The Abduction. She remained on supervised parole for 5 years until April 2011. Loveless, the one angry with Sharer and the ringleader behind the murder, naturally received a longer sentence than the two younger girls, but why would Tackett take so much to the killing and earn herself the longer sentence as well? [14], Tackett became increasingly rebellious after her 15th birthday and also became fascinated with the occult. Loveless and Tackett took turns stabbing Sharer in the chest. "She was compassionate. Loveless admitted abducting Sharer, torturing her and burning her to death in Madison. 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. Investigation Discoverys The 1990s: The Deadliest Decade: The New Girl chronicles what happened to Shanda and how four girls were responsible for her death. When her parents divorced, her mother married another man and [3], Melinda Loveless was born in New Albany on October 28, 1975, the youngest of three daughters, to Marjorie and Larry Loveless. Did The U.S. Rippey came out of the car to hold down Sharer. In October 2007, Loveless's attorney, Mark Small, requested a hearing to argue for his client's release. And I know what my child would want. Then, the three girls drove to pick up Heavrin and take her back to the Loveless home, where they told Heavrin the story. At that point, Amanda was in an on-and-off relationship with another teenager, Melinda Loveless. Loveless tried to slash Sharer's throat, but the knife was too dull. Shanda attended fifth and sixth grades in Louisville at St. Paul School where she was on the cheer leading, volleyball and softball teams. Witnesses said thatLoveless plotted to kill Sharer because she believed Sharer had stolen her 15-year-old girlfriend from her. 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. They entered plea bargains to avoid the death penalty. [68], "Mean", an episode from the fifth season of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, is based on the murder. 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. The details of her murder shocked the area. [1], Shanda Sharer was born in the Pineville Community Hospital in Pineville, Kentucky, on June 6, 1979, to Stephen Sharer and his wife Jacqueline, who was later known as Jacqueline Vaught. Sharer's body was found the morning of Jan. 11, 1992. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. Her name was Shanda Sharer; her age--twelve. [43], Sharer's father, Steven, noticed his daughter was nowhere to be found early on January 11. Shanda Sharer, 12 years old, had been reported missing by her parents some eight hours earlier. This tire-iron assault was off and on for hours as the girls went on a joyride through the countryside. 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. ""All I've ever said is, 'I just want them to serve their sentence.' The breeder convinced Vaught to watch a video of Loveless grown up and see what she does in prison for the program. Authorities quickly narrowed in on the killers four teenage girls, three of whom had never met the victim until . Consequently, he was arrested in February 1993 on charges of rape, sodomy, and sexual battery. They beat her, sodomized the 12-year-old with a tire iron, choked her with a cord, and sliced her legs with a knife. Her parents were Stephen Sharer and Jacqueline Vaught. The foursome drove to where Sharer was spending the weekend with her father. She did a good thing. She served over 26 years in prison and will continue to serve parole in Jefferson County, Kentucky. 12-year-old Shanda Sharer was murdered in 1992. But in prison, it seems as though Loveless has found some measure of escape from the cycle of violence and abuse. On this particular weekend Shanda had been staying with her father, Steve Sharer, and Melinda knew it. Tackett and Loveless were sentenced to 60 years in the Indiana Women's Prison in Indianapolis. Jacque has faced criticism over her decision to let Shanda's killer honor her name. Then, discover the story of teenage serial killer Harvey Robinson. The incident attracted international attention due to both the brutality of the murder and the young age of the perpetrators, who were aged . It spiraled out of control way too fast. [41], A friend of Loveless, Crystal Wathen, came over to Loveless's house, and they told her what had happened. I saw someone almost reborn. [23], In 1990, 14-year-old Loveless began dating another young girl named Amanda Heavrin. ", "Judge denies Loveless' request for early release in torture-killing", "Woman convicted in 1992 murder released from prison", "Mastermind behind brutal murder of Indiana girl in 1992 released from prison", "New Albany memorial focuses on Shanda, not her murder", "Shanda Sharer's mother and murderer form unlikely alliance", "In Cold Blood: A Daughter's Brutal Murder", "Watch Jealousy Full Episode - Killer Kids | Lifetime", "Sex and Death: Interview with Marlene McCarty", "MOCA Collection: Marlene McCarty: 20002001: Melinda Loveless, Toni Lawrence, Hope Rippey, Laurie Tackett, and Shanda Sharer January 11, 1992 (1:39 am)", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Murder_of_Shanda_Sharer&oldid=1133311329, Short description is different from Wikidata, Pages using embedded infobox templates with the title parameter, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Body of Shanda Sharer found in rural Jefferson County, Indiana, Loveless and Tackett accept plea bargains, A judge reduces Rippey's 60-year sentence to 35 years, This page was last edited on 13 January 2023, at 04:34. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. The perpetrators were four teenage girls who committed unspeakable crimes under the influence of teenage jealousy and peer pressure. Rippey was sentenced to 60 years, with 10 years suspended due to mitigating circumstances plus 10 years of medium-supervision probation. State trooper David Camm and Jefferson County Sheriff Buck Shippley and detectives began an investigation, collecting forensic evidence at the scene. [11], For two years, beginning when Melinda was five, the family was deeply involved in the Graceland Baptist Church. 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. shanda sharer killers where are they nowtransfer function of capacitor and resistor in parallel. Shanda Sharer was born in the Pineville Community Hospital in Pineville, Kentucky, on June 6, 1979, to Stephen Sharer and his wife Jacqueline, who was later known as Jacqueline Vaught. 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". As Shanda Sharers mother, Jacque Vaught, said in a 2012 interview, I had many times said if you want to see as close to a person who has absolutely nothing inside of them, look into Melindas eyes because theres nothing there.. 'Wow.'". Shanda Sharer was an ordinary Indiana teenager in 1992 until four girls tortured her for hours before finally killing her. 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. Full name: Shanda Rene Sharer. Tackett, who was 17 at the time of the killing, was charged as an adult and sentenced to 60 years in the Indiana Women's Prison in 1993 alongside co-defendantMelinda Loveless of New Albany. The details of her murder shocked the area. 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. She was abused by a relative at age 9 and was raped by a teenage boy at age 14, although the police only issued an order for the boy to keep away from Lawrence. An Indiana program called ICAN, or Indiana Canine Assistant Network, has been helping Loveless. Loveless hid under a blanket in the back seat of the car with the knife. [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. The next episode of Investigation Discovery's The 1990s: The Deadliest Decade will explore the horrifying torture and murder of 12-year-old Shanda Sharer in 1992. Mary Bell. 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. 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). Shanda Sharer was 12 years old on January 11, 1992 when she was brutally tortured and murdered by 4 teenage girls. On a freezing January in 1992, five teenage girls crowded into a car. The authorities learned that while Shanda was in middle school, she befriended an older teenager named Amanda. It's something that should have never happened.". So, lets find out more about this case then, shall we? After she washed, Tackett told the girls' futures with her "runestones". She demanded that the board be burnt and that the Rippey house be exorcised. She said her goal is to make Shanda proud of her, and she believes Angel would do that. She went into counseling after the incident but did not follow through. 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. 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. At this point, Sharers mother transferred her to Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic School in order to protect her. There she met Loveless; the two became friends in late November. Larry was drafted into the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War and although horribly emotionally scarred, he was treated as a hero upon his return. The case was covered on national news and talk shows and has inspired a number of episodes on fictional crime shows. "[38], The girls drove to a gas station near Madison Consolidated High School, pumped some gasoline into the car, and bought a two-liter bottle of Pepsi. This description of how the investigation unfolded . She was 12 years old at the time of her death. She dropped out of high school in September 1991. People were even more shocked when it was revealed that four teenage girls were responsible f Shanda Sharer, a 16-year-old girl from Missouri, was murdered in 1998. Vaught donated a dog named Angel in Shanda's name to Loveless to train for the Indiana Canine Assistance Network program (ICAN) through Project2heal, which provides service pets to people with disabilities. [21] As with the other girls, Rippey began to self-harm at age 15. Rippey and Lawrence, while both friends of Tackett, had not previously met Loveless (16). At present, all of them are out of prison, much before the end of their sentences. He would also "share" her with some of his friends from work, which she found disgusting. 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. 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. The prosecution immediately declared its intention to try both Loveless and Tackett as adults. Melinda has groomed Odle as a courtroom dog for abused and traumatized children. 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. Join Mike and Morf as they discuss the murder of Shanda Sharer. Although Heavrin and Loveless had never formally ended their relationship, Loveless started to date an older girl. And I know what my child would want. She was sentenced to 60 years for murder. The girls, who were all between the ages of 15 and 17, lured Shanda out of her home in the middle of the night and took her on a drive around southern Indiana. The grieving mother said she did it to honor her little girl, who she still thinks about every day. It was published February 8, 1993 and May 11, 1995 in the Jeffersonville, Indiana-based newspaper, The Evening News. She's my child," said Jacque. Be the first one to comment on this story. The whole episode I refer to Shanda as Shandra. Tackett made Rippey pour the gasoline on Sharer, and then they set her on fire. There, they cold-heartedly beat and terrorized the girl. Shanda was born in Pineville, Kentucky on June 6th, 1979 to Stephen Sharer and his wife Jacqueline, who was later known as Jacqueline Vaught. The murder of Shanda Sharer occured in Madison, Indiana early in the morning on January 11, 1982. [17], Tackett stayed in Louisville in October 1991 to live with various friends. I've given her medicine, her baths. There, Loveless taunted that she had pretty hair and wondered how pretty she would look if they were to cut it off, which frightened Sharer even more. Melinda Loveless was the ringleader responsible for the murder of Shanda Sharer, along with her three accomplices, Laurie Tackett, Hope Rippey and Toni Lawrence. Loveless ordered Sharer to tell the truth about stealing the girlfriend or have her throat slit. :confused:--If that's the book by true crime author Aphrodite Jones, I remember it very well At the Witch's Castle, they took a sobbing Sharer inside and bound her arms and legs with rope. Her family has long suspected that her killer is someone she knew, but they have never been able to prove it. "It's my choice to make. She passed away when she was 12 years old. After that incident, the Loveless parents left the church and returned to their former professions and drinking. Shanda was born in Pineville, Kentucky on the 6th of June 1979. Derek Kaufman bids his mother Joan Esposito farewell as he kisses her hand in court after his sentencing. Its my choice to make. 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. Three more hours later, they took her to another . Turning cloudy, a shower possible after 3pm. [13] Tackett and her mother came into periodic conflict; at one point, her mother went to Hope Rippey's house after learning that Rippey's father had purchased an ouija board for the girls. Moreover, she had not been represented competently by counsel during her sentencing, which caused her to accept a plea bargain in the face of exaggerated claims about her chances of receiving the death penalty. What followed was a shocking story of deceit and torture. She donated a puppy in her daughter's honor to the Indiana Canine Assistance Network program, where Loveless had taken to training dogs for the disabled. Wikimedia Commons Shanda Sharer In 1991, Shanda Sharer was a bubbly 12-year-old attending Hazelwood Middle School in New Albany, Ind. [3] When her mother divorced again, the family moved in June 1991 to New Albany, Indiana, and Sharer enrolled at Hazelwood Middle School. As per the show, she was jealous of Shanda and had written angry letters to Amanda about killing her perceived competition. Meanwhile, Tackett and Loveless both received 60-year sentences. It was also found that the victim's face and hands were burnt in an attempt to keep her unrecognizable and unidentifiable. Derek Kaufman,21, the tough gang leader who was found guilty of first-degree murder. Tackett claimed that she was molested at least twice as a child at ages 5 and 12. [55], On April 28, 2006, Rippey was released from Indiana Women's Prison on parole after serving 14 years of her original sentence. [20] Her father was an engineer at a power plant. 28 Pins 4y K Collection by Kim Hickey Similar ideas popular now True Crime Books Mens Skin Care Country Music Pure Products Youtube Books Quick Libros Book Book Illustrations Facts About People But once Shanda got into the car, Melinda got out of her hiding place and held a knife to Shandas throat, and grabbed her hair. Your login session has expired. The Shanda Sharer Scholarship Fund was established in January 2009. If the judge accepted these arguments, Loveless could have been retried or released outright. I wish I had the time to re-record. [45], All four girls were charged as adults. Ultimately four teenage girls would be arrested and charged for the murd. Loveless ordered Sharer to slip off her bra, which she then handed over to Rippey, who slid off her own bra and replaced it with Sharer's while steering the car. Shanda's parents divorced when she was young, and she ended up . why taoism is often misunderstood as a superstitious religion because eric montross big grits eric montross big grits After reading about the murder of Bobby Kent that inspired the film "Bully," learn about . Ididn't," Tackett said. Loveless immediately grew jealous of Heavrin and Sharer's relationship. 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. Furthermore, Melinda had a rough childhood, with her father being accused of sexual abuse. They told her that Amanda wanted to meet her, and they were there to pick her up. [60], Sharer's father, Steven Sharer, died of alcoholism in 2005 at the age of 53. Tackett proceeded to stab Sharer several more times before driving off once more with Loveless to beat and sodomize Sharer with a tire iron. 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