On a freezing January in 1992, five teenage girls crowded into a car. Her parents, Stephen Sharer and Jacqueline Vaught got divorced when Shanda was very young. Sharer said that she could not go because her parents were awake, and she told the girls to come back around midnight, a few hours later. [67], The poem In God's Arms by author Lacy Gray dedicated to the family of Shanda Renee Sharer. 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. Nationality: American. You have permission to edit this article. 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. [55], On April 28, 2006, Rippey was released from Indiana Women's Prison on parole after serving 14 years of her original sentence. It was Shanda, and the investigation revealed that she had been burned alive after being tortured for hours. LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The last of four teenagers convicted of the kidnapping, torture and murder of a 12-year-old girl has been released from prison. A sleepy Indiana town awoke one chilly morning in the winter of 1992 to discover the lifeless body of 12-year-old Shanda Sharer in an open field. On this particular weekend Shanda had been staying with her father, Steve Sharer, and Melinda knew it. From what we can tell, she chooses to keep a low profile and spends time with her children and father. Loveless trained dogs for the program for several years. I think the ICAN program allows her to have something in her life that she can show love back to and theres never betrayal on either side.. Pretty much, they'd been a group of strangers who came together in order to murder an innocent 12 year old stranger. Shanda endured hell and was later put in the trunk of the car, only in her underwear. I saw someone almost reborn. She's (Shanda) my child. As per the show, she was jealous of Shanda and had written angry letters to Amanda about killing her perceived competition. Concerned about the effects of their daughter's relationship with Heavrin, Sharer's parents arranged for her to transfer to a Catholic school in late November. [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. During the episode, Tackett said that if she could go back, she wouldn't have been there that nightand she would have done everything in her power to stop it. Please logout and login again. Sharer moved to New Albany with her. Among his complaints were that he was not allowed to sleep in his bed during the day or to read the newspaper. 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. After treatment of her wound, she was admitted to the hospital's psychiatric ward. The 12-year-old seemed to have things working for her, and when she went missing, she was enrolled in a Catholic school. [26] Heavrin states she gave letters Loveless sent her containing death threats towards Sharer to a "youth prosecutor", but the youth prosecutor never did anything about it as far as she knew. She was 12 years old at the time of her death. Loveless explained to the two other girls that she disliked Sharer for being a copycat and for stealing her girlfriend.[28]. Sharer was reluctant to go with them, yet agreed after changing her clothes. And I know what my child would want. She had been stabbed, strangled, beaten and burned alive. Jacqueline was divorced from Shandas father, but they moved to New Albany, Indiana, to be closer to him. She took up Charlie, the breeder, on his idea to donate a puppy in Shanda's honor, and she let Melinda loveless train her. [66], The poem The Whole World Is Singing by Daphne Gottlieb, is told from the point of view of Shanda Sharer and includes lines from notes written from Shanda Sharer to Amanda Heavrin. 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. The details of her murder shocked the area. They initially suspected a drug deal gone wrong and did not believe the crime had been committed by locals. Amanda. Upon arrival, they borrowed some clothes from Loveless, and she showed them a knife, telling them she was going to scare Sharer with it. Loveless was not convinced Sharer was dead, so they returned a few minutes later to pour the rest of the gasoline on her. The church later arranged for Melinda to be taken to a motel room with a 50-year-old man for a five-hour exorcism. They entered plea bargains to avoid the death penalty. If you dont let good things come from bad things nothing gets better. Sharer was tortured, beaten and burned in a rural area of Jefferson County, Indiana. Her case attracted nationwide attention due to its gruesome nature. "I liked it because it wasn't planned," said Loveless. If you don't let good things come from bad things, nothing gets better. In exchange for her cooperation, Lawrence was allowed to plead guilty to one count of criminal confinement and was sentenced to a maximum of 20 years. 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. At this point, Sharers mother transferred her to Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic School in order to protect her. They left soon after, fearing they had drawn attention to themselves. The same morning, a hunter found a badly burned body out in a field in Madison and called the authorities. Meanwhile, Tackett and Loveless both received 60-year sentences. She was sentenced to 60 years in prison but has served the required time for her release. She was, by all accounts, a normal girl who made friends easily and had fun at school dances. The authorities learned that while Shanda was in middle school, she befriended an older teenager named Amanda. They initially thought it was a mannequin of some sort, but upon exiting the vehicle realized that it was clearly the burned body of a child. She drove to the burn pile, where they opened the trunk to stare at Sharer. The 12-year-old began to cry and tried to answer Loveless' questions, testimony showed. The Shanda Sharer Murder. "I was the monster. Shanda attended fifth and sixth grades in Louisville at St. Paul School where she was on the cheer leading, volleyball and softball teams. Shanda Rene Sharer (June 6, 1979 - January 11, 1992) was an American girl who was murdered by a group of girls in early 1992. [69][70], The Cold Case second-season episode "The Sleepover" is loosely based on this crime. Parents: Jacqueline Vaught, Stephen Sharer. He would also "share" her with some of his friends from work, which she found disgusting. In January 1992, Shanda Sharer was brutally tortured and murdered by four teenage girls, led by Melinda Loveless, a 17-year-old girl from Louisville. She told Heavrin that they had killed Sharer and arranged to pick up Heavrin later that day. Shanda Sharer was born on June 6, 1979 in Pineville, Kentucky to Steve Sharer and Jacqueline Vaught. She did a good thing. Be the first one to comment on this story. I read the book about the case. The perpetrators were four teenage girls who committed unspeakable crimes under the influence of teenage jealousy and peer pressure. In January 2018, Mary was released from prison and was on parole for a year after that. Shanda Rene Sharer (June 6, 1979 - January 11, 1992) was an American girl who was tortured and burned to death in Madison, Indiana by four teenage girls. I was really taken aback, Vaught said after watching. Melinda Loveless, 17, Laurie Tackett, 17, Hope Rippey, 16, and Toni Lawrence, 16, plotted to murder Shanda as retaliation for Shanda dating Loveless's ex-girlfriend, Amanda Heavrin. Jacque saw something she had never seen before. For nearly eight hours, the girls sexually assaulted and tortured Shanda Sharer, except for Toni Lawrence which refused to participate in the heinous act. Rippey and Lawrence, while both friends of Tackett, had not previously met Loveless (16). Rippey sprayed Sharer with Windex and taunted, "You're not looking so hot now, are you? That said, Loveless did have a difficult childhood. Loveless is the last of the four to be released from prison. At a remote trash dump in a densely overgrown area, Loveless and her gang stripped the clothes from Sharer's body, punched her repeatedly, sprayed window cleaner into her eyes. He would also embarrass his children by finding their underwear and smelling it in front of other family members. [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. [22], Toni Lawrence was born in Madison on February 14, 1976. Shanda's parents divorced when she was young, and she ended up . There, they cold-heartedly beat and terrorized the girl. In an interview with Shanda Sharer's mother, Jacque Vaught, on the Investigation Discovery series Deadly Women, Vaught stated that Sharer's father was so destroyed by his daughter's murder that he "did everything he could to kill himself besides put a gun to his head" and that he "drank himself to death. She was close friends with Rippey from childhood. Her mom said that her daughter believed it was her destiny that she would murder someone in cold blood and spend the rest of her life in prison. After an inter-county investigation, Shippley contacted the Clark County sheriff and was finally able to match the body to Sharer's missing person report. Loveless and Tackett took turns stabbing Sharer in the chest. William DeLong is a freelance wordsmith. My child would want this., Loveless, for her part, feels as if Vaught is helping her to overcome her past. In 1994, Tackett and Loveless appealed their sentences, citing their difficult childhoods. But, that night, Lawrence and Rippey went straight to the Jefferson County Sheriffs office with their parents and spilled the whole story. Once they had her in their car, they beat and tortured her for hours before finally setting her on fire. The Shanda Sharer Murder has forever changed my life. It's something that should have never happened.". Sharer's mother, Jacque Vaught, told WAVE 3 News in 2007, when Loveless sought an early release, that Loveless was the mastermind of the crime. Eventually, they took her to another abandoned location and beat her mercilessly before stabbing her in the chest repeatedly. Heavrin promised she would not before entering her house. Vaught stated that she hoped to donate a dog every year in honor of Shanda Sharer. [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. Jacque said she still has no plans to meet face-to-face with her daughter's killers. 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. It was a crime of passion and peer pressure committed by four teenage girls. The incident attracted international attention due to both the brutality of the murder and the young age of the perpetrators, who were aged . She was 12 years old at the time of her death. Her parents resumed their relationship in Madison in 1987. All four girls were tried as adults and accepted plea bargains in order to avoid the death penalty. And also don't understand your outrage. There were also reports of the victim being sexually assaulted with the same weapon. [49] Tackett was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder and suffering from hallucinations. In seven years, Loveless has become one of the most trusted and competent trainers in the Indiana Canine Assistance Network (ICAN) program. Its something that should have never happened., Furthermore, in an interview on Dr. Phil, the convicted killer explained why she thinks people kill. Lawrence and Rippey were frightened and stayed in the car. [47] Loveless and Tackett were arrested on January 12. Wikimedia CommonsA small memorial to Shanda Sharer in the field where she died. Then, the three girls drove to pick up Heavrin and take her back to the Loveless home, where they told Heavrin the story. 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. While Tackett went inside to ask for directions, Lawrence called a boy she knew in Louisville and chatted for several minutes to ease her worries, but did not mention Sharer's abduction. Larry and Marjorie gave full confession and renounced drinking and swinging while they were members. WARNING: This article contains graphic content related to physical and s*xual violence and murder. Copyright 2019 by WDRB Media. And Im doing it for her.. He said that Loveless had been "profoundly retarded" by childhood abuse. Witnesses said thatLoveless plotted to kill Sharer because she believed Sharer had stolen her 15-year-old girlfriend from her. Tackett told people in one interview that, I didnt know Shanda at all. Known For: Being Tortured and killed by 4 teenage girls. The murder of Shanda Sharer occured in Madison, Indiana early in the morning on January 11, 1982. Her family has long suspected that her killer is someone she knew, but they have never been able to prove it. Meanwhile, Lawrence and Rippey stayed behind in Tacketts car. Lawrence, Rippey, and Tackett all had histories of self-harming behavior. Sharer was tortured, beaten and burned in a rural area of Jefferson County, Indiana. Shanda Sharer's mother and murderer form unlikely alliance, 1 dead in crash on I-264 West in Brownsboro Road area; all lanes reopened, 18-year-old killed in west Louisville hit-and run identified; police searching for suspect, PREVIOUS STORY: Judge denies Loveless' request for earlyrelease in torture-killing. The description matched his Jane Doe. She became promiscuous, began to self-harm, and attempted suicide in eighth grade. In October of that year, the pair attended a school dance together. The girls then drove to the field near Madison, covered her with a blanket, and poured gasoline on her. After another divorce, she moved her family to New Albany, Indiana. The incident attracted international attention due to both the brutality of the murder and the young age of the perpetrators, who were aged between 15 and 17 years old. "I've loved her, I've cried on her. Shanda Sherer Shanda Sherer Shanda Sherer was born on June 6, 1979, in Pineville, Kentucky. Rippey was released on parole on April 28, 2006, from Indiana Women's Prison after serving 14 years of her original sentence. So, lets find out more about this case then, shall we? Date of birth: 6 June 1979. Sharer was twelve year old girl from Indiana, USA. Four teenage girls lured 12-year-old Shanda Sharer to the witch's castle at midnight on the pretense that another friend was in desperate trouble. Melinda felt crushed, especially when Larry remarried. Join Mike and Morf as they discuss the murder of Shanda Sharer. Melinda is training Angel to help someone in need, but Angel is already helping her. Rippey was sentenced to 60 years, with 10 years suspended due to mitigating circumstances plus 10 years of medium-supervision probation. "Odle comes in, and he's going to set with them, and they're going him hug him, and they're going to talk to him to make it easier for them," said Loveless. Shanda was born on June 6th, 1979, and was born in Pineville, Kentucky. They called the police at 10:55a.m. and were asked to return to the corpse. 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. 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. But in 2004, five years were shaved off her sentence for good behavior. While the four decided never to talk about it, Toni couldnt take it anymore and confessed to the police. And I know what my child would want. Her father, a Vietnam veteran, sexually abused her and her siblings when they were younger and experts have attributed her anger to that abuse (for which he was later arrested and convicted). When her parents divorced, her mother married another man and Rippey came out of the car to hold down Sharer. Rippey asked about Sharer, and Tackett laughingly described the torture. She served over 26 years in prison and will continue to serve parole in Jefferson County, Kentucky. At the Witch's Castle, they took a sobbing Sharer inside and bound her arms and legs with rope. Shanda Renee Sharer (June 6, 1979 - January 11, 1992) was an American girl who was tortured and burned to death in Madison, Indiana by Melinda Loveless, Laurie Tackett, Hope Rippey, and Toni Lawrence. After reading about the murder of Bobby Kent that inspired the film "Bully," learn about . Court testimony showed Loveless wanted Sharer killed because the two competed for the affections of the same girl. Shanda Sharer was a 12 year old girl living in the idyllic town of Madison, Indiana. As they got in the car, Rippey began questioning Sharer about her relationship with Heavrin. I was only 10 years old when she was killed, but her death has impacted me more than anyone could have imagined. Tackett was released in 2018, and served probation for one year. Larry became a marriage counselor with the church and acquired a reputation for being too forward with women, eventually attempting to rape one of them. But it was one such dance that set in motion a chain of events that would soon bring Shanda Sharers life to a gruesome, torturous end at the hands of four teenage girls. Three more hours later, they took her to another . [72], The murder of Sharer was covered in the first of two segments in the Lifetime series Killer Kids, episode "Jealousy", aired: July 2014. [65] The play was published by Samuel French, Inc. in September 2009. Shanda was best friends with her mom, and close with her father and stepmother, Sharon. Tackett told the girls that a local legend said the house was once owned by nine witches and that townspeople burned down the house to get rid of the witches.[33]. Her parents were Stephen Sharer and Jacqueline Vaught. During Loveless's sentencing hearing, extensive open court testimony revealed that her father Larry had abused his wife, his daughters, and other children. Clockwise from top left: Melinda Loveless, Laurie Tackett, Hope Rippey, and Toni Lawrence. He received a sentence of time served and was released in June 1995. State trooper David Camm and Jefferson County Sheriff Buck Shippley and detectives began an investigation, collecting forensic evidence at the scene. She said her goal is to make Shanda proud of her, and she believes Angel would do that. Despite a desperate search, there was no sign of Shanda, and the family filed a missing person report. Loveless was released from Indiana Women's Prison on September 5, 2019. The whole episode I refer to Shanda as Shandra. Melinda Loveless, now 43, was released from the Indiana Women's Prison in Indianapolis on Thursday, according to a spokeswoman for the Indiana Department of Correction. [14], Tackett became increasingly rebellious after her 15th birthday and also became fascinated with the occult. When they pulled up in front of her house, Loveless kissed Heavrin, told her she loved her and pleaded with her not to tell anyone. Mary also grew up in a sheltered environment and was rebellious. Furthermore, Melinda had a rough childhood, with her father being accused of sexual abuse. First, they took Sharer to a remote trash dump near a logging road in a densely forested area. Shanda Sharer. Behind bars, she trains puppies to be assistance dogs for disabled people. 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