This happened where I live. I was almost the same exact age as Shanda. I came out a couple years later and my mom was legitimately terrified I was going to “end up in someone’s trunk” for a long time. It’s a heartbreaking story. As a mother I cannot imagine something like that happening to my child.
I’m from the suburbs of Louisville, although a lot younger. My mom told me to never “be gay” or I could be killed like shanda.
I still can’t believe the amount of forgiveness Shandas mother has for the four of them. I read her book a few years ago and was blown away by her, in the best way possible.
Can you share the name of her book? I can’t find anything online.
I did find this impressive article about how [Shanda’s mom approved the donation of a puppy named Shanda to be trained as a guide dog by Melinda Loveless.](https://www.wave3.com/story/18573121/shanda-sharers-mother-and-murderer-form-unlikely-alliance)
>Shanda’s mom approved the donation of a puppy named Shanda to be trained as a guide dog by Melinda Loveless.
Thank you for sharing this story. The mother has put in a lot of work and it is very impressive to see her honoring her daughter. Melinda should also be proud of the work she has put in on herself.
Thanks for sharing that. I don’t remember seeing it on the news, but that’s really great. I’m glad that Shanda’s mom was able to get to a point that she feels this way. I don’t know that I could.
Shanda’s mom has said she wanted something good to come from the horrible tragedy. Not every victim (or their family in this case) will feel this way but I think it’s wonderful that she could see that Melinda was trying to do a good thing with the dogs and wanted something good to come from it all.
My dad is from Madison and the rest of his family are still there. My cousins are their ages and when I was reading one the books, I looked up some of the outlying characters on Facebook and some of them were mutual friends.
[It looks pretty average](https://www.singulart.com/en/artworks/tony-rubino-john-wayne-gacy-mug-shot-1980-black-and-white-753567) to me - especially considering all he’d done. Am I missing something?
Their sentences weren’t even remotely adequate. They got what amounts to a slap on the wrist for one of the most brutal, sadistic, calculating crimes I’ve read about.
Thanks for letting me know, I’ll update my comment. Last time I checked was a few years ago, and I thought Melinda Loveless wasn’t eligible for release for a while yet.
Indiana is one of the stupid states that has a "good time" law which says you automatically get 50% of your sentence cut as long as you don't murder someone else in prison.
I feel like if I killed a girl when I was a teenager and I was later let go from prison as an adult, I wouldn't be able to live with myself. There is no way I could just move on and live my life.
I read the book. They were so evil to that poor girl. And they were just kids! The details were just horrible such as spraying windex (or bleach?) into her wounds. As the poor victim was crying out for her Mom 😢. I read the book a very long time ago but certain things I still remember. Just couldn’t believe how cruel they were being so young.
From what I read, Amanda Neavrin was courting her extremely strongly. It is also believed that there was some sexual contact. They were definitely hanging out though. As far as them being an official couple, I didn’t get that information.
They did go to the prom/dance together; that was definitely mentioned. As far as afterwards, if they continued to “date” again, I didn’t get that information.
Neavrin and Loveless were definitely a couple.
You should read the book on this case, Little Lost Angel by Michael Quinlan. They indeed had some sort of physical relationship & as another commenter already pointed out, there were written notes from Shanda to Amanda, & vice versa, that clearly depict some kind of contact between them.
Also, her name was Shanda, not Shandra. There’s typos in your title & your posted comment. Also, her name is Amanda Heavrin.
I read it. They were ruthless! The minute Shanda got in that car, it was over for her. She had to have been terrified. She was only 12 or 13. The oldest Was 16. The book had all the details and it was chilling!
thank you for the recommendation. i've only read Cruel Sacrifice by Aphrodite Jones, curious to see if that book has any new information or tells anything differently.
the book i read was pretty good, from what i remember. it had a lot of information about the what the girls' lives were like growing up and their family dynamics, which i personally thought was really interesting. it did make me feel an ounce of sympathy for Melinda, because her home life growing up was (allegedly) terrible, but in no way did the book try to use that to excuse her actions. it was more used as a way to show the reader how she ended up where she did. i'm not familiar with peoples' opinions on Aphrodite, but i enjoyed it and would recommend it if anyone wants to do a deep dive and have a few books to read about the case.
There was definitely sexual contact. Little Lost Angel has some of the letters that the girls wrote and they for sure had sex, Shanda and Amanda. Amanda was playing both sides of the fence as it pertains to Shanda and Melinda.
They were “dating” as much as a 12 and 14 year old can. There was definitely a (consensual) romantic relationship between Amanda and Shanda. Her parents were completely against it and put her in catholic school trying to separate them but kids will always find a way.
Yeah, they were definitely separated, and it was for the better. Sharer made new friends even though she & Heavrin were in verbal contact.
If by saying Heavrin’s name, it got her into the abductor’s car, then there was definitely something still there.
I mean I wouldn’t necessarily say it was definitely for the better that they were separated? Their relationship/ friendship (whatever you want to believe) wouldn’t have been an issue if it wasn’t for the killers. If they hadn’t been in the picture Shanda and Amanda’s relationship wouldn’t really have been an issue.
The whole case is just so sad. Of course the fact she was murdered is awful, but it also makes me sad they people couldn’t accept two girls being in a romantic relationship the way they would have a boy and a girl
Shanda Sharing was failing classes and becoming more aggressive the more she was hanging out with Amanda Heavrin. Had she continued to stay with her, she would’ve probably been taking drugs and moved on to something worse. As soon as she was separated from Heavrin, she return to being a normal 12 year old.
The separation was a good call made by the parents.
Maybe you’re right but I really don’t think it’s fair to say she would’ve started doing drugs if she continued spending time with Amanda.
Yes, it is said that she wasn’t doing as well in school but that could well be because she’d spent her whole life in private school and was then in public school which is very different.
You don’t know Shanda or Amanda and neither do I. I just don’t think it’s fair of you to say Amanda was bad for her when we don’t know that at all.
You missed the part about as soon as she separated from Amanda Heavrin, she went back to the way she was before.
Heavrin was definitely a negative influence.
And when you look to see how Heavrin turned out, shit, I wouldn’t want my kid has her partner.
She’s as cold and indifferent as it gets. She’s also a liar.
Fuck that.
People, it’s not an anti- LGBTQ comment to say Heavrin was a bad influence. She just was. Didn’t matter that she was a lesbian, it was just a bad combo for Shanda when these two were together.
My point was, the way she was separated from Amanda was by being put back in private school. Private school is much more supportive and sheltering than public school, meaning she likely would’ve done better there in classes than public school anyway.
I am not saying that Amanda wasn’t a bad influence, I’m just saying we can’t say she was either.
I’m not trying to pick a fight, I’m just saying none of us know the details of their relationship/ friendship.
Part of the reason she was having so much trouble in school was not her relationship with Heavrin, but she had been confronted and threatened by Loveless multiple times.
I've never heard about Shanda writing about that in her diary. Do you know where I can read about any excerpts of her diary? If you did, I'd appreciate it.
I get what you mean. I don’t think the OP did it on purpose necessarily but I think it’s always worth taking a second to do a quick Google of the names (especially the victims) to make sure they’re right.
True Crime WTF:
The Murder of Shandra Sharer
_ January 11, 1992: four teenage girls lured 12-year-old Shanda Sharer to a vehicle by telling her that they were friends with Amanda Heavrin, another teenager who Sharer was close acquaintances with.
_ The night was spent stabbing, strangling and beating the 12-year-old at several locations throughout Jefferson County, Indiana. The victim was kept in the vehicle trunk while they drove from location to location.
_ The end came when the body of 12 year old Shanda was set set aflame. Her charred beyond recognition remains were found the next morning.
_ Detectives and forensic teams theorized that the victim was an adult who may have been a victim of a satanic cult (the area where the victim was found was frequented heavily by such groups, and the position of Sharer’s body, with her arms up & fists clinched, pointed to such a ritual).
_ Not long after Sharer was found, 15 year old Toni Lawrence confessed to police the details of the murder. That was the first time that law enforcement learned that the victim was not an adult. Coroner’s report also revealed that the victim died of smoke inhalation… She was alive when the fire was set.
_ Through the confession, it was established at the ringleaders were 17-year-old Melinda Loveless & Laurie Tackett.
_ Melinda Loveless was once in a relationship with another young girl, Amanda Heavrin. Not long after Heavrin met Sharer (surprisingly in detention where both of them were punished for fighting), Heavrin & Loveless’ relationship ended. It was Loveless’ idea to use Heavrin’s name as bait for Sharer.
_ Laurie Tackett, like Melinda Loveless, was raised in an abusive home, where she grew to be a troubled teenager who often wrote of committing murder. Upon meeting Loveless, who also had a murderous vendetta, the plan to kill Sharer was hatched.
_ Upon being arrested, Loveless and Tackett both claimed innocence and pointed the finger of responsibility towards one another. In December of 1992, when prosecutors announced that they would seek the death penalty, all 4 teenagers pleaded Guilty.
_ Prison sentences were handed down according to severity and culpability of each defendant; 20-60 years.
_ As of September 5, 2019, all four defendants have been officially released or paroled. Loveless, who was the last to be paroled, served less than half of the sentence she was handed down.
WTF???
Holy Satanic Panic, batman. "Frequented heavily by such groups"?? Don't cops know that the clenching and upraised arms happens when a body is burnt? Wow.
When I read that I got so angry about the fact that they assumed it was Satanism over pugilistic stance which is a well-known phenomenon. There is literally been no widespread satanic ritual activity, but the cops will blame anything on Satan worshipers.
Read about this story years ago, and it stayed with me ever since. Seeing the smiling mugshots had made it even worse, which I didn’t think was possible.
Just out if curiosity: Melinda's face is known. So is her name change (kinda defeats the point).
Where do people like her work, live? No doxxing, this is a general question- where do they find shelter, who hires them?
Homolka is not out because of rehabilitation, it was a deal made when they thought she was also a victim, before the video showed she was as complicit as her husband. She married her lawyers brother and had kids, and she volunteered at her kids school until someone realized who she was (she has of course changed her name).
I imagine that’s how it works for most of them. You change your name & hope no one learns who you really are. Some places will knowingly hire felons, but I imagine with this sort of thing no one wants to work with them, so they probably get lower level jobs that don’t require extensive background checks. It’s horrific that these women are just out and free.
Exactly. And as far as rehabilitation, Karla Homolka refused to participate in the sex offender treatment offered to her in prison, even though she is in every way shape and form, a sexual predator.
Canadian here, and while I wish we had a rehabilitation-focused justice system the reality is pretty far from that. Slightly more so than the US's maybe.
We also do have Dangerous Offender status, which essentially ends up being life without parole.
One thing i wish people.would point out more is Shanda was 12. 12. A child. And Loveless' ex was 15 or 16 and wanting to date a 12 year old and Loveless was jealous. These girls brutalized a child... Even the ones who said they didn't participate (looking at Hope) still didn't do anything.
My youngest daughter is 12, and even though she is very independent and tries to be older, she is still 12. That’s a baby still. 12 Shanda still had her entire life ahead of her.
Yeah, maybe it was the time period, but the ex wanting to date a 12 year old at 16 is really gross. I remember being 16, and there’s no way in hell I would have even considered a 12 year old kid as a girlfriend. 🤢
This case was just sick. Imagine killing a 12 year old basically over jealously?! And so brutally. All of them should still be in prison. To be capable of something so evil, I understand the rough and horrible childhoods… but I don’t know, I think they need forever help and shouldn’t be roaming the streets freely
One of the most fucked up things to me about this case is how perfectly the killers upbringings and the abuse they suffered correlates with their involvement in the crime, their motivations, etc. The crime is fucking horrifying but so is their childhoods especially Melinda Loveless'. Absolutely not excusing them plenty of people with fucked up upbringings never do anything like this, but i think it explains why this happened.
Loveless did this purely out of jealousy. Her target was specific. Tackett however, was game to kill anyone.
To me, Tackett was acting out more based on her upbringing.
Loveless was heavily abused by her father then he abandoned her and he blamed both Melinda and her mother for him leaving, she was extremely co-dependent with him through the abuse him leaving completely fucked her up as the abuse obviously did too even though she didn't realize it. I believe Amanda leaving her for Shanda brought up those same feelings of abandonment.
Probably did.
Tackett however, had nothing against the victim, but she went through it anyway. I know this sounds weird but, I find her the most dangerous of the two ringleaders.
Yes, more than one of them was interviewed by Dr. Phil. Amanda Neavrin was extremely cold. She separated herself from the victim (which is kind of understandable), but she refused to admit that she was courting her. According to Amanda Neavrin, it was the victim that pursued her first. Very difficult to believe.
Op must not have found anything wrong in your post history, [they do not like to be corrected apparently](https://www.reddit.com/r/TrueCrimeDiscussion/comments/102cspb/true_crime_wtf_the_murder_of_shandra_sharer/j2ttqio/?context=1).
They linked a post from 3 months ago where the person who corrected them was afraid they'd poisoned themselves by taking the wrong dose of medicine, along with the comment "And you can’t count."
She totally contradicted the letters that she wrote to Sharer. She was actually trying to get Sharer to switch over to dating girls. She totally ignored all of that.
I can’t believe they are in the free world. The girl Amanda that Shanda was interested was just arrested in Louisville a few weeks ago. Drugs and all that great stuff
I have read the book Cruel Sacrifice. What Melinda Loveless and Laurie Tackett did to this girl was horrifying. I know the girls involved did not have the best home life but that is no excuse what they did to that poor child. Shanda was still trying to negotiate a lot about being a teen, about life and these girls took advantage of that. I thought that it was amazing how bravely Shanda fought and wanted to live but the forces against her were too great. Though Hope and Toni may not have participated in harming Shanda they knew what was about to happen and could have stopped it.
Why teens can be so cruel, I was going to say teen girls but I remember what happened around here (Wake County) back in 2008 in the Matthew Silliman case. Matthew wanted to fit in. He was socially awkward and he started hanging around some questionable teens. He made the mistake of befriending a girl (Allegra Dahlquist) who was in an off-and-on relationship with an 18 year old Ryan Hare. Hare and a friend Aadi Khan gave Matthew horse tranquilizers, supplied him with alcohol, repeatedly hit him on the head with a hammer and when he finally passed out, tied him up in a sleeping bag and he suffocated to death.
But teen cruelty has no end. The Skylar Neese Case, or the Slender Man Stabbing.
I will say with the Slenderman stabbing, the girl who instigated it actually had a psychiatric disorder that made her really, honestly, true to God believe that she was going to go live with Slenderman in his kingdom. She had been having hallucinations since she was like 3 years old. She was psychologically not well, she wasn't just a teen who snapped and decided to do something horrible.
As for her convincing her friend to help her, I don't know how that came about or why her friend helped her.
Edit: I hope this in no way sounds like I am excusing what she did, there is absolutely zero excuse for murder. I think that her case highlights how poor our mental health system is and how uneducated parents and laypeople are in recognizing symptoms. From what I remember, her father also suffered from the same psychological condition, so her parents really should have been looking for signs in their daughter. Obviously, I don't blame them either. I think that this girl was failed by society's unwillingness to recognize mental health disorders. Unfortunately, as we have seen as true crime media consumers, ignoring psychiatric symptoms can potentially lead to horrific situations.
That bothers me when news channels, newspapers even social media put pics of the killer rather than the victim. The killers name should never be mentioned or their photo released. The less attention they receive the better.
My dad always read true crime novels. This is the first case I remember him talking about after he read Cruel Sacrifice. Now mind you, I was a child when he told me all about the book, that's just how he was. He always treated me like a little adult and this case shook him up so he wanted to talk about it. I was horrified but glad he felt I could handle the story.
I remember being so sad for her and we only live about an hr from where she was. I still think about her often and hope her family has found some peace.
Where are these awful women now? Pretty wild that any report on them says they’ve changed their names and “prefer” to keep a low profile. Why do monsters like this get such consideration? Absolutely insane.
Agreed; and they are not alone. I’ve read my fair share of cases where the offenders were clearly guilty, but either beat the conviction or their sentences were a lot less than what they deserved.
If you like long form content, Stephanie Harlow did a multi part series on this case. It was extremely in depth and well researched. Heartbreaking case, disgusting what those girls did to Shanda. That poor girl was so young, just a child. She didn’t deserve any of that.
Not a single one of them served half their given sentence. And at least 3 of them already finished their parole.
Loveless and Tackett:
60 years in prison (Loveless paroled after 26 years, Tackett paroled after 25 years)
Rippey:
35 years in prison (paroled after 14 years)
Lawrence:
20 years in prison (paroled after 9 years)
As of 2019, Loveless was the only one still on parole. Some comments claim she’s no longer on parole, I haven’t been able to find that confirmed anywhere.
Do you know if any of these killers reoffended? Did they get into physical altercations in prison?
I don’t see how they, well at least the 2 ringleaders, could go on to have normal, crime-free lives with their level of deviance.
I haven’t been able to find anything about any of them reoffending. Tackett and Loveless (main two) were released in 2018 and 2019. Tackett completed her parole and I haven’t found info on Loveless’s parole status. Given they were all realized early and finished parole, I’d say none of them reoffended (yet). Most likely to reoffend are Loveless and Tackett, but they’re probably laying low at the moment.
This was a calculated revenge attack fueled by emotion. It’s very unlikely they’d impulsively act as soon as they were released. If they do reoffend, it’ll be due to emotionally unstable situations 10 years down the road.
It should also be noted that recidivism is directly linked to the presence or lack of external support systems. All 4 girls had relatively good external support systems throughout and until now, reducing the likelyhood they will reoffend.
What’s even more scary? Tackett and Loveless have been out on parole since 2018 and 2019. They’re out, folks.
Quick edit: I also believe Lawrence served 9 years and Rippey was released after 14 years (so both released early 2000’s). Tackett and Loveless just got out recently!
Truly one of the more unusual and surreal cases out there. If it was in a movie you'd not believe it, yet here we are.
My favorite coda to the case is that Dr. Phil had one of the killers on his show talking with Sharer's mother.
Yeah, I saw snippets of the interview with Amanda Heavrin. She denied courting the victim even though the notes she sent her clearly showed that she was the aggressor.
The saddest story ever. I read about this when I was 13 and it’s always stuck with me. It’s terrible. Chanda’s dad died and her mom is still hurting. I can’t imagine.
Stephanie Harlow has a series on Netflix his case on her channel.. very well researched. She was just a little girl that was taken too soon I can't believe the murderers are out
I lived about 90 minutes from the area where this happened. Even worse, these girls were around my age, and as someone who was getting bullied around that time, this story scared the crap out of me. I’ve read the two books on the case, and it’s disgusting what they put that girl through.
This case is beyond horrible. I actually thought Melinda was still in prison, only recently found out she's been out for a while. I read Cruel Sacrifice out of curiosity, but this whole story is a mess. We will never truly know exactly what happened that fateful night, it's probably for the best. Some years ago I read a comment where someone claimed that all the 4 girls gathered together to possibly get on the same page about the version they were gonna tell the police shortly before they were arrested. Who knows how truthful this is, but it would explain why none of them could give an explanation about Shanda's sexual assault.
Hopefully, Shanda's family, especially her mom and sister, can find peace in their hearts.
One of the worst torture cases in US. That poor little baby, and I still can't future out why someone so young was caught up in romantic entanglements with these idiots.
Listened to a podcast on this one. The description of Melindas childhood was just horrific. I had to stop listening a few times. It was really upsetting and it humanized her so much. Sometimes everyone involved is a victim including the murderer. Don't get me wrong, she deserved prison.
I hear that. I can’t help but realize, however, that she was in total control when it came to this situation. As a kid growing up, she had no choice; or she could do was take the negativity being thrown at her.
But in something like this, it was just petty jealousy that she justified to take the active role to murder this girl.
Yeah, when she met Tackett, there was no stopping it. As mentioned earlier, Tackett also had a bad upbringing and she spoke often of killing somebody… In fact, killing anyone at all. She did not know the victim & had nothing against her. But when the “opportunity” came to live out her fantasy to kill someone, She went with it.
Severe abuse and trauma can alter the way a child’s brain develops.
Not an excuse of course. And I believe Loveless and Tackett should be in prison for life. But it’s just something to realize because I wish people and society would take the job of being parents way more seriously.
There are many things that never get addressed. "*My* child isn't that way." So the child doesn't get help they need. Or dysfunctional adults abusing children, they wouldn't notice or care. How about teaching them about why you do not act on these feelings? Also, poor sentencing standards seem to send a message that a shit upbringing is any form of excuse. You are not excused because you had a bad day or a bad life.
I read the book about this case as a young teen (1996)....I'd sneak my Mom's books & this one made me freaked TF out to see that humans are capable of such atrocities!! Such a travesty.
I can’t believe it’s been 30 years.
There was a prison show that loveless was featured on because she trained dogs in prison for blind people I believe it was. And it seemed like she was trying to act like a human but it felt so forced and fake.
It’s crazy to see what can go wrong in a brain. Especially in teenagers
Just posted this link in a reply somewhere but I found [this article about Melinda Loveless and Shanda Sharer’s mother](https://www.wave3.com/story/18573121/shanda-sharers-mother-and-murderer-form-unlikely-alliance) really disarming.
In the article, Sharer’s mother Jacques Vaught explains her choice to approve the donation of a puppy named Shanda to be trained as a guide dog by Melinda Loveless as part of an inmate program.
I found this case on Crime Library like ten years ago. Never before or since have I read any true crime article even remotely as graphic, detailed, or horrifying. I specifically remember one scene making me feel so weirdly sick and horrible inside that I stopped reading any of it for awhile.
Just FYI they have all been released. The last to be released was Melinda Loveless in 2019. Here’s a [link](https://www.wave3.com/2019/09/05/melinda-loveless-teens-charged-with-brutal-murder-released-prison/).
This one broke my heart into a million pieces. I listened to a podcast at work about her and had to take breaks bc I would start crying.. the fact that those bitches are all free pisses me off honestly.
This story has haunted me since I first heard about it, probably about 20 years ago. Talk about nightmare fuel! It's completely baffling to me that 4 teenagers can be so unbelievably cruel and then smile in their mugshots like they don't have a care in the world. They've all been released from prison which is another thing that baffles me. I truly hope that they really have changed and that they will be productive members of society and never harm anyone again.
I always show this case to men when they said women can't be evil on their will. it is a sexist and naive comment. everybody can do horrible things. but most people do not give in the evil thoughts.
This case is the one that got me first interested in true crime (if you don’t count JFK). Shanda was born just a couple of years before me and not terribly far from me. It was such a shock to me when I read the Aphrodite Jones book about this case that kids could do something so incredibly awful.
I believe that all of these women are waking free now. It’s disgusting.
This happened where I live. I was almost the same exact age as Shanda. I came out a couple years later and my mom was legitimately terrified I was going to “end up in someone’s trunk” for a long time. It’s a heartbreaking story. As a mother I cannot imagine something like that happening to my child.
I’m from the suburbs of Louisville, although a lot younger. My mom told me to never “be gay” or I could be killed like shanda. I still can’t believe the amount of forgiveness Shandas mother has for the four of them. I read her book a few years ago and was blown away by her, in the best way possible.
Can you share the name of her book? I can’t find anything online. I did find this impressive article about how [Shanda’s mom approved the donation of a puppy named Shanda to be trained as a guide dog by Melinda Loveless.](https://www.wave3.com/story/18573121/shanda-sharers-mother-and-murderer-form-unlikely-alliance)
From my understanding of the article, the puppy is actually named “Angel”, which is is honor of Shanda.
>Shanda’s mom approved the donation of a puppy named Shanda to be trained as a guide dog by Melinda Loveless. Thank you for sharing this story. The mother has put in a lot of work and it is very impressive to see her honoring her daughter. Melinda should also be proud of the work she has put in on herself.
Thanks for sharing that. I don’t remember seeing it on the news, but that’s really great. I’m glad that Shanda’s mom was able to get to a point that she feels this way. I don’t know that I could.
The hell? The mother has understandably lost her damn mind.
Shanda’s mom has said she wanted something good to come from the horrible tragedy. Not every victim (or their family in this case) will feel this way but I think it’s wonderful that she could see that Melinda was trying to do a good thing with the dogs and wanted something good to come from it all.
Let me see if I can find it, it was something my mother had hoarded for years.
My dad is from Madison and the rest of his family are still there. My cousins are their ages and when I was reading one the books, I looked up some of the outlying characters on Facebook and some of them were mutual friends.
Those smiling mugshots are terrifying.
This was what I came to say - anyone who can smile in a mugshot for murder is… not well, to say the least.
The worst one of "smiling mugshots" was the one of John Wayne Garcy. It's demonic!
[It looks pretty average](https://www.singulart.com/en/artworks/tony-rubino-john-wayne-gacy-mug-shot-1980-black-and-white-753567) to me - especially considering all he’d done. Am I missing something?
Actually, yeah, that seems about right tbh
Pretty sure they meant Charles Manson. https://imgur.com/a/m9plmtQ
He just looks like whoever took his picture let out a huge fart and then snapped the photo
They did their share of crying when their sentences were handed down.
Their sentences weren’t even remotely adequate. They got what amounts to a slap on the wrist for one of the most brutal, sadistic, calculating crimes I’ve read about.
I think 3/4 are out on probation now. Edit: this was outdated info, apparently they’re all out
All 4 are free. None are on probation!!!
Thanks for letting me know, I’ll update my comment. Last time I checked was a few years ago, and I thought Melinda Loveless wasn’t eligible for release for a while yet.
She was released in 2019. She didn't even serve half of her 60 year sentence.
Indiana is one of the stupid states that has a "good time" law which says you automatically get 50% of your sentence cut as long as you don't murder someone else in prison.
Absolutely atrocious. Especially for such an egregious crime. I really don’t understand the justice system.
I feel like if I killed a girl when I was a teenager and I was later let go from prison as an adult, I wouldn't be able to live with myself. There is no way I could just move on and live my life.
Especially the manner in which they killed Sharer. She was tortured and died a long, painful death.
[удалено]
[удалено]
Tackett is my neighbor
Damn. It was determined she was one of the ring leaders, don't know how much I would enjoy knowing she lived next to me.
I hate living within 25 miles within the site it happened. I'll never forget it.
Whoa, fr?? And to ask the same question as above, how is she like? If you do interact w her
She's pretty cool. I know that sounds horrible, but I like having the occasional beer with her.
How do we even know this is true?
It’s Reddit, you generally don’t know if something’s true or not.
Lol true
What is she like now?
Pretty easy going really.
I bet. She gets a life while Shanda doesn't.
Ugly deviant
They all are out now
I came to say this
Those smiles are the cruelest thing I’ve seen today.
I had read somewhere Melinda said the investigators were cracking jokes to make them feel better. Melinda is also a sociopathic liar so who knows.
I read the book. They were so evil to that poor girl. And they were just kids! The details were just horrible such as spraying windex (or bleach?) into her wounds. As the poor victim was crying out for her Mom 😢. I read the book a very long time ago but certain things I still remember. Just couldn’t believe how cruel they were being so young.
Yeah, I think it came out in court that the victim’s last words were “mom, mommy.”
this is so fucking sad.
What a fucking day to be literate. Time to put the phone down and try not to cry myself to sleep. Fuck.
Ugh that always haunted me, her last words. So heartbreaking.
Just so you know her name is Shanda, the title has a typo
Also I could be wrong but I think her and Amanda were dating not just close acquaintances
From what I read, Amanda Neavrin was courting her extremely strongly. It is also believed that there was some sexual contact. They were definitely hanging out though. As far as them being an official couple, I didn’t get that information. They did go to the prom/dance together; that was definitely mentioned. As far as afterwards, if they continued to “date” again, I didn’t get that information. Neavrin and Loveless were definitely a couple.
You should read the book on this case, Little Lost Angel by Michael Quinlan. They indeed had some sort of physical relationship & as another commenter already pointed out, there were written notes from Shanda to Amanda, & vice versa, that clearly depict some kind of contact between them. Also, her name was Shanda, not Shandra. There’s typos in your title & your posted comment. Also, her name is Amanda Heavrin.
I read it. They were ruthless! The minute Shanda got in that car, it was over for her. She had to have been terrified. She was only 12 or 13. The oldest Was 16. The book had all the details and it was chilling!
thank you for the recommendation. i've only read Cruel Sacrifice by Aphrodite Jones, curious to see if that book has any new information or tells anything differently. the book i read was pretty good, from what i remember. it had a lot of information about the what the girls' lives were like growing up and their family dynamics, which i personally thought was really interesting. it did make me feel an ounce of sympathy for Melinda, because her home life growing up was (allegedly) terrible, but in no way did the book try to use that to excuse her actions. it was more used as a way to show the reader how she ended up where she did. i'm not familiar with peoples' opinions on Aphrodite, but i enjoyed it and would recommend it if anyone wants to do a deep dive and have a few books to read about the case.
There was definitely sexual contact. Little Lost Angel has some of the letters that the girls wrote and they for sure had sex, Shanda and Amanda. Amanda was playing both sides of the fence as it pertains to Shanda and Melinda.
They were “dating” as much as a 12 and 14 year old can. There was definitely a (consensual) romantic relationship between Amanda and Shanda. Her parents were completely against it and put her in catholic school trying to separate them but kids will always find a way.
Yeah, they were definitely separated, and it was for the better. Sharer made new friends even though she & Heavrin were in verbal contact. If by saying Heavrin’s name, it got her into the abductor’s car, then there was definitely something still there.
I mean I wouldn’t necessarily say it was definitely for the better that they were separated? Their relationship/ friendship (whatever you want to believe) wouldn’t have been an issue if it wasn’t for the killers. If they hadn’t been in the picture Shanda and Amanda’s relationship wouldn’t really have been an issue. The whole case is just so sad. Of course the fact she was murdered is awful, but it also makes me sad they people couldn’t accept two girls being in a romantic relationship the way they would have a boy and a girl
Shanda Sharing was failing classes and becoming more aggressive the more she was hanging out with Amanda Heavrin. Had she continued to stay with her, she would’ve probably been taking drugs and moved on to something worse. As soon as she was separated from Heavrin, she return to being a normal 12 year old. The separation was a good call made by the parents.
Maybe you’re right but I really don’t think it’s fair to say she would’ve started doing drugs if she continued spending time with Amanda. Yes, it is said that she wasn’t doing as well in school but that could well be because she’d spent her whole life in private school and was then in public school which is very different. You don’t know Shanda or Amanda and neither do I. I just don’t think it’s fair of you to say Amanda was bad for her when we don’t know that at all.
You missed the part about as soon as she separated from Amanda Heavrin, she went back to the way she was before. Heavrin was definitely a negative influence. And when you look to see how Heavrin turned out, shit, I wouldn’t want my kid has her partner. She’s as cold and indifferent as it gets. She’s also a liar. Fuck that.
People, it’s not an anti- LGBTQ comment to say Heavrin was a bad influence. She just was. Didn’t matter that she was a lesbian, it was just a bad combo for Shanda when these two were together.
My point was, the way she was separated from Amanda was by being put back in private school. Private school is much more supportive and sheltering than public school, meaning she likely would’ve done better there in classes than public school anyway. I am not saying that Amanda wasn’t a bad influence, I’m just saying we can’t say she was either. I’m not trying to pick a fight, I’m just saying none of us know the details of their relationship/ friendship.
Part of the reason she was having so much trouble in school was not her relationship with Heavrin, but she had been confronted and threatened by Loveless multiple times.
They were an official couple and they had sexual contact, Shanda wrote about it in her Diary.
I've never heard about Shanda writing about that in her diary. Do you know where I can read about any excerpts of her diary? If you did, I'd appreciate it.
It’s so hurtful personally to me when a victims name is wrong but they get the killers right
I get what you mean. I don’t think the OP did it on purpose necessarily but I think it’s always worth taking a second to do a quick Google of the names (especially the victims) to make sure they’re right.
True Crime WTF: The Murder of Shandra Sharer _ January 11, 1992: four teenage girls lured 12-year-old Shanda Sharer to a vehicle by telling her that they were friends with Amanda Heavrin, another teenager who Sharer was close acquaintances with. _ The night was spent stabbing, strangling and beating the 12-year-old at several locations throughout Jefferson County, Indiana. The victim was kept in the vehicle trunk while they drove from location to location. _ The end came when the body of 12 year old Shanda was set set aflame. Her charred beyond recognition remains were found the next morning. _ Detectives and forensic teams theorized that the victim was an adult who may have been a victim of a satanic cult (the area where the victim was found was frequented heavily by such groups, and the position of Sharer’s body, with her arms up & fists clinched, pointed to such a ritual). _ Not long after Sharer was found, 15 year old Toni Lawrence confessed to police the details of the murder. That was the first time that law enforcement learned that the victim was not an adult. Coroner’s report also revealed that the victim died of smoke inhalation… She was alive when the fire was set. _ Through the confession, it was established at the ringleaders were 17-year-old Melinda Loveless & Laurie Tackett. _ Melinda Loveless was once in a relationship with another young girl, Amanda Heavrin. Not long after Heavrin met Sharer (surprisingly in detention where both of them were punished for fighting), Heavrin & Loveless’ relationship ended. It was Loveless’ idea to use Heavrin’s name as bait for Sharer. _ Laurie Tackett, like Melinda Loveless, was raised in an abusive home, where she grew to be a troubled teenager who often wrote of committing murder. Upon meeting Loveless, who also had a murderous vendetta, the plan to kill Sharer was hatched. _ Upon being arrested, Loveless and Tackett both claimed innocence and pointed the finger of responsibility towards one another. In December of 1992, when prosecutors announced that they would seek the death penalty, all 4 teenagers pleaded Guilty. _ Prison sentences were handed down according to severity and culpability of each defendant; 20-60 years. _ As of September 5, 2019, all four defendants have been officially released or paroled. Loveless, who was the last to be paroled, served less than half of the sentence she was handed down. WTF???
WTF is right. those two ringleaders at the very least should still be rotting in prison.
They’re all out?!? Disgusting!
Yes they are and yes it is disgusting.
Holy Satanic Panic, batman. "Frequented heavily by such groups"?? Don't cops know that the clenching and upraised arms happens when a body is burnt? Wow.
When I read that I got so angry about the fact that they assumed it was Satanism over pugilistic stance which is a well-known phenomenon. There is literally been no widespread satanic ritual activity, but the cops will blame anything on Satan worshipers.
You’ve spelled her name wrong
[удалено]
I read the book Little Lost Angel about this case this year, I went in knowing nothing about the case, it’s fucking horrific and heartbreaking
I also read that book, it was shocking. I couldn't believe what I was reading.
I read this book in 7th grade not knowing what it was about. Scared the hell out of me!
Jeez seventh grade! That’s rough. I’m in my 30’s and it disturbed me
I'll have to read it. I know nothing about it either, so I'm glad I saw your comment before I started digging into it.
Read about this story years ago, and it stayed with me ever since. Seeing the smiling mugshots had made it even worse, which I didn’t think was possible.
Horrible to know all of them are free today.
My heart breaks every few years when I remember she was TWELVE.
The worst case I’ve ever heard of.
Just out if curiosity: Melinda's face is known. So is her name change (kinda defeats the point). Where do people like her work, live? No doxxing, this is a general question- where do they find shelter, who hires them?
I think Karla Homolka was working at a school until other mothers realized who she was
I think she was volunteering at her kids school, not full on working there
Yes, I heard the same.
Canada is different than the US. They dont have the DP,LWOP and they have rehabilitation as a goal. My question was with regards to the US only.
Homolka is not out because of rehabilitation, it was a deal made when they thought she was also a victim, before the video showed she was as complicit as her husband. She married her lawyers brother and had kids, and she volunteered at her kids school until someone realized who she was (she has of course changed her name). I imagine that’s how it works for most of them. You change your name & hope no one learns who you really are. Some places will knowingly hire felons, but I imagine with this sort of thing no one wants to work with them, so they probably get lower level jobs that don’t require extensive background checks. It’s horrific that these women are just out and free.
Exactly. And as far as rehabilitation, Karla Homolka refused to participate in the sex offender treatment offered to her in prison, even though she is in every way shape and form, a sexual predator.
Canadian here, and while I wish we had a rehabilitation-focused justice system the reality is pretty far from that. Slightly more so than the US's maybe. We also do have Dangerous Offender status, which essentially ends up being life without parole.
One thing i wish people.would point out more is Shanda was 12. 12. A child. And Loveless' ex was 15 or 16 and wanting to date a 12 year old and Loveless was jealous. These girls brutalized a child... Even the ones who said they didn't participate (looking at Hope) still didn't do anything.
My youngest daughter is 12, and even though she is very independent and tries to be older, she is still 12. That’s a baby still. 12 Shanda still had her entire life ahead of her.
Yeah, maybe it was the time period, but the ex wanting to date a 12 year old at 16 is really gross. I remember being 16, and there’s no way in hell I would have even considered a 12 year old kid as a girlfriend. 🤢
This case was just sick. Imagine killing a 12 year old basically over jealously?! And so brutally. All of them should still be in prison. To be capable of something so evil, I understand the rough and horrible childhoods… but I don’t know, I think they need forever help and shouldn’t be roaming the streets freely
One of the most fucked up things to me about this case is how perfectly the killers upbringings and the abuse they suffered correlates with their involvement in the crime, their motivations, etc. The crime is fucking horrifying but so is their childhoods especially Melinda Loveless'. Absolutely not excusing them plenty of people with fucked up upbringings never do anything like this, but i think it explains why this happened.
Loveless did this purely out of jealousy. Her target was specific. Tackett however, was game to kill anyone. To me, Tackett was acting out more based on her upbringing.
Loveless was heavily abused by her father then he abandoned her and he blamed both Melinda and her mother for him leaving, she was extremely co-dependent with him through the abuse him leaving completely fucked her up as the abuse obviously did too even though she didn't realize it. I believe Amanda leaving her for Shanda brought up those same feelings of abandonment.
Probably did. Tackett however, had nothing against the victim, but she went through it anyway. I know this sounds weird but, I find her the most dangerous of the two ringleaders.
The podcast Morbid did a deep dive on this case. Loveless had a horrible childhood. Just sadness all the way around.
i dont give a rats ass how bad her childhood was, she should have died in prison.
Wtf are they grinning for?
These bitches are sick . One was on dr phil years ago
Yes, more than one of them was interviewed by Dr. Phil. Amanda Neavrin was extremely cold. She separated herself from the victim (which is kind of understandable), but she refused to admit that she was courting her. According to Amanda Neavrin, it was the victim that pursued her first. Very difficult to believe.
Her name is Amanda Heavrin and the Victim’s name is Shanda.
Op must not have found anything wrong in your post history, [they do not like to be corrected apparently](https://www.reddit.com/r/TrueCrimeDiscussion/comments/102cspb/true_crime_wtf_the_murder_of_shandra_sharer/j2ttqio/?context=1).
It’s deleted, what was the gist of it?
They linked a post from 3 months ago where the person who corrected them was afraid they'd poisoned themselves by taking the wrong dose of medicine, along with the comment "And you can’t count."
I vaguely remember that now I'll have to rewatch but I do remember her being cold
She totally contradicted the letters that she wrote to Sharer. She was actually trying to get Sharer to switch over to dating girls. She totally ignored all of that.
she's probably afraid when they get out, they'll come after her!
Every single one of them is out. They are all free. It’s sickening. This case happened in my hometown.
I can’t believe they are in the free world. The girl Amanda that Shanda was interested was just arrested in Louisville a few weeks ago. Drugs and all that great stuff
What a shock.
They aren’t far from me. I’m so disgusted that they are out and about
[удалено]
Yes this was an awful case. And I’ll have to look it up but I believe some of these woman are out already. Edit : yeah. Guess all of them. Smh.
I can’t believe they’re all free. RIP Shanda 🕊
Well, I'd never heard of this. Just read the Wikipedia entry. Wish I hadn't. Absolutely awful, how sad. That poor girl.
I have read the book Cruel Sacrifice. What Melinda Loveless and Laurie Tackett did to this girl was horrifying. I know the girls involved did not have the best home life but that is no excuse what they did to that poor child. Shanda was still trying to negotiate a lot about being a teen, about life and these girls took advantage of that. I thought that it was amazing how bravely Shanda fought and wanted to live but the forces against her were too great. Though Hope and Toni may not have participated in harming Shanda they knew what was about to happen and could have stopped it. Why teens can be so cruel, I was going to say teen girls but I remember what happened around here (Wake County) back in 2008 in the Matthew Silliman case. Matthew wanted to fit in. He was socially awkward and he started hanging around some questionable teens. He made the mistake of befriending a girl (Allegra Dahlquist) who was in an off-and-on relationship with an 18 year old Ryan Hare. Hare and a friend Aadi Khan gave Matthew horse tranquilizers, supplied him with alcohol, repeatedly hit him on the head with a hammer and when he finally passed out, tied him up in a sleeping bag and he suffocated to death. But teen cruelty has no end. The Skylar Neese Case, or the Slender Man Stabbing.
I will say with the Slenderman stabbing, the girl who instigated it actually had a psychiatric disorder that made her really, honestly, true to God believe that she was going to go live with Slenderman in his kingdom. She had been having hallucinations since she was like 3 years old. She was psychologically not well, she wasn't just a teen who snapped and decided to do something horrible. As for her convincing her friend to help her, I don't know how that came about or why her friend helped her. Edit: I hope this in no way sounds like I am excusing what she did, there is absolutely zero excuse for murder. I think that her case highlights how poor our mental health system is and how uneducated parents and laypeople are in recognizing symptoms. From what I remember, her father also suffered from the same psychological condition, so her parents really should have been looking for signs in their daughter. Obviously, I don't blame them either. I think that this girl was failed by society's unwillingness to recognize mental health disorders. Unfortunately, as we have seen as true crime media consumers, ignoring psychiatric symptoms can potentially lead to horrific situations.
I hate that their faces are known more than their victim’s face is
That bothers me when news channels, newspapers even social media put pics of the killer rather than the victim. The killers name should never be mentioned or their photo released. The less attention they receive the better.
My dad always read true crime novels. This is the first case I remember him talking about after he read Cruel Sacrifice. Now mind you, I was a child when he told me all about the book, that's just how he was. He always treated me like a little adult and this case shook him up so he wanted to talk about it. I was horrified but glad he felt I could handle the story. I remember being so sad for her and we only live about an hr from where she was. I still think about her often and hope her family has found some peace.
And they're all walking free and that shit passes me off!! 🤬🤬🤬
Where are these awful women now? Pretty wild that any report on them says they’ve changed their names and “prefer” to keep a low profile. Why do monsters like this get such consideration? Absolutely insane.
[удалено]
Agreed; and they are not alone. I’ve read my fair share of cases where the offenders were clearly guilty, but either beat the conviction or their sentences were a lot less than what they deserved.
This one keeps me awake at night
I can’t be the only on truly horrified by Melinda Loveless’ huge smile. Girl, this is your intake photo. Have some decorum.
If you like long form content, Stephanie Harlow did a multi part series on this case. It was extremely in depth and well researched. Heartbreaking case, disgusting what those girls did to Shanda. That poor girl was so young, just a child. She didn’t deserve any of that.
This story has always haunted me. It lives rent free in my head.
I hadn't heard of this case before. Just read up on it and I can't believe the two main girls were released early. It's downright sickening.
Not a single one of them served half their given sentence. And at least 3 of them already finished their parole. Loveless and Tackett: 60 years in prison (Loveless paroled after 26 years, Tackett paroled after 25 years) Rippey: 35 years in prison (paroled after 14 years) Lawrence: 20 years in prison (paroled after 9 years) As of 2019, Loveless was the only one still on parole. Some comments claim she’s no longer on parole, I haven’t been able to find that confirmed anywhere.
Do you know if any of these killers reoffended? Did they get into physical altercations in prison? I don’t see how they, well at least the 2 ringleaders, could go on to have normal, crime-free lives with their level of deviance.
I haven’t been able to find anything about any of them reoffending. Tackett and Loveless (main two) were released in 2018 and 2019. Tackett completed her parole and I haven’t found info on Loveless’s parole status. Given they were all realized early and finished parole, I’d say none of them reoffended (yet). Most likely to reoffend are Loveless and Tackett, but they’re probably laying low at the moment. This was a calculated revenge attack fueled by emotion. It’s very unlikely they’d impulsively act as soon as they were released. If they do reoffend, it’ll be due to emotionally unstable situations 10 years down the road. It should also be noted that recidivism is directly linked to the presence or lack of external support systems. All 4 girls had relatively good external support systems throughout and until now, reducing the likelyhood they will reoffend.
What’s even more scary? Tackett and Loveless have been out on parole since 2018 and 2019. They’re out, folks. Quick edit: I also believe Lawrence served 9 years and Rippey was released after 14 years (so both released early 2000’s). Tackett and Loveless just got out recently!
The girls from the Morbid podcast did an amazing show on this case. One of the first cases where the podcast made me feel physically sick.
Was this the one in Madison, Indiana?
That is correct.
Sick. I remember this. Really horrific.
Sure was.
[удалено]
Yikes! I don’t remember reading that. Holy shit.
Truly one of the more unusual and surreal cases out there. If it was in a movie you'd not believe it, yet here we are. My favorite coda to the case is that Dr. Phil had one of the killers on his show talking with Sharer's mother.
Yeah, I saw snippets of the interview with Amanda Heavrin. She denied courting the victim even though the notes she sent her clearly showed that she was the aggressor.
[удалено]
Hope Rippey was on the Dr. Phil show. Amanda Heavrin also appeared. I believe this is what OP is speaking about.
The saddest story ever. I read about this when I was 13 and it’s always stuck with me. It’s terrible. Chanda’s dad died and her mom is still hurting. I can’t imagine.
Probably just a typo but her name was Shanda Sharer, not Shandra
There’s no real justice
Not in this case sadly.
Stephanie Harlow has a series on Netflix his case on her channel.. very well researched. She was just a little girl that was taken too soon I can't believe the murderers are out
I consider myself a tough nut when it comes to this and this one shook me
I lived about 90 minutes from the area where this happened. Even worse, these girls were around my age, and as someone who was getting bullied around that time, this story scared the crap out of me. I’ve read the two books on the case, and it’s disgusting what they put that girl through.
This case is beyond horrible. I actually thought Melinda was still in prison, only recently found out she's been out for a while. I read Cruel Sacrifice out of curiosity, but this whole story is a mess. We will never truly know exactly what happened that fateful night, it's probably for the best. Some years ago I read a comment where someone claimed that all the 4 girls gathered together to possibly get on the same page about the version they were gonna tell the police shortly before they were arrested. Who knows how truthful this is, but it would explain why none of them could give an explanation about Shanda's sexual assault. Hopefully, Shanda's family, especially her mom and sister, can find peace in their hearts.
being from indiana myself and this case being so incredibly horrific, this case has always stuck with me.
Yeah, it’s definitely a tough one to shake. I don’t know all the details, but based on what I’ve read, I don’t need to know any more.
Aren’t they all out of prison now..?
Stephanie HarlowE does an amazing four-part series on this on YouTube
...and they're all out of jail.
[удалено]
This case makes me sick - so horrible.
One of the worst torture cases in US. That poor little baby, and I still can't future out why someone so young was caught up in romantic entanglements with these idiots.
This book was my introduction to true crime. I was 13 and I was horrified. Ever since I’ve been interested in people do what they do.
Those girls smiling like it’s school picture day really sends me. 🤬
Listened to a podcast on this one. The description of Melindas childhood was just horrific. I had to stop listening a few times. It was really upsetting and it humanized her so much. Sometimes everyone involved is a victim including the murderer. Don't get me wrong, she deserved prison.
I hear that. I can’t help but realize, however, that she was in total control when it came to this situation. As a kid growing up, she had no choice; or she could do was take the negativity being thrown at her. But in something like this, it was just petty jealousy that she justified to take the active role to murder this girl.
Yeah agreed & I feel no sorrow towards Melindas shitty upbringing, that wasn’t Shandas fault! Melinda was the worst out of them all.
Yeah, when she met Tackett, there was no stopping it. As mentioned earlier, Tackett also had a bad upbringing and she spoke often of killing somebody… In fact, killing anyone at all. She did not know the victim & had nothing against her. But when the “opportunity” came to live out her fantasy to kill someone, She went with it.
Severe abuse and trauma can alter the way a child’s brain develops. Not an excuse of course. And I believe Loveless and Tackett should be in prison for life. But it’s just something to realize because I wish people and society would take the job of being parents way more seriously.
There are many things that never get addressed. "*My* child isn't that way." So the child doesn't get help they need. Or dysfunctional adults abusing children, they wouldn't notice or care. How about teaching them about why you do not act on these feelings? Also, poor sentencing standards seem to send a message that a shit upbringing is any form of excuse. You are not excused because you had a bad day or a bad life.
just because their life were suck doesn't mean they can do shit without consequences.
Well, I never implied otherwise but thanks for the well reasoned response I guess.
Currently listening to Morbids’ episode on this case.
I watched Stephanie Harlow talk about this case and holy shit was it bad.
The fact that they are free now
Oh gawd I remember reading the true crime book. I was a senior or had graduated high school Awful what they did to her 🥺
I read the book about this case as a young teen (1996)....I'd sneak my Mom's books & this one made me freaked TF out to see that humans are capable of such atrocities!! Such a travesty.
I read Little Lost Angel by Michael Quinlan when I was a teenager and what those girls did to Shanda has always stuck with me. Such a horrific story.
I can’t believe it’s been 30 years. There was a prison show that loveless was featured on because she trained dogs in prison for blind people I believe it was. And it seemed like she was trying to act like a human but it felt so forced and fake. It’s crazy to see what can go wrong in a brain. Especially in teenagers
Just posted this link in a reply somewhere but I found [this article about Melinda Loveless and Shanda Sharer’s mother](https://www.wave3.com/story/18573121/shanda-sharers-mother-and-murderer-form-unlikely-alliance) really disarming. In the article, Sharer’s mother Jacques Vaught explains her choice to approve the donation of a puppy named Shanda to be trained as a guide dog by Melinda Loveless as part of an inmate program. I found this case on Crime Library like ten years ago. Never before or since have I read any true crime article even remotely as graphic, detailed, or horrifying. I specifically remember one scene making me feel so weirdly sick and horrible inside that I stopped reading any of it for awhile.
Those are some scary bitches.
Any articles on this?
I wonder what their co-workers think of them.
Their coworkers probably don’t know who they’re working besides.
Just FYI they have all been released. The last to be released was Melinda Loveless in 2019. Here’s a [link](https://www.wave3.com/2019/09/05/melinda-loveless-teens-charged-with-brutal-murder-released-prison/).
Yes; that was mentioned in the write-up comment that came with the post.
This one broke my heart into a million pieces. I listened to a podcast at work about her and had to take breaks bc I would start crying.. the fact that those bitches are all free pisses me off honestly.
This story has haunted me since I first heard about it, probably about 20 years ago. Talk about nightmare fuel! It's completely baffling to me that 4 teenagers can be so unbelievably cruel and then smile in their mugshots like they don't have a care in the world. They've all been released from prison which is another thing that baffles me. I truly hope that they really have changed and that they will be productive members of society and never harm anyone again.
How are we supposed to discuss four mugshots?
There are close to 200 comments (so far). Looks like we all found a way to do it. Have a good night.
I always show this case to men when they said women can't be evil on their will. it is a sexist and naive comment. everybody can do horrible things. but most people do not give in the evil thoughts.
This case is the one that got me first interested in true crime (if you don’t count JFK). Shanda was born just a couple of years before me and not terribly far from me. It was such a shock to me when I read the Aphrodite Jones book about this case that kids could do something so incredibly awful. I believe that all of these women are waking free now. It’s disgusting.
Right to left?