
Larry worked irregularly for the Southern Railway after his military service his profession allowed him to work whenever most convenient for him. They lived in or near New Albany throughout Melinda's childhood. Marjorie later described him as a sexual deviant who would wear her and her daughters' underwear and makeup, was incapable of staying monogamous, and had a mixture of jealousy and fascination with seeing her have sex with other men and women. Army during the Vietnam War and although horribly emotionally scarred, he was treated as a hero upon his return. Melinda Loveless was born in New Albany on October 28, 1975, the youngest of three daughters, to Marjorie and Larry Loveless. 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. When her mother divorced again, the family moved in June 1991 to New Albany, Indiana, and Sharer enrolled at Hazelwood Middle School.

Paul School, where she was on the cheerleading, volleyball, and softball teams. There, Sharer attended fifth and sixth grades at St. After Sharer's parents divorced, her mother remarried and the family moved to Louisville. Shanda Sharer was born in the Pineville Community Hospital in Pineville, Kentucky, on June 6, 1979, to Stephen Sharer and his wife Jacqueline, who was later known as Jacqueline Vaught. The case was covered on national news and talk shows and has inspired a number of episodes on fictional crime shows. 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. She was 12 years old at the time of her death. Shanda Renée Sharer (J– January 11, 1992) was an American girl who was tortured and burned to death in Madison, Indiana by four teenage girls. Revenge against Sharer for dating Loveless's ex-girlfriendĦ0 years in prison (Loveless paroled after 26 years, Tackett paroled after 25 years)ģ5 years in prison (paroled after 14 years)Ģ0 years in prison (paroled after 9 years) Shanda's with God.Child-on-child murder by immolation, torture murder, stabbing, beating, ligature strangulation, sexual assault, kidnapping, arson I'm going home to my new grandbaby who was just born. "I don't know what normal is anymore, I'm not the person I was when Shanda was here. Her lack of mercy, of tender courage, is a horrifying lesson to us all."įollowing Rippey's sentencing, Jackie Vaught spoke to the press from the steps of the courthouse. She poured the gasoline so no one would get caught, even though she knew it would kill Shanda. There were avenues of escape, ways to help herself, ways to help Shanda. Judge Jourdan then made her own statement to the court. There is no greater pain than losing your child."Īfter a short recess, Judge Jourdan sentenced Hope Rippey to the maximum sentence of 60 years, but suspended 10 years for mitigating circumstances, ordering her to be placed on probation for 10 years at the time of her release. "Imagine how you would feel if someone did to your niece what you did to our child. Following the video, Vaught made a brief statement. In response Judge Jourdan ordered Rippey to watch the presentation. As she once again showed the video of Sharer to the court, she became angry when Rippey held her head down. The last to testify was Sharer's mother, Jackie Vaught. The prosecution also called witnesses from the previous three proceedings.

However, testimony by Lawrence, Loveless and Tackett painted a different picture. Sheehan stated that Rippey was immature and had acted solely under the domination of Melinda Loveless and Laurie Tackett. Following her brief statement, the defense called psychologist Michael Sheehan to the stand. At the outset of the hearing, Rippey made a statement maintaining her claim that her only action against Shanda had been pouring the gasoline on her body. Joseph's Superior Court House with Judge Jeanne Jourdan presiding. At the request of the defense, the hearing was moved to South Bend, Ind., and was held at St. Hope Rippey ultimately accepted a plea deal as well, and her sentencing hearing began on June 1, 1993.
