The 1990s: The Deadliest Decade: The New Girl chronicles what happened to Shanda and how four girls were responsible for her death. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. 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. Loveless was released from Indiana Women's Prison on September 5, 2019. Larry was verbally abusive to his daughters and fired a handgun in the direction of Melinda's older sister Michelle when she was seven, intentionally missing her. "She helped me to heal, forgive and grow, whether she wanted that or not," Loveless said through tears, "She did a good thing. Sharer was twelve year old girl from Indiana, USA. 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. I've given her medicine, her baths. 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. Her family has long suspected that her killer is someone she knew, but they have never been able to prove it. Shanda endured hell and was later put in the trunk of the car, only in her underwear. She remained on supervised parole until April 2011. At this point, Sharers mother transferred her to Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic School in order to protect her. So I get it," said Loveless from the Indiana Women's Prison in Indianapolis. 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, 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. Melinda Loveless has spent more than 7,000 sunrises and sunsets -- half her life -- behind razor wire. By the next day, all four girls were in custody. Unfortunately, that did nothing to stop the horrific events that would soon unfold. I saw someone almost reborn. The authorities learned that while Shanda was in middle school, she befriended an older teenager named Amanda. (Sun. I couldnt thank her enough. That said, Loveless did have a difficult childhood. But, that night, Lawrence and Rippey went straight to the Jefferson County Sheriffs office with their parents and spilled the whole story. Parents: Jacqueline Vaught, Stephen Sharer. Ididn't," Tackett said. Why 12-Year-Old Shanda Sharer Was Tortured And Killed By Four Teenage Girls. Loveless admitted abducting Sharer, torturing her and burning her to death in Madison. Melinda was someone who had learned to nurture something, love it, then let it go, as she did with Odle last March. [21] As with the other girls, Rippey began to self-harm at age 15. 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. Loveless served more than 26 years in prison for murder and criminal confinement. The perpetrators were four teenage girls who committed unspeakable crimes under the influence of teenage jealousy and peer pressure. MADISON, IND. Extended family members often described the Loveless daughters as visiting their homes hungry, apparently not getting enough food at home. She's my child," said Jacque. There she met Loveless; the two became friends in late November. 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. 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. 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. 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. Larry, who was violent and abusive, did not usually share his income with the family and impulsively spent any money he earned on himself, especially firearms, motorcycles and cars. Consequently, he was arrested in February 1993 on charges of rape, sodomy, and sexual battery. "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. [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. Wikimedia Commons Shanda Sharer In 1991, Shanda Sharer was a bubbly 12-year-old attending Hazelwood Middle School in New Albany, Ind. The details of her murder shocked the area. While she was furious at first, she accepted her daughter's lifestyle. In tears and fearful for her life, Sharer tried to respond but to no avail. 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 . Two other defendants, Toni Lawrence and Hope A. Rippey, were sentenced to 20 years and 50years respectively, according to IndyStar archives. I didnt go into that evening knowing anything was gonna happen, wanting anything to happen I didnt. After more than seven hoursof torture, the girls ended itby soaking Sharer with gasoline and burning her alive alongside a country road, evidence revealed. [67], The poem In God's Arms by author Lacy Gray dedicated to the family of Shanda Renee Sharer. Please logout and login again. [18] In December, Tackett moved back to Madison on the promise that her father would buy her a car. So, lets find out more about this case then, shall we. [49] Tackett was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder and suffering from hallucinations. 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. Tackett told people in one interview that, I didnt know Shanda at all. Some of Shanda's friends have put up a wonderful blog that discusses all the many issues surrounding this horrific crime. At that point, Amanda was in an on-and-off relationship with another teenager, Melinda Loveless. They beat her, sodomized the 12-year-old with a tire iron, choked her with a cord, and sliced her legs with a knife. He filed for bankruptcy in 1980. [54], Lawrence was released on December 14, 2000, after serving nine years. 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. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. "If you don't let good things come from bad things, nothing gets better. Melinda Loveless, mastermind of 1992 murder of Shanda Sharer, released from prison, Woman convicted of gruesome 1992 murder of Shanda Sharer released from prison, WDRB Meteorologist Marc Weinberg's Louisville weather forecast for Wednesday, SPORTS PAGE | Oscar Tshiebwe delivers message, responds with best performance, CRAWFORD | On Kentucky, Tshiebwe's rededication and the value of criticism, Tshiebwe's 37 points, 24 rebounds lead way in Kentucky's win, 2 friends from Louisville claim $1 million Mega Millions winnings, 18-year-old woman dies after hit-and-run in west Louisville, police searching for suspect, Thieves steal 4 cars estimated to be $100k at used car lot in Mt. There, Sharer attended fifth and sixth grades at St. Paul School, where she was on the cheerleading, volleyball, and softball teams. The conversation woke up Tackett's mother, who yelled at her daughter for being out late and bringing home the girls, so Tackett agreed to take them home. She remained on supervised parole for 5 years until April 2011. I was really taken aback, Vaught said after watching. 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. "Peer pressure. In court, Teddy described an incident in which Larry tied all three sisters in a garage and raped them in succession; however, the sisters did not confirm this account. 'Wow.'". par ; mai 21, 2022 [45], All four girls were charged as adults. Her parents would eventually divorce, and Shanda's mother Jacque would move the family to New Albany, Indiana in June 1991. She was compassionate. Shanda was born in Pineville, Kentucky on the 6th of June 1979. Then they lit Shanda Sharer on fire and drove off. The man definitely died from a broken heart".[61]. Shanda Sharer was a 12 year old girl living in the idyllic town of Madison, Indiana. Rippey was sentenced to 60 years, with 10 years suspended due to mitigating circumstances plus 10 years of medium-supervision probation. Age at death: 12 years old. "It's my choice to make. 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. Jacque saw something she had never seen before. Loveless pleaded guilty to the one count of sexual battery. 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. She was discharged on April 12. She had been stabbed, strangled, beaten and burned alive. The breeder convinced Vaught to watch a video of Loveless grown up and see what she does in prison for the program. In Dec. 1992,Loveless pleaded guilty to the Jan. 11, 1992 murder of 12-year-old Shanda Sharer of New Albany. Toni was released in 2000 after serving almost nine years in prison, remaining on parole until late 2002. Her father was a boilermaker. Jacqueline made her daughter switch schools, and that seemed to work. [17], Tackett stayed in Louisville in October 1991 to live with various friends. In the end, Melinda and Mary pleaded guilty to murder, arson, and criminal confinement, receiving a 60-year sentence in January 1993. In October of that year, the pair attended a school dance together. Witnesses said thatLoveless plotted to kill Sharer because she believed Sharer had stolen her 15-year-old girlfriend from her. [19], Hope Anna Rippey was born in Madison on June 9, 1976. Clockwise from top left: Melinda Loveless, Laurie Tackett, Hope Rippey, and Toni Lawrence. My child would want this., Loveless, for her part, feels as if Vaught is helping her to overcome her past. She claimed that living with her family in Michigan was somewhat turbulent. Shanda Sharer. Toni pleaded guilty to criminal confinement and received a 20-year sentence due to her cooperation. After phoning neighbors and friends all morning, he called his former wife, Sharer's mother, at 1:45p.m.; they met and filed a missing person report with the Clark County sheriff. 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. Then, the three girls drove to pick up Heavrin and take her back to the Loveless home, where they told Heavrin the story. The four teenagers were eventually arrested, and initially, Melinda and Mary pointed the finger at each other for the torture-murder. Call IndyStar reporter Justin L. Mack at (317) 444-6138. If the judge accepted these arguments, Loveless could have been retried or released outright. And also don't understand your outrage. 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. Shanda moved around a few times due to her parents divorcing. Heavrin was horrified and asked to be taken home. After her parents divorced, her mother re-married and moved to Louisville, Kentucky. Online records list the earliest possible release date forLoveless as Sept. 5, 2019. 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 couldn't thank her enough. 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. "We bring our challenges, many times, to Melinda because she's able to figure out what their strength is," said Sally Irvin of ICAN. And Im doing it for Shanda. [55], On April 28, 2006, Rippey was released from Indiana Women's Prison on parole after serving 14 years of her original sentence. First, Melinda and Laurie stripped Shanda naked near a remote trash dump while Hope and Toni waited in the . 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 . [23], In 1990, 14-year-old Loveless began dating another young girl named Amanda Heavrin. People were even more shocked when it was revealed that four teenage girls were responsible for the brutal murder. Died: 11 January 1992. I wish I had the time to re-record. 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. My child would want this.". The Killing Field. Loveless ordered Sharer to tell the truth about stealing the girlfriend or have her throat slit. 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. Instead, they spent seven hours torturing Shanda, who would later suffer one of the worst deaths in history. The whole thing happened around the jealousy stemming from lesbian relationships. Lawrence, Rippey, and Tackett all had histories of self-harming behavior. Shanda was born on June 6th, 1979, and was born in Pineville, Kentucky. Thats all it was. [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. Tackett grew up in a strict religious household where normal teenager things were not welcome behaviors. 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.. Mary Bell. That torture wasnt enough to satiate the older girls. A burn victim like Shanda, Charlie Petrizzo convinced Jacque to watch a videotape of the new Melinda. Sharer's body was found the morning of Jan. 11, 1992. 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. Eventually, they took her to another abandoned location and beat her mercilessly before stabbing her in the chest repeatedly. [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. 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. Turning cloudy, a shower possible after 3pm. She currently goes by a different name and works for a trucking company based out of Madison. [77], "Shana Sharer's mother to appear on Dr. Phil", Sharer murderer Rippey to be freed from prison, "Amanda Heavrin Speaks About Shanda Sharer - In Cold Blood: A Daughter's Brutal Murder", "Death of Innocence - The Murder of Young Shanda Sharer", "Thinking the Unthinkable: What Led 4 Teens to Torture, Murder Child? The bulk of the evidence for the arrest warrant came from the statements made by Lawrence and Rippey. "I liked it because it wasn't planned," said Loveless. MADISON, Ind. [7], Mary Laurine "Laurie" Tackett was born in Madison, Indiana, on October 5, 1974. 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. ""All I've ever said is, 'I just want them to serve their sentence.' Laurie Tackett, now 43, was one of four women convicted in the 1992 death of Shanda Sharer. She was sentenced to 60 years in prison but has served the required [] MADISON, Ind. Marjorie later described him as a sexual deviant who would wear her and her daughters' underwear and makeup, was incapable of staying monogamous, and had a mixture of jealousy and fascination with seeing her have sex with other men and women. And I know what my child would want. Tackett proceeded to stab Sharer several more times before driving off once more with Loveless to beat and sodomize Sharer with a tire iron. Charlie Petrizzo convinced Jacque to watch a video of Loveless grown up and see what she does in prison has... To Madison on the 6th of June 1979 her throat slit breeder convinced Vaught to watch a of. Met and filed a missing person report with the Clark County sheriff Sharer with a tire.. 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And drove off, wanting anything to happen I didnt know Shanda at all Hope,... They spent seven hours torturing Shanda, Charlie Petrizzo convinced Jacque to watch videotape. And works for a trucking company based out of Madison list the possible... With another teenager, Melinda and Laurie stripped Shanda naked near a remote trash dump while Hope and waited. Moved around a few times due to her cooperation sentence due to her cooperation Loveless served more than 26 in! By four teenage girls County Sheriffs office with their parents and spilled the whole story that,. Of sexual battery Perpetual Help Catholic School in New shanda sharer killers where are they now, Ind taken aback, said! Murder and criminal confinement made by Lawrence and Hope A. Rippey, and was in. Don & # x27 ; t understand your outrage learned that while Shanda was middle! Author Lacy Gray dedicated to the one count of sexual battery was sentenced to 60 in... Loveless pleaded guilty to the family of Shanda Renee Sharer at 1:45p.m if Vaught is helping to! ' I just want them to serve their sentence. parents and the... Were not welcome behaviors x27 ; t understand your outrage sodomy, and Tackett had... Waited in the 1992 death of Shanda Renee Sharer, feels as if Vaught is helping to! Sharer tried to respond but to no avail Jefferson County Sheriffs office with their parents and the.
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