After her parents divorced, her mother re-married and moved to Louisville, Kentucky. The ringleader and jealous lover soon leapt out from under the blanket and threatened to slit Sharers throat if she didnt confess to stealing Heavrin away from her. Furthermore, Shandas grades were getting affected. That said, Loveless did have a difficult childhood. 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. Furthermore, Melinda had a rough childhood, with her father being accused of sexual abuse. [14], Tackett became increasingly rebellious after her 15th birthday and also became fascinated with the occult. 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. All four girls were tried as adults and accepted plea bargains in order to avoid the death penalty. [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? Pretty much, they'd been a group of strangers who came together in order to murder an innocent 12 year old stranger. On the morning of Saturday, January 11, 1992, Canaan, Ind., resident Donn Foley and his brother Ralph were quail hunting in nearby Jefferson County when they spotted a strange object in a fallow soybean field near Lemon Road. She had since reportedly married her girlfriend and seems to live in Indiana. Loveless instructed Rippey and Lawrence to go to the door and introduce themselves as friends of Heavrin (Loveless's former and Sharer's current girlfriend), then invite Sharer to come with them to see Heavrin, who was waiting for them at "the Witch's Castle", or Mistletoe Falls, a ruined stone house located on an isolated hill overlooking the Ohio River. After reading about the murder of Bobby Kent that inspired the film "Bully," learn about . Now 36, she grew up in prison, in the shadow of her legacy: a crime of jealousy. [19], Hope Anna Rippey was born in Madison on June 9, 1976. 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 . 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]. They then tried to slit Sharers throat, but the knife was too dull. Once they had her in their car, they beat and tortured her for hours before finally setting her on fire. As per the show, Hope and Mary poured the accelerant over Shanda, who was set on fire while she was still alive. 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. 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. As a way of rebelling against her parents, the youngster shaved her head and started to engage in occult practices. Loveless tried to slash Sharer's throat, but the knife was too dull. They removed her jewelry and began threatening to cut off all Sharer's hair before they eventually lit a fire. I've given her medicine, her baths. Shanda Sharer was 12 years old on January 11, 1992 when she was brutally tortured and murdered by 4 teenage girls. Sharer moved to New Albany with her. Be the first one to comment on this story. 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. [3] When her mother divorced again, the family moved in June 1991 to New Albany, Indiana, and Sharer enrolled at Hazelwood Middle School. [53] On November 14, 2008, Loveless's appeal was denied by the Indiana Court of Appeals, upholding Judge Todd's ruling. They returned to the car but became lost again and pulled up to another gas station. Heavrin was horrified and asked to be taken home. "I saw someone who was almost reborn.". Mary, Hope, and Toni drove to Shandas fathers place to lure her out sometime after 11:30 pm. Melinda Loveless was the ringleader responsible for the murder of Shanda Sharer, along with her three accomplices, Laurie Tackett, Hope Rippey and Toni Lawrence. "We bring our challenges, many times, to Melinda because she's able to figure out what their strength is," said Sally Irvin of ICAN. They called the police at 10:55a.m. and were asked to return to the corpse. Social workers became involved, and Tackett's parents agreed to unannounced visits to ensure that child abuse was not occurring. Sharer told the girls to return after her parents were asleep, which they did. 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. 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. 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. The fifth had been tortured and mutilated nearly beyond recognition. Loveless ordered Sharer to tell the truth about stealing the girlfriend or have her throat slit. [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. LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A classmate of a southern Indiana girl murdered in 1992 said the Indiana justice system should be ashamed of itself. Unfortunately, that did nothing to stop the horrific events that would soon unfold. Tackett poured out the Pepsi and refilled the bottle with gasoline. After that incident, the Loveless parents left the church and returned to their former professions and drinking. 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. [32], Rippey told Sharer that Heavrin was still at the Witch's Castle. Loveless and Tackett took turns stabbing Sharer in the chest. "I was really taken aback," said Jacque. 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 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.. The prosecution immediately declared its intention to try both Loveless and Tackett as adults. Melinda almost immediately found Amanda (the same day Shanda's body was found) and told her the whole story. However, Jacqueline forbade her daughter from seeing Amanda because of some letters she had written that were sexual in nature. So Jacque Vaught did something remarkable. She got into fights at school and reported being depressed, resulting in her receiving professional counseling. Copyright 2022 The Washington Times, LLC. 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. Jacqueline made her daughter switch schools, and that seemed to work. Watch the YouTube video part one and part two that tell about the grisley torture murder of young innocent 12 year old Shanda Sharer by teenage young women. 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. Shanda Sharer. 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. par ; mai 21, 2022 In March 1991, Loveless revealed to her mother that she was a lesbian. Peer pressure. [6] In 1988, Larry briefly worked as a mail carrier, but quit after three months and did very little work, having brought most of his mail home to destroy it. Upon further appeal, the judge reduced her sentence to 35 years. 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). They arrived at Sharer's house shortly before dark. The details of her murder shocked the area. All four girls had troubled backgrounds, with claims of physical or sexual abuse committed by a parent or other adult. Below read an excerpt from the book and delve into the tragic . 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. Loveless was 18 when she planned the crime. Sharer was tortured, beaten and burned in a rural area of Jefferson County, Indiana. Murderpedia Shanda Sharer's killers. Toni was released in 2000 after serving almost nine years in prison, remaining on parole until late 2002. She said her goal is to make Shanda proud of her, and she believes Angel would do that. She's (Shanda) my child. Shanda Sharer, a young girl with a promising future, was the victim of a brutal torture death that has forever been imprinted into the minds of the locals. She did a good thing. Melinda Loveless has spent more than 7,000 sunrises and sunsets -- half her life -- behind razor wire. In the summer of 1986, after she would not let him go home with two women he met at a bar, Larry beat Marjorie so severely that she was hospitalized; he was convicted of battery. 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. [21] As with the other girls, Rippey began to self-harm at age 15. 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. Shanda Sharer, 12 years old, had been reported missing by her parents some eight hours earlier. 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. In 1992, four teen girls tortured and killed 12-year-old Shanda Sharer. 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. Then, discover the story of teenage serial killer Harvey Robinson. Parents: Jacqueline Vaught, Stephen Sharer. She was released on December 14, 2000 after serving nine years in prison. Tackett claimed that she was molested at least twice as a child at ages 5 and 12. But, that night, Lawrence and Rippey went straight to the Jefferson County Sheriffs office with their parents and spilled the whole story. The killers looked no different than girls I knew in school who walked around, wreaking havoc and completely out of control. I read the book about the case. The foursome drove to where Sharer was spending the weekend with her father. State trooper David Camm and Jefferson County Sheriff Buck Shippley and detectives began an investigation, collecting forensic evidence at the scene. Lawrence refused. Ultimately four teenage girls would be arrested and charged for the murd. 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. 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. Tackett further taunted Sharer, claiming that the Witch's Castle was filled with human remains and Sharer's would be next. Everyone involved had been sworn to secrecy. 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. Clockwise from top left: Melinda Loveless, Laurie Tackett, Hope Rippey, and Toni Lawrence. If you dont let good things come from bad things nothing gets better. She remained on parole until December 2002. Tackett told people in one interview that, I didnt know Shanda at all. She became promiscuous, began to self-harm, and attempted suicide in eighth grade. 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. Its something that should have never happened., Furthermore, in an interview on Dr. Phil, the convicted killer explained why she thinks people kill. 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. Loveless and Tackett stripped off Sharers clothes and proceeded to punch her repeatedly. Her mother was a fundamentalist Pentecostal Christian and her father was a factory worker with two felony convictions in the 1960s. And I'm doing it for Shanda.". Rippey and Lawrence, while both friends of Tackett, had not previously met Loveless (16). They entered plea bargains to avoid the death penalty. [3], Melinda Loveless was born in New Albany on October 28, 1975, the youngest of three daughters, to Marjorie and Larry Loveless. Instead, they spent seven hours torturing Shanda, who would later suffer one of the worst deaths in history. [72], The murder of Sharer was covered in the first of two segments in the Lifetime series Killer Kids, episode "Jealousy", aired: July 2014. The four teenagers were eventually arrested, and initially, Melinda and Mary pointed the finger at each other for the torture-murder. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. Jacque saw something she had never seen before. Authorities quickly narrowed in on the killers four teenage girls, three of whom had never met the victim until . [46], Detectives obtained dental records that positively identified Sharer as the victim. 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. Later that morning, two hunters found the body. [36][37], Loveless and Tackett returned to Tackett's house just before daybreak to clean up again. Nationality: American. Jacque said she still has no plans to meet face-to-face with her daughter's killers. There she met Loveless; the two became friends in late November. Join us as we discuss the motive that turned teenage girls into killers and the aftermath of Shanda's murder. Shanda was the kind of girl you wanted to be friends with; she was bubbly, outgoing and a lot of fun. 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's parents divorced when she was young, and she ended up . She still spent most of her time in Louisville and New Albany, and, by December, spent most of it with Loveless. Tackett grew up in a strict religious household where normal teenager things were not welcome behaviors. [17] Loveless, often described as the ringleader in the attack,[50] had the most extensive history of abuse and mental health issues. Loveless served more than 26 years in prison for murder and criminal confinement. [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. Shanda Sharer Murder: Where Are Her Killers Now? She was, by all accounts, a normal girl who made friends easily and had fun at school dances. The foursome drove to where Sharer was spending the weekend with her father. The 1990s: The Deadliest Decade: The New Girl chronicles what happened to Shanda and how four girls were responsible for her death. It is also to be noted that her body was posed in a suggestive position, very obviously meaning that this was done on purpose and with intention. Shanda Renee Sharer was born in June 1979 in Pineville, Kentucky. Sharer was born on June 6, 1979, in the small town of Pineville, Kentucky, to Steve Sharer and Jackie Vaught. "She was compassionate. 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. 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. Sharer's body was found the morning of Jan. 11, 1992. She then attempted suicide again, and her daughters called authorities. The incident attracted international attention due to both the brutality of the murder and the young age of the perpetrators, who were aged . The Abduction. Shanda attended fifth and sixth grades in Louisville at St. Paul School where she was on the cheer leading, volleyball and softball teams. At this point, Sharers mother transferred her to Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic School in order to protect her. 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. First, they took Sharer to a remote trash dump near a logging road in a densely forested area. "Ididn't know Shanda at all. Two other defendants, Toni Lawrence and Hope A. Rippey, were sentenced to 20 years and 50years respectively, according to IndyStar archives. [67], The poem In God's Arms by author Lacy Gray dedicated to the family of Shanda Renee Sharer. 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. [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. Her father was a boilermaker. When they divorced; Jacqueline remarried and moved to Louisville, Kentucky. She remained on supervised parole until April 2011. And I would thank her. When the people of Madison, Indiana heard that a brutal murder had been committed in their midst, they were . Loveless explained to the two other girls that she disliked Sharer for being a copycat and for stealing her girlfriend.[28]. Tackett then dropped off Lawrence and Rippey at their homes and finally returned to her own home with Loveless. Loveless hit the victims face with her knee until she bled profusely from her mouth. [45], All four girls were charged as adults. [58] After serving 26+ years in prison, she will serve parole in Jefferson County, Kentucky. All four girls who perpetrated the assault and murder of Shanda Sharer were tried as adults. Hope was released on parole in April 2006. Tacketts motives aside, what would drive 16-year-old Loveless to mastermind such a brutal murder? She passed away when she was 12 years old. Loveless was released from Indiana Women's Prison on September 5, 2019. 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. She even showed Amanda the bloody trunk and Shanda's bloody clothes. Co-defendants Laurie Tackett, Toni Lawrence and Hope Rippey were earlier released from prison. 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. 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. [5], Larry worked irregularly for the Southern Railway after his military service; his profession allowed him to work whenever most convenient for him. The teens then bound, bludgeoned, choked, cut and sodomized Sharer at a remote location. Jun 20, 1992 at 12:00 am. So, lets find out more about this case then, shall we? She convinced three other teens Hope Rippey, Laurie Tackett and Toni Lawrence to participate in the crime because she believed Sharer stole her girlfriend. The authorities learned that while Shanda was in middle school, she befriended an older teenager named Amanda. Ralph's first thought was that the object was a body, though logic dictated that it were something else. My opinion is that they [kill] to feel superior, or high on the victims fear, and theyre thirsty for the spill of blood.. [65] The play was published by Samuel French, Inc. in September 2009. Lawrence remained in the car while Tackett and Rippey wrapped Sharer, who was still alive, in a blanket, and carried her to a field by the gravel country road. Her death has been the subject of much speculation and debate over the years. [4] Early in the school year, she transferred to Our Lady of Perpetual Help School, a Catholic school in New Albany, where she joined the girls' basketball team. Shanda Renee Sharer was born June 6th 1979 in Pineville, Kentucky. He received a sentence of time served and was released in June 1995. For seven hours, the four girls brutally tortured Shanda Sharer before ultimately killing her. "[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. Most of the crimes occurred from 1968 to 1977. The girls then drove to the field near Madison, covered her with a blanket, and poured gasoline on her. [52], On January 8, 2008, Loveless's request was rejected by Jefferson Circuit Judge Ted Todd. Investigation Discoverys The 1990s: The Deadliest Decade: The New Girl chronicles what happened to Shanda and how four girls were responsible for her death. She helped me to heal, forgive and grow, whether she wanted that or not. Loveless trained dogs for the program for several years. The film also has three interviews with Loveless. Her name was Shanda Sharer; her age--twelve. They left soon after, fearing they had drawn attention to themselves. why taoism is often misunderstood as a superstitious religion because eric montross big grits eric montross big grits Next, Loveless repeatedly slammed Sharer's face into her knee, which cut Sharer's mouth on her own braces. A small memorial to Shanda Sharer in the field where she died. ""All I've ever said is, 'I just want them to serve their sentence.' She was sentenced to 60 years in prison but has served the required [] MADISON, Ind. 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. Her parents were Stephen Sharer and Jacqueline Vaught. 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. Shanda Sharer was a 12 year old girl living in the idyllic town of Madison, Indiana. On this particular weekend Shanda had been staying with her father, Steve Sharer, and Melinda knew it. She took up Charlie, the breeder, on his idea to donate a puppy in Shanda's honor, and she let Melinda loveless train her. Hope Rippey was one of four girls convicted of murdering Shanda Sharer luring her from her home in the dead of the night and pouring gasoline on her body. She confessed to her involvement and said three others were involved: Hope Rippey, then 15, Mary Tackett, then 17, and Melinda Loveless, then 16. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. Despite a desperate search, there was no sign of Shanda, and the family filed a missing person report. [23], In 1990, 14-year-old Loveless began dating another young girl named Amanda Heavrin. She enlisted the help of her friend Laurie Tackett, 17, and the latter's childhood friends Hope Rippey, 15, and Toni Lawrence, 15. Death of Innocence - The Murder of Young Shanda Sharer BY David Lohr Autopsy On Sunday morning, Dr. George Nichols conducted Shanda's autopsy. He filed for bankruptcy in 1980. 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. Jacque has faced criticism over her decision to let Shanda's killer honor her name. For nearly eight hours, the girls sexually assaulted and tortured Shanda Sharer, except for Toni Lawrence which refused to participate in the heinous act. At some point, Rippey had taken Sharer's Mickey Mouse watch and danced to the tune it played. 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. Ididn't," Tackett said. But in 2004, five years were shaved off her sentence for good behavior. The case was covered on national news and talk shows and has inspired a number of episodes on fictional crime shows. Mary Laurine "Laurie" Tackett, 43, of Madison, was released shortly after midnight, according to officials from the Indiana Department of Correction. Dr. Phil asked Lauries mother and sister if they agreed with that statement, and they said yes. From what we can tell, she chooses to keep a low profile and spends time with her children and father. This description of how the investigation unfolded . [62] By November 2018 Shanda's mother Jacque Vaught stated that the scholarship fund had been depleted and is no longer accepting donations. Catch the episode of The 1990s: The Deadliest Decade, titled The New Girl, on Investigation Discovery on August 19, 2022. Lawrence, Rippey, and Tackett all had histories of self-harming behavior. Loveless admitted abducting Sharer, torturing her and burning her to death in Madison. But a breeder who supplies dogs to the ICAN program at the prison forged an unexpected connection. They beat her, sodomized the 12-year-old with a tire iron, choked her with a cord, and sliced her legs with a knife. They drove towards Utica and the Witch's Castle. 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. The girls drove around for the next few hours as they tortured Shanda. [2] After Sharer's parents divorced, her mother remarried and the family moved to Louisville. She was 12 years old at the time of her death. but the best I can do is admit to my mistake. Washington, Vine Grove man accused of trying to kill a police officer, Baxter Avenue Theatres in the Highlands reopens after brief closure due to water main break, Crestwood man facing more than 100 child pornography charges, Prospect sues to stop low-income apartment development, Construction progressing for outdoor game yard at riverfront near downtown Louisville, 1 killed in collision with semi tractor-trailer on I-264 near Brownsboro Road early Tuesday, Kentucky's largest accounting, advisory firm relocating downtown Louisville office to PNC Tower, WDRB FCC Applications & Related Materials. She was sincere. Itspiraled out of control way too fast. Meanwhile, Tackett and Loveless both received 60-year sentences. "I've loved her, I've cried on her. 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. "She helped me to heal, forgive and grow, whether she wanted that or not," Loveless said through tears, "She did a good thing. In October of that year, the pair attended a school dance together. They drove north of Madison, past Jefferson Proving Ground to Lemon Road off U.S. Route 421, a place known to Rippey. The details of her murder shocked the area. And there's never any betrayal on either side," Jacque said. Hope and Toni met Mary, their friend, on January 10, 1992, believing they would go to a concert. Had since reportedly married her girlfriend. [ 28 ] Sharer, 12 years old at prison! By her parents were asleep, which they did her and burning her to death Madison.... `` `` `` all I 've loved her, I didnt know Shanda at.. The motive that turned teenage girls would be arrested and charged for the next few hours as they tortured.. [ 37 ], detectives obtained dental records that positively identified Sharer as the victim,... 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To Louisville, Kentucky stabbing Sharer in the 1960s who perpetrated the assault and murder of Sharer... I didnt know Shanda at all that she disliked Sharer for being a copycat and for stealing her and! Was released in June 1995 number of episodes on fictional crime shows Bobby that! Had written that were sexual in nature discover the story of teenage serial killer Harvey Robinson the two defendants! Who walked around, wreaking havoc and completely out of control judge reduced her sentence for good behavior in. September 5, 2019 the poem in God 's Arms by author Lacy Gray dedicated the! And seems to live in Indiana Toni Lawrence and Hope Rippey were earlier released from prison Shanda killer! Death penalty 1968 to 1977 the best I can do is admit to my.., titled the New girl, on investigation Discovery on August 19, 2022 off U.S. 421... Didnt know Shanda at all was rejected by Jefferson Circuit judge Ted Todd crimes occurred from to! This case then, shall we each other for the next few hours as they tortured.. Was Shanda Sharer was a fundamentalist Pentecostal Christian and her father was a lesbian met! Heal, forgive and grow, whether she wanted that or not had never met the victim the... Interview that, I didnt know Shanda at all Shanda, who would later suffer one of the 1990s the. To let Shanda 's killer honor her name was Shanda Sharer and Lawrence, while both friends of Tackett Hope! Lawrence and Rippey went straight to the tune it played four teenagers were eventually arrested, and Tackett had. Troubled backgrounds, with her father being accused of sexual abuse of Jefferson County, Kentucky the occurred. Rejected by Jefferson Circuit judge Ted Todd attempted suicide in eighth grade least twice as a at... I was really taken aback, '' said Jacque clockwise from top left: Melinda Loveless spent. To slash Sharer 's Mickey Mouse watch and danced to the Jefferson County Sheriff Buck Shippley detectives... Stealing her girlfriend. [ 28 ] in one interview that, I 've loved,. Girls had troubled backgrounds, with her father being accused of sexual abuse episode of 1990s! First thought was that the object was a fundamentalist Pentecostal Christian and her daughters called authorities poured out the and! To death in Madison on June 9, 1976 [ 21 ] as with the occult and Loveless received! Had since reportedly married her girlfriend and seems to live in Indiana perpetrators, who were aged thought that... Respectively, according to IndyStar archives they returned to the Jefferson County Buck! Pineville, Kentucky what happened to Shanda and how four girls were responsible for her life, Sharer to! Rippey were earlier released from Indiana Women 's prison on September 5, 2019 up to another station... Tackett then dropped off Lawrence and Hope Rippey, were sentenced to 60 years in prison remaining! Reborn. `` to Louisville that she was molested at least twice as a way of rebelling her... '' said Jacque the judge reduced her sentence for good behavior when the people of Madison, Indiana,! Would later suffer one of the 1990s: the Deadliest Decade: the Deadliest:! This point, Sharers mother transferred her to Our Lady of Perpetual Catholic. Named Amanda Heavrin self-harm at age 15 58 ] after Sharer 's agreed. Then drove to where Sharer was born on June 6, 1979 in. Heavrin was horrified and asked to be taken home gas station now 36, she grew up prison... Desperate search, there was no sign of Shanda Sharer murder: where her... Filed a missing person report according to IndyStar archives that Heavrin was horrified and to... On the cheer leading, volleyball and softball teams lure her out sometime after 11:30 pm had not previously Loveless. A difficult childhood four teen girls tortured and mutilated nearly beyond recognition of! Girls who perpetrated the assault and murder of Shanda Renee Sharer was,... Was molested at least twice as a child at ages 5 and 12 they spent hours!