MI - Shanda Vander Ark, charged with Murder and child abuse of son, 15, Norton Shores, 2023

[tlcya]

I’ve been reading websleuths for years, but I think this is my first post.

This woman is a particularly monstrous abuser because to the outside world she appears to be an intelligent professional woman. I like how the prosecutor is just letting her talk. She’s digging her own grave with her selective memory and inconsistencies. She also seems to be blaming the victim a lot, talking about how sneaky he was. Poor kid was just trying to get food and stay alive. She seems to have no awareness that what she was doing was torture. No regret or remorse. Training Paul to be her henchman is another example of child abuse.

She seems to be someone who thinks they are brilliant and can talk their way out of anything—a personality type I’m very familiar with, unfortunately.

Great first post, thanks for chiming in with your thoughts. I think you are right in that she thinks she can talk her way out of or around this situations.. What a horrible horrible human she is.

 

[B4igo2it]

"The worse the offense and the greater the shame, the more difficult it is for the wrongdoer to empathize with the harmed party and feel remorse.
Instead one tells oneself, “It wasn’t my fault,” or “I couldn’t help myself,” or “It’s not that big a deal.” Self-protective explanations often shift the blame onto the harmed party as ever deeper levels of self-deception come into play. One tells oneself, “She really asked for it,” “I did it for her own good,” or, “It was necessary,” and even, “It never happened.”

Why That Person Who Hurt You Will Never Apologize

Here's why the worst offenders can't say "I'm sorry."

www.psychologytoday.com

 

[ConcernedVA]

It really bothers me that the victim here is always referred to by the abusive family members as being disabled. From the testimony, we heard that he was verbal, mechanically inclined, and on grade level. The few interactions we had related sound normal to me (for the situation), such as telling the brother he soiled himself because he didn't want to disturb them. The foods he "stole" would make sense for a malnourished person to crave. He obviously could not cook them because he was sneaking to get them. The sneaking alone suggests he was trying to help himself in an advanced way.

I wonder if this boy was less functionally disabled than he is being represented by his family. The abusive brother has autistic mannerisms himself. If he is also on the spectrum, it may have made it easier for their mother to manipulate him.

Where is the dad? Shouldn't he be responsible in some way for giving the victim back to this woman? How badly were the boys treated at the dad and stepmom's house? I do those wall sits in an exercise class regularly and they are no joke. I can't do it for more than 30 seconds and I'm in good shape.

This woman must have hated this boy. That makes me so sad.

 

[arielilane]

@CourtTV

Shanda Vander Ark became violently ill during cross-examination after she was shown a photo of her son, whom she's accused of killing.

Tortured Son Murder Trial: Vander Ark Vomits on the Stand

...

If you or someone you know is suffering from abuse or neglect, call the National Domestic Abuse Hotline at (800)-799-7233 or visit their official website at thehotline.org.

...

MI v. Shanda Vander Ark: Tortured Son Murder Trial

Police found Timothy Ferguson dead in an ice bath, severely malnourished and showing signs of abuse. His mother and brother face charges.

www.courttv.com

DAY 2 – 12/14/23

• Dr. Joyce DeYoung, the Muskegon County Medical Examiner, testified that when Timothy died he had a low body weight and was extremely emaciated. He was 68 inches tall and 69 pounds at the time of his death.
  • He had no body fat and few ligaments attached — Dr. DeYoung described his body as breaking down.
  • DeYoung said Timothy’s cause of death was dehydration and malnutrition, and hypothermia was present as well. The manner of death was homicide.
• Prosecutors rested their case-in-chief.
• Shanda Vander Ark testified in her own defense, telling the jury that Timothy came to live with her in 2021 after previously living with her ex-husband.
  • WATCH: Tortured Son Murder Trial: Defendant Shanda Vander Ark Testifies
  • Timothy lived in the home with Shanda, Paul, Shanda’s husband and their younger son, “G.”
  • Shanda described Timothy as having autism but was verbal and able to keep up at school. He had trouble with coordination and was diagnosed with ADHD.
  • Shanda said that the leg irons found were purchased by Paul using her Amazon account and that she had no knowledge of them being used.
    • WATCH: Prosecutor: ‘His place of comfort was a closet with a blue tarp’
  • Shanda said it was Paul’s idea to give Timothy hot sauce, and that the teenager loved spicy, hot food.
    • WATCH: Defendant Explains Using Hot Sauce to Discipline Special Needs Son
    • WATCH: Defendant Explains Telling Son to Drip Hot Sauce on Brother’s Genitals
  • Shanda denied having any intention of hurting her son, and said that she had many gaps in her memory.
  • During her testimony, Shanda suffered a panic attack and then appeared to vomit on the stand after prosecutors showed her a picture of her son before his death.
    • Tortured Son Murder Trial: Vander Ark Vomits on the Stand

 

[BUF]

Did she really vomit, or was this an act to try to deflect from her testimony that the prosecutor was getting out of her?

Waiting to hear these jury questions….


ETA: She has some medical distress this morning and will not be in the courtroom, but court will proceed.

 

[Knitty]

Scooting this one over to Trials.

 

[drama_farmer]

Did she really vomit, or was this an act to try to deflect from her testimony that the prosecutor was getting out of her?

Waiting to hear these jury questions….


ETA: She has some medical distress this morning and will not be in the courtroom, but court will proceed.

One of the talking heads on Court TV called it "Crocodile Vomiting."
These cases continue to remind me that we can never really know what goes on in anyone's home, regardless of what we know about a person's public persona.

 

[Gardenista]

Hopefully this will be the shortest deliberation time in history.

 

[tlcya]

Jury is getting their instructions. This should be a slam dunk. MOO

 

[BUF]

They better drag her in court for the verdict

 

[agilbe]

They better drag her in court for the verdict

Like X2!!! Funny how courts differ from place to place. Lor Vallow tried to get out of going to avoid the unpleasantness of her actions. Judge wasn't having it.

 

[nodamselindistress]

My god, there are no words for the depravity of this woman! It angers me that the jury did not get to ask her questions due to her "illness" this morning.

There needs to be some kind of state to state communication about people like this, same as in the Harmony Montgomery case. Her abuse was known in OK so she high tails it to MI and the Dad gives the kid back to her and this happens. Just disgusting.

Jury should be back in an hour with a guilty verdict, no doubt.

 

[BUF]

My god, there are no words for the depravity of this woman! It angers me that the jury did not get to ask her questions due to her "illness" this morning.

There needs to be some kind of state to state communication about people like this, same as in the Harmony Montgomery case. Her abuse was known in OK so she high tails it to MI and the Dad gives the kid back to her and this happens. Just disgusting.

Jury should be back in an hour with a guilty verdict, no doubt.

Exactly, and she had a MI court job. Didn’t they do a background check?

As far as her feeling ill today…

Shanda Vander Ark is resting Friday, allegedly telling jail staff that she had feelings of "hurting herself"

Norton Shores mom charged in son's death doesn't show up to court Friday, as jury begins deliberations

Good recap of what happened today in court in this article.

 

[tlcya]

[snip]
Shanda Vander Ark is resting Friday, allegedly telling jail staff that she had feelings of "hurting herself"

Norton Shores mom charged in son's death doesn't show up to court Friday, as jury begins deliberations

Good recap of what happened today in court in this article.

snipped, w bold and emphasis by me: LET HER, save the money the state will have to spend to incarcerate her.

 

[tlcya]

While the bulk of her direct examination, and cross examination by prosecutors, was complete, she had not yet submitted to the questions submitted by jurors following her initial time on the stand.

"Unfortunately, we will be unable to do that," Judge Kacel said.
Norton Shores mom charged in son's death doesn't show up to court Friday, as jury begins deliberations

 

[BUF]

CourtTV verdict clock just stopped

1 hr 9 min 46 sec

Verdict Reached!


Courtroom is live and she won’t be there. No law in MI for her to be there for verdict.

 

[BUF]

Count 1 Guilty 1st degree murder
Count 2 Guilty child abuse


Sentencing Jan 29

 

[Trublue21]

She’s a real piece of work, trying to gain sympathy for herself. When she never had any sympathy, or empathy, for her own son. I hope she rots in prison. JMHO

 

[ChatteringBirds]

Although this thread does not have a lot of detailed posts, it has enough to know that the victim suffered and suffered. Simply because his caregivers enjoyed it. This is a case of pure evil. I hope the sentence received will mean that the guilty never go free. All IMO.

 

[Gardenista]

At least there is a law that she has to be there for sentencing.