- a four-legged conduit to Melinda's victim, Shanda Sharer. It was published February 8, 1993 and May 11, 1995 in the Jeffersonville, Indiana-based newspaper, The Evening News. They both gave very rambling statements, identifying the victim as "Shanda", naming the two other girls involved as best as they could, and describing the main events of the previous night. (Sun. Shanda Sharer was born on June 6, 1979 to her father Stephen, and her mother Jacqueline. Her parents would eventually divorce, and Shanda's mother Jacque would move the family to New Albany, Indiana in June 1991. Tackett was released in 2018, and served probation for one year. One of the four women convicted of beating, burning and killing 12-year-old Shanda Renee Sharer in 1992 was released Thursday from prison on the 26th anniversary of the girl's body being found.. After that incident, the Loveless parents left the church and returned to their former professions and drinking. [35], The girls drove to Tackett's nearby home and went inside to drink soda and clean themselves. All four girls were tried as adults and accepted plea bargains in order to avoid the death penalty. [75], American artist Marlene McCarty used the Shanda Sharer murder as one of the subjects for her Murder Girls series of drawings about teenage female murderers, their sexuality and their relationships. After this look at the murder of Shanda Sharer, read about the disturbing killing of James Bulger. They removed her jewelry and began threatening to cut off all Sharer's hair before they eventually lit a fire. [53] On November 14, 2008, Loveless's appeal was denied by the Indiana Court of Appeals, upholding Judge Todd's ruling. Vaught stated that she hoped to donate a dog every year in honor of Shanda Sharer. Shanda was born in Pineville, Kentucky on June 6th, 1979 to Stephen Sharer and his wife Jacqueline, who was later known as Jacqueline Vaught. [47] Loveless and Tackett were arrested on January 12. Shanda Renee Sharer was a 12 year old who was brutally murdered and tortured by 4 teenage girls (between the ages 15 and 17) in January 12, 1992. She did a good thing. Again driving to a remote location, the girls hauled their still-alive victim now only able to whimper mommy out of the trunk, wrapped her in a blanket, and poured the gasoline on her. However, Amanda was in an on-and-off relationship with Loveless, who could not handle the jealousy and made public threats to kill Sharer. The killers looked no different than girls I knew in school who walked around, wreaking havoc and completely out of control. Unfortunately, that did nothing to stop the horrific events that would soon unfold. In March 1991, Loveless revealed to her mother that she was a lesbian. [49] Tackett was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder and suffering from hallucinations. They initially suspected a drug deal gone wrong and did not believe the crime had been committed by locals. There, Sharer and Heavrin were confronted by 16-year-old Melinda Loveless, who had previously been dating Heavrin for more than a year and was now extremely jealous of this new pairing. Ultimately four teenage girls would be arrested and charged for the murd. [22], Toni Lawrence was born in Madison on February 14, 1976. Did The U.S. Please logout and login again. Both Heavrin and Wathen were reluctant to believe the story until Tackett showed them the trunk of the car with Sharer's bloody handprints and socks still present. It is also to be noted that her body was posed in a suggestive position, very obviously meaning that this was done on purpose and with intention. Toni was released in 2000 after serving almost nine years in prison, remaining on parole until late 2002. "She was compassionate. On this particular weekend Shanda had been staying with her father, Steve Sharer, and Melinda knew it. She convinced three other teens -- Hope Rippey, Laurie Tackett and Toni Lawrence -- to participate in the crime because she believed Sharer stole her girlfriend. Melinda felt crushed, especially when Larry remarried. That'sall it was. August 19, 2022 by Vim Buzz Local Correspondent American girl Shanda Rene Sharer (June 6, 1979 - January 11, 1992) was murdered in Madison, Indiana, by four teenage girls after being tortured and set ablaze. Catch the episode of The 1990s: The Deadliest Decade, titled The New Girl, on Investigation Discovery on August 19, 2022. Sharer and Heavrin became fast friends and then romantic partners. Small also argued that Loveless, who was 16 years old when she signed the plea agreement, was too young to enter into a contract in the state of Indiana without consent from a parent or guardian, which had not been obtained. Her parents were Stephen Sharer and Jacqueline Vaught. "We bring our challenges, many times, to Melinda because she's able to figure out what their strength is," said Sally Irvin of ICAN. "They're going to have that.". At present, all of them are out of prison, much before the end of their sentences. [68], "Mean", an episode from the fifth season of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, is based on the murder. The film also has three interviews with Loveless. I read the book about the case. Larry remained in prison for over two years awaiting trial; however, a judge eventually ruled that all charges except one count of sexual battery had to be dropped due to the statute of limitations, which was five years in Indiana. Jacque has faced criticism over her decision to let Shanda's killer honor her name. And I know what my child would want. The whole thing happened around the jealousy stemming from lesbian relationships. In 1992, 12-year-old Shanda Sharer was brutally murdered by four other girls. Veteran journalist and host of Investigation Discovery's "True Crime with Aphrodite Jones", Jones reveals the shocking truth behind the most savage crime in Indiana history-the torture, mutilation, and murder of 12-year-old Shanda Sharer by four teenage girls. As the four girls ate breakfast at McDonalds just after the killing, the four girls laughed as they compared their sausage breakfast to Shanda Sharers burnt corpse. When they heard Sharer screaming in the trunk, Tackett went out with a paring knife and stabbed her several more times, coming back a few minutes later covered with blood. On the cold winter night of Jan. 10, 1992, Loveless enlisted three friends Laurie Tackett (17), Hope Rippey (15), and Toni Lawrence (15) to help her take her revenge on Shanda Sharer. And Im doing it for her.. Although Heavrin and Loveless had never formally ended their relationship, Loveless started to date an older girl. 12-year-old Shanda Sharer was murdered in 1992. Vaught reported that she had endured criticism over the decision, but defends it saying, "It's my choice to make. In the back seat, Melinda Loveless was hiding under a blanket with a knife. The details of her murder shocked the area. Photos: Kent's killers; Then-Now - Sun-Sentinel [29] Loveless was angry at first, but Rippey and Lawrence assured her about returning for Sharer later. Her father was a boilermaker. Court testimony indicates that the four girls lured Sharer from her home the night of Jan. 10, 1992, on the pretense that she was being taken to meet her new girlfriend. Instead, they stabbed her in the chest and strangled her with a rope before throwing her in the trunk of the car, thinking she was dead. I was only 10 years old when she was killed, but her death has impacted me more than anyone could have imagined. Shanda moved around a few times due to her parents divorcing. She was reunited with friends Tackett and Toni Lawrence, whom she had known since childhood, although her parents saw Tackett as a bad influence. Sharer was twelve year old girl from Indiana, USA. It was a crime of passion and peer pressure committed by four teenage girls. Melinda Loveless, the mastermind behind the cruel gang rape torture-murder of 12-year-old Shanda Sharer in 1992 was released on Thursday, Sept. 5, after serving more than 26 years in prison. The case was covered on national news and talk shows and has inspired a number of episodes on fictional crime shows. The prosecution immediately declared its intention to try both Loveless and Tackett as adults. In October 2007, Loveless's attorney, Mark Small, requested a hearing to argue for his client's release. Ididn't," Tackett said. She then attempted suicide again, and her daughters called authorities. Pretty much, they'd been a group of strangers who came together in order to murder an innocent 12 year old stranger. In early October 1991, Heavrin and Sharer attended a school dance, where Loveless found and confronted them. Two other defendants, Toni Lawrence and Hope A. Rippey, were sentenced to 20 years and 50years respectively, according to IndyStar archives. Melinda almost immediately found Amanda (the same day Shanda's body was found) and told her the whole story. Hours later they took Shanda to another remote location and continued brutalizing her. When they arrived at Sharer's house at 12:30a.m., Lawrence refused to retrieve Sharer, so Tackett and Rippey went to the door. Shanda Sharer met classmate Amanda Heavrin at Hazelwood in 1991, soon after moving to the area with her recently divorced mother from Kentucky. Mary Laurine "Laurie" Tackett, 43, of Madison, was released shortly after midnight, according to officials from the Indiana Department of Correction. why taoism is often misunderstood as a superstitious religion because eric montross big grits eric montross big grits Shanda would start attending Hazelwood Middle School and was quickly making friends. In May 1989, her mother discovered that Tackett was changing from a dress into jeans at school, and, after a confrontation that night, attempted to strangle her. Furthermore, Melinda had a rough childhood, with her father being accused of sexual abuse. Turning cloudy, a shower possible after 3pm. [7], Marjorie had worked intermittently since 1974. Melinda Loveless has a new lease on life as a trainer of service dogs for the disabled. [36][37], Loveless and Tackett returned to Tackett's house just before daybreak to clean up again. Derek Kaufman bids his mother Joan Esposito farewell as he kisses her hand in court after his sentencing. Witnesses also testified that Tackett, who was obsessed with the occult and the notion of killing someone, had proposed asking Sharer's ghost during a seance how it felt to die by fire, according to IndyStar archives. "You know what, I didn't believe it," said Loveless of the gesture. Rippey asked about Sharer, and Tackett laughingly described the torture. Tackett then dropped off Lawrence and Rippey at their homes and finally returned to her own home with Loveless. I was really taken aback, Vaught said after watching. After Loveless's father left the family and her mother remarried, Loveless behaved erratically. Amanda. On the morning of Saturday, January 11, 1992, Canaan, Ind., resident Donn Foley and his brother Ralph were quail hunting in nearby Jefferson County when they spotted a strange object in a fallow soybean field near Lemon Road. [69][70], The Cold Case second-season episode "The Sleepover" is loosely based on this crime. Lawrence refused. Rippey was released on parole on April 28, 2006, from Indiana Women's Prison after serving 14 years of her original sentence. [73][74], The Investigation Discovery series The 1990s: The Deadliest Decade, episode "The New Girl" interviews Sharer's mother along with lead police officers, aired: November 2018. In January 1992, a horrifying discovery out in a field near Madison, Indiana, led the authorities on a shocking inquiry that ultimately led to the conviction of four teenagers. "I had many times said, "If you want to see as close to a person that has absolutely nothing inside of them, look into Melinda's eyes 'cause there's nothing there,'" Vaught said. At that point, Amanda was in an on-and-off relationship with another teenager, Melinda Loveless. Known For: Being Tortured and killed by 4 teenage girls. [72], The murder of Sharer was covered in the first of two segments in the Lifetime series Killer Kids, episode "Jealousy", aired: July 2014. Shanda Sharer, a young girl with a promising future, was the victim of a brutal torture death that has forever been imprinted into the minds of the locals. Wikimedia Commons Shanda Sharer In 1991, Shanda Sharer was a bubbly 12-year-old attending Hazelwood Middle School in New Albany, Ind. And I said. Lawrence and Rippey younger, less involved in the torture, and more forthcoming with authorities received lighter sentences, with Lawrence getting 20 years and Rippey getting 50 (shortened to 35 on appeal). 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