A Michigan jury deliberated for about an hour on Friday before returning a guilty verdict for a mother accused in the torture killing of her 15-year-old son.
Shanda Vander Ark was found guilty of open murder and first degree child abuse in the death of Timothy Ferguson, WZZM reported.
Timothy weighed 69 pounds when he died on July 6, 2022, in a cubby beneath the stairs in the home he shared with his mother and older brother.
Vander Ark was not in the courtroom on Friday to hear the verdict. Her attorneys said she was ill. During her testimony on Thursday, she began to dry-heave and hyperventilate when shown photos of Timothy’s body. She repeatedly said she remembered very little about the time leading up to her son’s death.
Defense attorneys characterized Vander Ark as a hard-working mother doing the best she could, but prosecutors questioned her about security cameras all over the house and locks on the refrigerator to keep Timothy for taking food when he was clearly starving.
Testimony also indicated Timothy was put into ice baths for hours at a time and fed hot sauce as a punishment, WXMI reported. Prosecutors also presented text messages between Vander Ark and her son Paul Ferguson discussing whether they should use the hot sauce on Timothy’s genitals.
Paul Ferguson testified for the state during his mother’s trial. He faces a child abuse charge as well.
Vander Ark’s sentencing is cheduled for January 29, 2024.
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[Featured image: Shanda Vander Ark/handout]
