They entered plea bargains to avoid the death penalty. They lived in or near New Albany throughout Melinda's childhood. 12-year-old Shanda Sharer was murdered in 1992. They then tried to slit Sharers throat, but the knife was too dull. Jacque said she still has no plans to meet face-to-face with her daughter's killers. Loveless then convinced the other girls to take Sharer to a remote location where there would be no one else around for miles. Her name was Shanda Sharer; her age--twelve. She was sentenced to 60 years in prison but has served the required time for her release. [27], On the night of January 10, 1992, Lawrence (age 15), Rippey (15) and Tackett (17) drove in Tackett's car from Madison to Loveless's house in New Albany. Jacqueline was divorced from Shandas father, but they moved to New Albany, Indiana, to be closer to him. The killers looked no different than girls I knew in school who walked around, wreaking havoc and completely out of control. [2] After Sharer's parents divorced, her mother remarried and the family moved to Louisville. For seven hours, the four girls brutally tortured Shanda Sharer before ultimately killing her. Derek Kaufman,21, the tough gang leader who was found guilty of first-degree murder. After Loveless's father left the family and her mother remarried, Loveless behaved erratically. She has chosen to keep her life private since then, and not much is known about what she currently does; her last known location remains to be Indiana. She confessed to her involvement and said three others were involved: Hope Rippey, then 15, Mary Tackett, then 17, and Melinda Loveless, then 16. The girls then took Sharer into their car and told her they were going to drive her to the meeting place at the Witchs Castle, an isolated and abandoned house that served as a local teen hangout. Below read an excerpt from the book and delve into the tragic . It was a crime of passion and peer pressure committed by four teenage girls. 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. but the best I can do is admit to my mistake. Join Mike and Morf as they discuss the murder of Shanda Sharer. She was compassionate. 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.. In 1965, Larry became a probationary officer with the New Albany Police Department, but was fired after eight months when he and his partner assaulted an African-American man whom Larry accused of sleeping with his wife. An Indiana Department of Correction spokeswoman says 44-year-old Melinda Loveless was released from the Indiana Women's Prison in Indianapolis on Thursday after serving 23 years and eight months . In 2012, Jacque Vaught made her first contact with Melinda Loveless since the trials, although indirectly. She remained on parole until December 2002. The authorities learned that while Shanda was in middle school, she befriended an older teenager named Amanda. 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. She was sentenced to 60 years in prison but has served the required [] MADISON, Ind. However, Jacqueline forbade her daughter from seeing Amanda because of some letters she had written that were sexual in nature. "I liked it because it wasn't planned," said Loveless. Behind bars, she trains puppies to be assistance dogs for disabled people. Shanda Renee Sharer was born June 6th 1979 in Pineville, Kentucky. One of the dog breeders who supplies Indiana with pups is a burn victim, much like Shanda Sharer was. Sharer moved to New Albany with her mother in 1991 and developed a romantic relationship with Amanda Heavrin, a 15-year-old she met at school. My child would want this., Loveless, for her part, feels as if Vaught is helping her to overcome her past. Wikimedia Commons Shanda Sharer In 1991, Shanda Sharer was a bubbly 12-year-old attending Hazelwood Middle School in New Albany, Ind. [76] McCarty's drawing titled Melinda Loveless, Toni Lawrence, Hope Rippey, Laurie Tackett, and Shanda Sharer January 11, 1992 (1:39 am) (20002001) is now in the collection of the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles. Loveless was released in September 2019. She remained on parole until December 2002. 125 miles away, Shanda's mother, Jacque Vaught, still endures shockwaves from her daughter's brutal murder. She began attending Hazelwood Junior High School where she met Amanda Heavrin, 15, and developed a romantic interest in her. "If you don't let good things come from bad things, nothing gets better. Tackett told people in one interview that, I didnt know Shanda at all. A small memorial to Shanda Sharer in the field where she died. Loveless explained to the two other girls that she disliked Sharer for being a copycat and for stealing her girlfriend.[28]. Jacqueline made her daughter switch schools, and that seemed to work. Jacque never wanted contact with any of Shanda's killers. The four girls crossed the river to Louisville and attended a punk rock show by the band Sunspring[30] at the Audubon Skate Park near Interstate 65. And I said. 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. Shanda Sharer, 12 years old, had been reported missing by her parents some eight hours earlier. Shanda Renee Sharer (19791992) was a young girl who was tortured and burned to death in Madison, Indiana by four teenage girls. While Tackett, Rippey, and Lawrence had never met Sharer prior to that night, Tackett had already known of the plan to intimidate the 12-year-old girl. Melinda Loveless, now 43, left the Indiana Women's Prison in Indianapolis after serving nearly 24 years of a 60-year sentence for the brutal murder of 12-year-old Shanda Sharer in 1992. Tackett grew up in a strict religious household where normal teenager things were not welcome behaviors. Shanda would start attending Hazelwood Middle School and was quickly making friends. That said, Loveless did have a difficult childhood. 'Wow.'". Loveless admitted abducting Sharer, torturing her and burning her to death in Madison. The four girls abducted Sharer from her house at midnight on the pretext of driving her to meet Amanda in an abandoned building, where they tied her up and taunted her. shanda sharer killers where are they nowtransfer function of capacitor and resistor in parallel. Melinda Loveless has spent more than 7,000 sunrises and sunsets -- half her life -- behind razor wire. Its something that should have never happened., Furthermore, in an interview on Dr. Phil, the convicted killer explained why she thinks people kill. 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. [8], The Loveless parents would often visit bars in Louisville where Larry would pretend to be a doctor or a dentist and introduce Marjorie as his girlfriend. In early October 1991, Heavrin and Sharer attended a school dance, where Loveless found and confronted them. And I know what my child would want. Upon arrival, they borrowed some clothes from Loveless, and she showed them a knife, telling them she was going to scare Sharer with it. 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. 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. [39][40], The girls went to a McDonald's restaurant at 9:30a.m. for breakfast, where they laughed about Sharer's body looking like one of the sausages they were eating. She claimed that living with her family in Michigan was somewhat turbulent. [71], In May 2011, Dr. Phil aired a two-part series on the crime, which featured Shanda Sharer's mother and sister Paige, who both harshly confronted Hope Rippey on the show, and an interview with Amanda Heavrin. On appeal, a judge reduced the sentence to 35 years. He said that Loveless had been "profoundly retarded" by childhood abuse. And I know what my child would want. Next, Loveless repeatedly slammed Sharer's face into her knee, which cut Sharer's mouth on her own braces. When they divorced; Jacqueline remarried and moved to Louisville, Kentucky. But in 2004, five years were shaved off her sentence for good behavior. Sharer was tortured, beaten and burned in a rural area of Jefferson County, Indiana. In today's video, we talk about 1992 torture and murder of 12 year old Shanda Sharer where she was kidnapped, beaten, tortured, and then burned alive by four. They beat her, sodomized the 12-year-old with a tire iron, choked her with a cord, and sliced her legs with a knife. Co-defendants Laurie Tackett, Toni Lawrence and Hope Rippey were earlier released from prison. 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]. 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. That's all I've ever said.". Tackett beat her with a tire iron until she was silent, claiming that she felt the victim's head caving in, and then told Loveless to "smell it". Parents: Jacqueline Vaught, Stephen Sharer. She took up Charlie, the breeder, on his idea to donate a puppy in Shanda's honor, and she let Melinda loveless train her. [11], For two years, beginning when Melinda was five, the family was deeply involved in the Graceland Baptist Church. Shanda Renee 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. Sharer moved to New Albany with her. [56], Tackett was released from Rockville Correctional Facility on January 11, 2018, the 26th anniversary of Sharer's death, after serving nearly 26 years, and has completed an additional year of parole.[57]. Photos: Kent's killers; Then-Now - Sun-Sentinel You have permission to edit this article. If you dont let good things come from bad things nothing gets better. [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. Then, discover the story of teenage serial killer Harvey Robinson. Wikimedia CommonsA small memorial to Shanda Sharer in the field where she died. All four of them were tried as adults and received lengthy sentences instead of the death penalty due to the plea bargain they entered after pleading guilty to their crimes. [3] When her mother divorced again, the family moved in June 1991 to New Albany, Indiana, and Sharer enrolled at Hazelwood Middle School. 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. At 2:30a.m., Lawrence and Rippey stayed behind as Tackett and Loveless went "country cruising", driving to the nearby town of Canaan. The details of her murder shocked the area. The prosecution immediately declared its intention to try both Loveless and Tackett as adults. In 2012, Shanda Sharer's mother Jackie Vaught made headlines when she publicly forgave Melinda Loveless. Loveless began taking off Sharer's rings and handed each to the girls. It was only when the puppy, Angel, ran into her arms the first time they met in a crowd of people that Loveless believed it. Known as one of the youngest serial killers ever, Mary was just 10 when she murdered two boys, age four and three, both by strangulation. Be the first one to comment on this story. For hours, they tortured a barely conscious Sharer by assaulting her with a tire iron before ultimately taking her to a field and burning her alive. As of September 2019, all four had been released from prison at various times. 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. Lawrence was released from prison in 2000, and Rippey was released in 2006. Amanda. My child would want this." [29] Loveless was angry at first, but Rippey and Lawrence assured her about returning for Sharer later. Jacque has faced criticism over her decision to let Shanda's killer honor her name. 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. Upon further appeal, the judge reduced her sentence to 35 years. [60], Sharer's father, Steven Sharer, died of alcoholism in 2005 at the age of 53. Death of Innocence - The Murder of Young Shanda Sharer BY David Lohr Autopsy On Sunday morning, Dr. George Nichols conducted Shanda's autopsy. She's like my kid," said Loveless. She dropped out of high school in September 1991. 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. She still spent most of her time in Louisville and New Albany, and, by December, spent most of it with Loveless. But 20 years later, something no one expected happened. The Killing Field. And Im doing it for Shanda. It's something that should have never happened.". Thats all it was. When her parents divorced, her mother married another man and In October of that year, the pair attended a school dance together. He sent letters to her for a while, playing on her emotions, but eventually severed all contact with her, and in December 1998, he died. Sharer was tortured, beaten and burned in a rural area of Jefferson County, Indiana. why taoism is often misunderstood as a superstitious religion because eric montross big grits eric montross big grits "I was really taken aback," said Jacque. An Indiana Department of Correction spokeswoman says 44-year-old Melinda Loveless was released from the Indiana Womens Prison in Indianapolis on Thursday after serving 23 years and eight months of a 60-year sentence for the murder and criminal confinement of Shanda Sharer in 1992. More: Part 2: How fake witnesses, exposed surveillance operation unravel Grundy murder investigation, More: Burger Chef murder victim's mom had surprising thing to say after 1978 killings. [68], "Mean", an episode from the fifth season of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, is based on the murder. Known For: Being Tortured and killed by 4 teenage girls. 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. [2] After Sharer's parents divorced, her mother remarried and the family moved to Louisville. The Abduction. In 1991, Shanda Sharer was a bubbly 12-year-old attending Hazelwood Middle School in New Albany, Ind. I read the book about the case. [54], Lawrence was released on December 14, 2000, after serving nine years. He received a sentence of time served and was released in June 1995. The teens then bound, bludgeoned, choked, cut and sodomized Sharer at a remote location. Then they lit Shanda Sharer on fire and drove off. She went into counseling after the incident but did not follow through. Loveless served more than 26 years in prison for murder and criminal confinement. [47] Loveless and Tackett were arrested on January 12. I was really taken aback, Vaught said after watching. One of the four women convicted ofbeating, 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. Shanda Sharer met classmate Amanda Heavrin at Hazelwood in 1991, soon after moving to the area with her recently divorced mother from Kentucky. But Tackett also explained how after beating Sharerthey locked the injured but still-living girl in the trunk of her car and drove her to the spot where she was set on fire. Lastly, Loveless was released from Indiana Women's Prison on September 5, 2019. Shanda was the kind of girl you wanted to be friends with; she was bubbly, outgoing and a lot of fun. Lawrence and Rippey were frightened and stayed in the car. While the four decided never to talk about it, Toni couldnt take it anymore and confessed to the police. "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. [20] Her father was an engineer at a power plant. 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. They called the police at 10:55a.m. and were asked to return to the corpse. The breeder convinced Vaught to watch a video of Loveless grown up and see what she does in prison for the program. There had been just three other murders in the previous 12 years in the County, and none of them were as gruesome. LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A classmate of a southern Indiana girl murdered in 1992 said the Indiana justice system should be ashamed of itself. It is alleged that Loveless, Tackett, Rippey and Lawrence came from troubled or abusive . Slaughter 35,000 Civilians During One Korean War Massacre Or Is It North Korean Propaganda? Shanda Sharer was 12 years old on January 11, 1992 when she was brutally tortured and murdered by 4 teenage girls. Then, on the night the body was found, a 15-year-old girl, Toni Lawrence, walked into the police station claiming to know about the murder. If the judge accepted these arguments, Loveless could have been retried or released outright. Instead, they spent seven hours torturing Shanda, who would later suffer one of the worst deaths in history. From what we can tell, she chooses to keep a low profile and spends time with her children and father. The four teenagers were eventually arrested, and initially, Melinda and Mary pointed the finger at each other for the torture-murder. Her parents would eventually divorce, and Shanda's mother Jacque would move the family to New Albany, Indiana in June 1991. Two days later, with her girlfriend and Toni Lawrence, Tackett cut her wrists deeply and was returned to the hospital. Meanwhile, Lawrence and Rippey stayed behind in Tacketts car. She was sentenced to 60 years for murder. Three more hours later, they took her to another . The Shanda Sharer Murder has forever changed my life. Small stated that he would seek to have jurisdiction over the case moved to the Indiana Supreme Court. They drove towards Utica and the Witch's Castle. [7], Marjorie had worked intermittently since 1974. 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. The murder of Shanda Sharer occured in Madison, Indiana early in the morning on January 11, 1982. "You know what, I didn't believe it," said Loveless of the gesture. It was Shanda, and the investigation revealed that she had been burned alive after being tortured for hours. Rippey came out of the car to hold down Sharer. [PREVIOUS STORY: Judge denies Loveless' request for earlyrelease in torture-killing]. She enlisted the help of her friend Laurie Tackett, 17, and the latter's childhood friends Hope Rippey, 15, and Toni Lawrence, 15. 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. The Shanda Sharer Scholarship Fund was established in January 2009. Toni pleaded guilty to criminal confinement and received a 20-year sentence due to her cooperation. [46], Detectives obtained dental records that positively identified Sharer as the victim. Mary, Hope, and Toni drove to Shandas fathers place to lure her out sometime after 11:30 pm. On a freezing January in 1992, five teenage girls crowded into a car. There, Sharer attended fifth and sixth grades at St. Paul School, where she was on the cheerleading, volleyball, and softball teams. She remained on supervised parole until April 2011. [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. In March 1991, Loveless came out as a lesbian to her mother, who was initially furious but eventually accepted it. January 1992- New Albany, Indiana- 12 year old Shanda Sharer is abducted, tortured and killed by 4 teenage girls.I feel like I have done a huge disservice to Shanda and her family. They then went to Tacketts house to clean up and drink sodas before realizing that their victim, now screaming in the trunk, was still alive. 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. He would also "share" her with some of his friends from work, which she found disgusting. My child would want this.". [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. She did a good thing. I wish I had the time to re-record. I had never heard of Shanda Sharer before she was killed, but her murder has made me a fervent advocate for the prevention of crime. During the ride, Loveless said that she could not wait to kill Sharer; however, Loveless also said she just intended to use the knife to frighten her. [35], The girls drove to Tackett's nearby home and went inside to drink soda and clean themselves. [9] When Melinda was nine years old, Larry had Marjorie gang raped, after which she tried to drown herself.
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