Just to be sure their work was finished, Loveless had them return a few minutes later to pour some more gasoline on her, watch her writhe in agony, and finally confirm that she was dead. Loveless was not convinced Sharer was dead, so they returned a few minutes later to pour the rest of the gasoline on her. Her case attracted nationwide attention due to its gruesome nature. Shanda was best friends with her mom, and close with her father and stepmother, Sharon. She enlisted the help of her friend Laurie Tackett, 17, and the latter's childhood friends Hope Rippey, 15, and Toni Lawrence, 15. And I know what my child would want. Derek Kaufman bids his mother Joan Esposito farewell as he kisses her hand in court after his sentencing. Shanda Sharer met classmate Amanda Heavrin at Hazelwood in 1991, soon after moving to the area with her recently divorced mother from Kentucky. The killers looked no different than girls I knew in school who walked around, wreaking havoc and completely out of control. Lawrence, Rippey, and Tackett all had histories of self-harming behavior. Rippey sprayed Sharer with Windex and taunted, "You're not looking so hot now, are you? He would also embarrass his children by finding their underwear and smelling it in front of other family members. 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. Derek Kaufman,21, the tough gang leader who was found guilty of first-degree murder. I saw someone almost reborn. 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. 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. This description of how the investigation unfolded . Ultimately four teenage girls would be arrested and charged for the murd. Lastly, Loveless was released from Indiana Women's Prison on September 5, 2019. The authorities learned that while Shanda was in middle school, she befriended an older teenager named Amanda. In 1991, Shanda Sharer was a bubbly 12-year-old attending Hazelwood Middle School in New Albany, Ind. 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. After that incident, she refused him sex for a month, until he raped her as their daughters overheard the event through a closed door. Melinda has also reportedly changed her name since her release and prefers to stay away from the public eyes. That'sall it was. Shanda was the kind of girl you wanted to be friends with; she was bubbly, outgoing and a lot of fun. And Im doing it for Shanda. 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. Melinda almost immediately found Amanda (the same day Shanda's body was found) and told her the whole story. Shanda Renee Sharer was a 12 year old who was brutally murdered and tortured by 4 teenage girls (between the ages 15 and 17) in January 12, 1992. You have permission to edit this article. [35], The girls drove to Tackett's nearby home and went inside to drink soda and clean themselves. However, Amanda was in an on-and-off relationship with Loveless, who could not handle the jealousy and made public threats to kill Sharer. He said that Loveless had been "profoundly retarded" by childhood abuse. It was published February 8, 1993 and May 11, 1995 in the Jeffersonville, Indiana-based newspaper, The Evening News. Larry became a Baptist lay preacher and Marjorie became the school nurse. Her parents would eventually divorce, and Shanda's mother Jacque would move the family to New Albany, Indiana in June 1991. Next, Loveless repeatedly slammed Sharer's face into her knee, which cut Sharer's mouth on her own braces. In March 1991, Loveless came out as a lesbian to her mother, who was initially furious but eventually accepted it. In a new twist to the case, police have now arrested a man named Johnny Lee Sharer for . It was also found that the victim's face and hands were burnt in an attempt to keep her unrecognizable and unidentifiable. After another divorce, she moved her family to New Albany, Indiana. Three more hours later, they took her to another . Wikimedia Commons Shanda Sharer In 1991, Shanda Sharer was a bubbly 12-year-old attending Hazelwood Middle School in New Albany, Ind. "She helped me to heal, forgive and grow, whether she wanted that or not," Loveless said through tears, "She did a good thing. Tackett and Loveless were sentenced to 60 years in the Indiana Women's Prison in Indianapolis. They returned to the car but became lost again and pulled up to another gas station. Sharer moved to New Albany with her. Sharer was reluctant to go with them, yet agreed after changing her clothes. Melinda Loveless, now 44, was one of four women convicted in the 1992 death of Shanda Sharer. In early October 1991, Heavrin and Sharer attended a school dance, where Loveless found and confronted them. Sharer entered the car, not knowing Loveless was hiding in the back seat under a blanket, according to IndyStar archives. But a breeder who supplies dogs to the ICAN program at the prison forged an unexpected connection. [29] Loveless was angry at first, but Rippey and Lawrence assured her about returning for Sharer later. [42], Later on the morning of January 11, 1992, two brothers from Canaan were driving toward Jefferson Proving Ground to go hunting when they noticed a body on the side of the road. Her parents divorced in February 1984, and she moved with her mother and siblings to Quincy, Michigan, for three years. Sharer was tortured, beaten and burned in a rural area of Jefferson County, Indiana. After that incident, the Loveless parents left the church and returned to their former professions and drinking. While the four decided never to talk about it, Toni couldnt take it anymore and confessed to the police. She was 12 years old at the time of her death. 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. [14], Tackett became increasingly rebellious after her 15th birthday and also became fascinated with the occult. A sleepy Indiana town awoke one chilly morning in the winter of 1992 to discover the lifeless body of 12-year-old Shanda Sharer in an open field. So I get it," said Loveless from the Indiana Women's Prison in Indianapolis. I would thank her. Itspiraled out of control way too fast. They lived in or near New Albany throughout Melinda's childhood. Witnesses also testified that Tackett, who was obsessed with the occult and the notion of killing someone, had proposed asking Sharer's ghost during a seance how it felt to die by fire, according to IndyStar archives. She was 12 years old at the time of her death. Loveless explained to the two other girls that she disliked Sharer for being a copycat and for stealing her girlfriend.[28]. But 20 years later, something no one expected happened. Did The U.S. To avoid the death penalty, the girls accepted plea bargains.[48]. [72], The murder of Sharer was covered in the first of two segments in the Lifetime series Killer Kids, episode "Jealousy", aired: July 2014. Shanda Rene 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. At the Witch's Castle, they took a sobbing Sharer inside and bound her arms and legs with rope. Shanda moved around a few times due to her parents divorcing. The Shanda Sharer Murder. The incident attracted international attention due to both the brutality of the murder and the young age of the perpetrators, who were aged . "You know what, I didn't believe it," said Loveless of the gesture. [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. Shanda Sharer, a 16-year-old girl from Missouri, was murdered in 1998. Lawrence and Rippey were frightened and stayed in the car. Oops, this content can't be loadedbecause you're having connectivity problems, Stay always informed and up to date with our breaking news alerts, By Associated Press - Thursday, September 5, 2019. 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. Although Heavrin and Loveless had never formally ended their relationship, Loveless started to date an older girl. She convinced three other teens -- Hope Rippey, Laurie Tackett and Toni Lawrence -- to participate in the crime because she believed Sharer stole her girlfriend. Phil." He filed for bankruptcy in 1980. Melinda felt crushed, especially when Larry remarried. One of the dog breeders who supplies Indiana with pups is a burn victim, much like Shanda Sharer was. They removed her jewelry and began threatening to cut off all Sharer's hair before they eventually lit a fire. By the next day, all four girls were in custody. After this look at the murder of Shanda Sharer, read about the disturbing killing of James Bulger. 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. Meanwhile, Lawrence and Rippey stayed behind in Tacketts car. After treatment of her wound, she was admitted to the hospital's psychiatric ward. 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. [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. 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. Her father, a Vietnam veteran, sexually abused her and her siblings when they were younger and experts have attributed her anger to that abuse (for which he was later arrested and convicted). And I would thank her. 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]. 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. The foursome drove to where Sharer was spending the weekend with her father. The three other girls assumed Loveless was simply going to scare Sharer into breaking up with Heavrin. Loveless and Tackett made Sharer strip down to her underwear; then, Loveless beat Sharer with her fists. Her name was Shanda Sharer; her age--twelve. At that point, Amanda was in an on-and-off relationship with another teenager, Melinda Loveless. 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. 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. In May 1989, her mother discovered that Tackett was changing from a dress into jeans at school, and, after a confrontation that night, attempted to strangle her. The fifth had been tortured and mutilated nearly beyond recognition. 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. The crime was documented in two true crime books, Little Lost Angel by Michael Quinlan[30] and Cruel Sacrifice by Aphrodite Jones;[64] Jones's book on the case became a New York Times Bestseller. 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. 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. Photos: Kent's killers; Then-Now - Sun-Sentinel "We bring our challenges, many times, to Melinda because she's able to figure out what their strength is," said Sally Irvin of ICAN. Jacque said she still has no plans to meet face-to-face with her daughter's killers. Consequently, he was arrested in February 1993 on charges of rape, sodomy, and sexual battery. 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. Full name: Shanda Rene Sharer. Jun 20, 1992 at 12:00 am. [5], Larry worked irregularly for the Southern Railway after his military service; his profession allowed him to work whenever most convenient for him. Sharer was born on June 6, 1979, in the small town of Pineville, Kentucky, to Steve Sharer and Jackie Vaught. 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. It was a crime of passion and peer pressure committed by four teenage girls. Vaught did something remarkable after seeing her daughters killer at work. [52], On January 8, 2008, Loveless's request was rejected by Jefferson Circuit Judge Ted Todd. They became lost, so they stopped at a gas station and covered Sharer in a blanket. At this point, Sharers mother transferred her to Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic School in order to protect her. As a way of rebelling against her parents, the youngster shaved her head and started to engage in occult practices. 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. For seven hours, the four girls brutally tortured Shanda Sharer before ultimately killing her. [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. Jacqueline was divorced from Shandas father, but they moved to New Albany, Indiana, to be closer to him. [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. Tackett further taunted Sharer, claiming that the Witch's Castle was filled with human remains and Sharer's would be next. Ralph's first thought was that the object was a body, though logic dictated that it were something else. Rippey came out of the car to hold down Sharer. She became promiscuous, began to self-harm, and attempted suicide in eighth grade. Shanda Sharer was an ordinary Indiana teenager in 1992 until four girls tortured her for hours before finally killing her. 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. [65] The play was published by Samuel French, Inc. in September 2009. Then, discover the story of teenage serial killer Harvey Robinson. My child would want this." :confused:--If that's the book by true crime author Aphrodite Jones, I remember it very well On appeal, a judge reduced the sentence to 35 years. 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. Shanda Renee Sharer (19791992) was a young girl who was tortured and burned to death in Madison, Indiana by four teenage girls. Shanda Renee Sharer was born in June 1979 in Pineville, Kentucky. Sharer was tortured, beaten and burned in a rural area of Jefferson County, Indiana. The details of her murder shocked the area. As they got in the car, Rippey began questioning Sharer about her relationship with Heavrin. But, that night, Lawrence and Rippey went straight to the Jefferson County Sheriffs office with their parents and spilled the whole story. 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