Michigan mother found guilty of murder in starvation death of her disabled 15-year-old son

A jury on Friday discovered a western Michigan girl responsible of homicide and little one abuse within the hunger loss of life of her disabled 15-year-old son who weighed simply 69 kilos.

The Muskegon County Circuit Court docket jury deliberated simply over an hour earlier than convicting Shanda Vander Ark, 44, of Norton Shores within the July 6, 2022, loss of life of Timothy Ferguson.

An post-mortem decided {the teenager} died from malnourishment and hypothermia. The medical expert dominated his loss of life a murder.

Video proven by Court docket TV appeared to point out Vander Ark turn out to be violently sick after being proven photographs of her son’s emaciated physique.

Vander Ark was sick and never within the courtroom when the jury reached its verdict. The choose mentioned Vander Ark was not required by legislation to be current for her verdict, WZZM-TV reported. 

She faces obligatory life in jail when she is sentenced Jan. 29.

Vander Ark’s legal professional, Fred Johnson, argued his consumer didn’t grasp the hurt she precipitated her son and didn’t know he was ravenous to loss of life.

Nonetheless, a Muskegon County deputy prosecutor, Matt Roberts, disputed that notion and mentioned she tortured her son by feeding him sizzling sauce, placing him in ice baths, depriving him of sleep and locking the fridge and meals cupboards.

“She killed him. She starved him to loss of life,” Roberts mentioned.

Timothy Ferguson had some psychological disabilities and was being home-schooled, prosecutors have mentioned.

Vander Ark’s different son, 20-year-old Paul Ferguson, allegedly participated within the abuse, WZZM reported. Paul Ferguson faces one rely of first-degree little one abuse.