Teenage Lesbian Killers

“It’s like you look at the Leopold and Loeb case, recast it for girls, and set it in Main Street, USA..."

The Killing Field

On the morning of Saturday, January 11, 1992, Canaan, Indiana resident Donn Foley and his brother Ralph decided to do some quail hunting in nearby Jefferson County. After a quick cup of coffee, the two men loaded up their bird dogs into Donn’s truck and were on their way. Just one mile into their trip, as Donn turned onto Lemon Road, Ralph spotted a strange object just a few feet from the road in a barren soybean field.

His initial thought was that the object was a body, but logic dictated that it must have been something else. Even so, Donn put the truck in reverse and backed up to get a closer look. It was difficult to tell what the object was, so the two men exited the truck for a closer look. At first glance it appeared to be a rubber blow-up doll someone had discarded and burned, but upon closer inspection the reality became horribly apparent. The object was not a doll, but the charred remains of a human body. Apart from a pair of panties, the body appeared to be naked and the flesh was extensively burnt from the waist up. The legs of the victim were spread open as if they had been posed and the arms stretched out towards the sky with clenched fists. The victim appeared to be a young woman, but the chest had been scorched so badly that it was not clear. Most horrifying of all was the victim’s face – the eyes were empty, without color, and the mouth was wide open, exposing teeth, which were tightly clenched down on the victims tongue. The scene was brutal, and one that neither man would ever be able to forget.

At 10:55 a.m. Chief Deputy Randy Spry from the Jefferson County sheriff’s office in Madison received a call from Donn Foley and set out for Lemon Road. Since there had not been a murder in Jefferson County for at least three years, the deputy was somewhat skeptical of the Foley brothers’ discovery. His initial assumption was that it was most likely a mannequin and the men were overreacting or playing a practical joke. However, after arriving at the scene, his doubts were soon erased. Deputy Spry quickly returned to his patrol car and radioed headquarters to send Sheriff Richard “Buck” Shipley to the scene.

It took over an hour for Shipley to get there from his home in Madison. At first glance he was mystified. He had seen many dead bodies during his time on the force, but he had never seen one in such a grisly state. It was obvious that the sheriff’s department would not have the resources to handle the investigation properly, so Shipley immediately radioed the Indiana State Police for assistance.

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Indiana State Police Detective Steve Henry and forensic expert Sergeant Curtis Wells arrived at the crime scene just after 1:00 in the afternoon. Wells immediately recorded the events with a video camera and took several still photographs of the crime scene and surrounding area. After taking castings of various unknown tire tracks and footprints; he began a cursory examination of the body.

Due to Sgt. Wells’ extensive knowledge of forensics, it was immediately apparent that a flammable substance had been used to destroy physical evidence. As he examined the genital area he noted that the victim’s panties had been pulled to one side and that the anus had an unusually wide opening, which suggested some type of sexual molestation, either prior to or directly after death. As Wells examined the body, Detective Henry discovered a melted plastic bottle lying in the weeds, which had apparently contained the flammable liquid used during the crime. The coroner soon arrived and after Wells finished taking hair samples and removing a ring from the victim, the body was turned over so that an autopsy could be performed at the State Medical Examiners Office.

After Wells cleaned up the ring he had removed from the victim, he discovered it to be a class ring from Jeffersonville High School, with the initials SGH inside. As the men prepared to leave the scene, radio messages began to come back from headquarters with missing person’s reports, but none matched the description of their victim.

On the way back to Shipley’s office, the investigators stopped at a local restaurant for some coffee and to compare notes on the crime scene. Their initial feeling was that the killing resulted from a bungled drug deal, but the one thing they could not understand was why the body had been left in plain sight. If the killer or killers had simply carried it another 20 yards or so into the brush, it might not have been discovered for years. The only feasible explanation they could muster was that whoever did the murder assumed that the body was going to be completely reduced to ashes by the fire.

Witness

Clifton and Glenda Lawrence were spending their Saturday evening enjoying a television program when their youngest daughter, 15-year-old Toni, walked through the front door. It was immediately apparent that something was wrong. Following behind her was her best friend, Hope, and her parents, Carl and Gloria Rippey. Each of them had a solemn look, which reminded Glenda Lawrence of the previous year when she had learned that a local boy had raped Toni. Clifton had tried to press charges against the boy, but he only received a reprimand by police due to lack of evidence. Before her parents could say a word, Toni began babbling incoherently, she was obviously upset and in a state of near shock. Clifton instructed Glenda to take Toni to another room while he talked to the Rippeys.

Carl Rippey told Clifton that the girls said they had witnessed a murder earlier that day. He said that the details were sketchy, but that he felt they were telling the truth. Clifton was speechless for a few moments and then asked the Rippeys to go with him to the police station. They refused, insisting that they were going to talk to an attorney before doing anything. Following a brief discussion, the Rippeys left. Clifton called his daughter and wife into the room and said they were going to the police station.

It was just after 9:00 p.m. when the Lawrences arrived at the Jefferson County sheriff’s office in Madison. Upon learning that a young girl and her family had information regarding a murder in Jefferson County, Sheriff Shipley was quickly ushered them into his office. Toni Lawrence stated that she had spent the previous night with two friends, 15-year-old Hope Rippey and 17-year-old Laurie Tackett. The three drove to New Albany in Tackett’s car and picked up 16-year-old Melinda Loveless, a friend of Tackett’s whom Toni had never met before. After picking up Melinda, they went to a hard-core punk rock show for a few hours and then headed back towards home. According to Toni Lawrence, on the way back Loveless began talking about a girl named Shanda, saying that Shanda was trying to steal her girlfriend and that she wanted to kill her. Shipley stopped Lawrence mid-sentence, had her sign a waiver of her rights and turned on a tape recorder.

The Arrest

Before the Lawrences left the police station, they informed Sheriff Shipley about the Rippeys’ plan to get an attorney. As he decided what to do next, Shipley received a missing person’s report from Clark County. Shanda Sharer, 12-years-old, had been reported missing by her parents some eight hours earlier. Shipley felt his heart sink as he noticed the description – blonde hair, five feet tall, around 100 pounds. The description fit. He started the paper work to get warrants for the arrest of Laurie Tackett and Melinda Loveless. As investigators rushed to get their paper work in order, they received word that the dental records matched that of Shanda Sharer. No matter which direction the case went in now, the hardest part was at hand – Sheriff Shipley had to notify Shanda’s parents.

Shanda’s parents, Jackie Vaught and Steven Sharer, were excited at first when the police contacted them. They were certain that their little girl had been found and that they would be reunited with her at any minute. However, as soon as they saw the look on Detective Henry’s face, they knew something terrible had happened. There is no right way to tell parents that their child is dead. Regardless of eloquence or sensitivity of the messenger, the impact on the family remains the same. When Detective Henry told them Shanda was gone, Jackie became hysterical.

It was almost two in the morning by the time Sheriff Shipley and Detective Henry acquired warrants for Tackett and Loveless. Laurie Tackett’s vehicle was spotted at Melinda’s mother’s house, so the investigators decided to start there.

The two men knocked on the door and Melinda’s mother, Margie, answered. They quickly explained why they were there and asked her where the girls were. Margie explained that they were up stairs sleeping, so the investigators made their way up to Melinda’s room. As they entered the room they saw Melinda and Laurie sleeping in bed. Henry yelled for the two to get up. As they arose from their slumber, he informed them that he had warrants and was arresting both of them on charges of murder. The two teens were then led out of the house in handcuffs and transported to the police station, where they were booked and jailed. Investigators decided to wait until morning to question them.

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On Sunday morning, Dr. George Nichols conducted Shanda’s autopsy. The procedure revealed that she had multiple injuries: ligature marks on the wrists and several lacerations to the head, neck and legs. Shanda’s fingers were in such a severe condition that they had to be cut off in order to take prints. Her jaw was also removed so that her dentist could identify her teeth for the record. The upper part of the body was covered in third and fourth degree burns and her tongue protruded through clenched teeth. Lacerations to the anus indicated a blunt object, inserted at least three and a half inches, had been used to sodomize her. In addition, the extent of rectal bleeding showed that she had been alive at the time of the molestation. Most revealing of all was the fact that soot was found in the upper airway, indicating that she had been alive when she was set on fire.

Investigators questioned both Melinda Loveless and Laurie Tackett before transporting them to Circuit Court in Madison. A single count of murder was entered against both girls and counsel was appointed to represent them. In a separate hearing, Judge Ted Todd waived both girls from the juvenile court system, so that they would be tried as adults. Following Melinda and Laurie’s hearing, prosecutor Guy Townsend spoke with Hope Rippey’s attorney regarding her involvement.

By this time, the media was swarming all over the case and it was making national headlines. The public was in shock and demanded quick justice for 12-year-old Shanda Sharer. The media attention also brought forth several teens that knew the accused girls and had interesting tidbits of information to contribute. Apparently Loveless and Tackett had confessed the entire crime to at least three people, two of which eagerly made statements to Shipley and Henry. The facts were starting to fall into place. Investigators pieced together what had happened to Shanda Sharer late Friday and early Saturday. While each of the girls tried to play down her own role in the murder, most of their statements matched. Prosecutor Guy Townsend was confident in his case and was working out all of the details. There was no way Shanda could be brought back, but he was determined that she would get justice.

The next chapters chronicle Shanda Sharer’s last hours of life. These details are based upon the girl’s confessions, statements by witnesses and evidence uncovered by investigators.

The Plan

On the night of Friday, Jan. 11, 1992, Melinda Loveless reached the boiling point. Her girlfriend, 14-year-old Amanda Heavrin had been cheating on her for months with 12-year-old Shanda Sharer and Melinda decided that enough was enough. She had warned both of them numerous times to no avail. It was now time to show them just how serious she was. Laurie Tackett was coming over and Melinda knew that Laurie would be more than happy to help her put a plan into action. Melinda thought Laurie was strange because she claimed to raise demons and claimed to have another personality that was a vampire, but she was a devoted friend. Most to the point, Laurie had often talked about killing someone for the fun of it.

Laurie picked up two of her friends on her way to Melinda’s house, 15-year-olds Hope Rippey and Toni Lawrence. Toni had never met Melinda before and Hope had only met her once or twice herself. When the girls arrived at Melinda’s, they all went up stairs and began chitchatting about what the night had in store. All of them had lied to their parents earlier that day, telling them they were spending the night at a friend’s house. They believed that there were no rules that night and the town was theirs to take.

As they sat around talking, Melinda pulled a large kitchen knife out of her purse and said that she was going to use it to scare a girl. She then filled Hope and Toni in on the problems she had been having with Shanda Sharer. Melinda had Shanda’s address and within minutes the girls were en route to her house. They had a difficult time locating Shanda’s house, but, after asking directions a few times, they eventually found it and parked half a block away. Since Hope and Toni had never met Shanda, Melinda instructed them to go to the door, claim to be friends of Amanda Heavrin’s, and get Shanda to come out to the car. When the girls knocked on the door, Shanda opened it up, but was confused since she did not recognize either girl. Toni and Hope explained to her that they were friends of Amanda’s and that she was waiting for her at a deserted stone building in the woods called the Witches’ Castle. Shanda could not go then because her parents were up, but she told them she could sneak out around midnight if they wanted to come back. Toni and Hope agreed and headed back for the car. Melinda was angry that Shanda was not with them, but she calmed down when they told her about Shanda’s plan to sneak out later. Since they had some time to kill, the girls decided to go see a concert being held at a nearby state park.

It was after 12:30 a.m. by the time the girls made their way back to Shanda’s from the concert. Toni did not want to go back up to the door, so Hope and Laurie agreed to go. Melinda was the only one of the bunch that Shanda knew, so she hid in the backseat under a blanket. Shanda was waiting at a side door when Laurie and Hope walked up. They explained that Amanda was still waiting for her and that she sent them back to pick her up. Shanda was hesitant at first, but Hope was able to convince her to go and soon they were all getting into Laurie’s car. Toni slid out of the front passenger seat so that Shanda could sit in the middle and they were on their way. Laurie explained to Shanda that the Witches’ Castle was a short drive away in Utica and that it used to be the home of nine witches who controlled the town. As they drove to the castle, Hope asked Shanda questions about Amanda and their relationship. Shanda said that they had been going out for quite a while and that she really cared about her. Suddenly, Melinda popped her head from the backseat, grabbed Shanda by the hair, and placed the knife to her throat. Shanda cried and begged Melinda not to hurt her, but for the remainder of the ride, Melinda berated Shanda and referred to her repeatedly as a “bitch,” all the while holding the knife tightly against her throat.

Shanda was sobbing uncontrollably by the time they reached the Witches’ Castle. Melinda and Laurie pulled Shanda out of the car and held her arms tightly as Hope and Toni illuminated the trail to the castle with lighters. Once inside, Melinda tied Shanda’s hands as Hope taunted her with the knife. Melinda then took several pieces of Shanda’s jewelry, which she and Toni put on. Hope decided she liked a musical Mickey Mouse watch Shanda was wearing, so she took it for herself.

It was dark in the castle, so Laurie took an old t-shirt and started a fire. As the flames grew, Laurie pointed at the fire and told Shanda that was what she was going to look like before the night was over. Shanda was so frightened that she could not even speak -- she just sobbed continuously. Laurie was growing nervous as several cars drove by the castle and suggested that they should leave and go to another place by her house, so they dragged Shanda back to the car and drove off with their prisoner.

The girls stopped at a Five Star station to get some gas. Shanda was stuffed behind the backseat and covered with a blanket as Melinda stood guard. Laurie pumped the gas while Hope went inside to pay and Toni made a phone call to a friend. During the conversation, Toni mentioned nothing of Shanda being held captive. For someone who later claimed to be very distraught over the forthcoming events, she did nothing to save Shanda. As soon as Toni hung up the phone, the group hit the road again.

Assault

It took nearly an hour for the girls to reach Madison. Laurie pointed out her house and a few miles later, they pulled onto an old logging road and stopped. Hope and Toni got out of the car and Melinda and Laurie yanked Shanda from the backseat. Melinda untied Shanda’s hands and ordered her to remove her clothes. It was bitterly cold, so Hope and Toni got back in the car and took up positions next to the window so that they could watch what was happening outside. Shanda stripped down to her panties as Melinda threatened her with the knife. Melinda then scooped up the clothes and threw them in the car, telling the others that she wanted them as souvenirs. Hope picked up Shanda’s polka-dot bra and put it on. Toni turned on the radio.

Laurie grabbed both of Shanda’s hands and held them behind her back so that Melinda could hit her. Shanda begged them to let her go and swore to stay away from Amanda, but each request was greeted by Melinda telling her to shut up. Suddenly, Melinda punched Shanda as hard as she could in the stomach and the girl collapsed to the ground. Through gasping breaths Shanda begged them to stop hurting her. Melinda reached down, picked Shanda up by the hair and repeatedly slammed her head into her knee. The multiple blows caused Shanda’s braces to cut into her lips and blood flowed from her mouth.

As Shanda lay on the ground moaning, Melinda pulled out the knife and tried to cut her throat, but the knife was too dull to cut the skin. Hope jumped out of the car to help hold Shanda down as Melinda tried using her foot to force the knife, but with no result. Since they could not slit her throat, Melinda and Laurie took turns stabbing her in the chest with the knife. The wounds were not severe enough to cause immediate death, so Laurie decided that they would have to strangle her and ran back to the car for some rope. Shanda continued to beg for her life, but, Melinda simply laughed in her face. As soon as Laurie returned with the rope, Melinda sat on Shanda’s legs and Laurie straddled her chest. Laurie wrapped the rope around Shanda’s neck and pulled with all her might until the body beneath her became limp. Uncertain as to whether or not Shanda was really dead, the girls tossed her body into the trunk and headed for Laurie’s house.

Once they got to Laurie’s house, the girls went up stairs to her room, where Laurie pulled out some mystic stones and tried reading their future. Just as Laurie said that their futures looked good, her dog began barking. As they listened out the window, they could hear Shanda’s muffled screams. Laurie ran into the kitchen and grabbed a paring knife before running outside. She opened the trunk and stabbed Shanda many times, hoping to silence her. Afterwards, Laurie closed the trunk and returned to her room where the others were waiting. She was covered in blood. Then Laurie announced that they needed to go for a ride. Hope and Toni refused, so Melinda and Laurie left by themselves.

As Melinda and Laurie drove around, deciding what to do next, they stopped to see if Shanda was dead. As soon as the trunk lid opened, Shanda sat up. She was covered in blood and her eyes rolled back into her head. She tried to speak, but was only able to utter one word, “mommy.” Laurie then reached into the trunk, picked up a tire iron, and struck Shanda on the head. She closed the trunk and they were on their way once again.

A short time later, as they traveled down winding back roads, they heard gurgling noises coming from the trunk. Laurie pulled over to assess the situation. Melinda stayed inside while Laurie walked to the rear of the car and opened the trunk. Shanda was lying on her side. She looked as though she had been painted red and strange gasping and gurgling noises emitted from her wounds. Laurie grasped the tire iron again and brought it down on Shanda’s head several times. One of the blows was so severe that a chunk of Shanda’s skull broke off. Satisfied with her handiwork, Laurie shut the trunk and walked back up to the car. When she got inside, she placed the end of the tire iron under her nose and smelled it. She began laughing as she explained what had happened and shoved the tire iron under Melinda’s nose.

The sun was starting to rise, so the girls decided to head back to Laurie’s and burn Shanda’s body. Along the way, they stopped several times to try to quiet Shanda with the tire iron. Back at Laurie’s, the two girls woke up Hope and Toni, bragged about the new wounds they had inflicted upon Shanda, and explained their new plan. Hope and Toni got up and followed Laurie and Melinda out back to the burn pile.

Then they discovered that their plan would not work. The burn pile was covered in frost and the girls did not have any gasoline to start a fire. Laurie decided to show Hope her handy work. Toni did not want to look at the body so she was told to start the car and rev the engine in case Shanda started to scream. When Laurie opened the trunk, Hope noticed a bottle of Windex next to Shanda, so she picked it up and began spraying Shanda with the cleaning liquid. As the Windex fizzled in her wounds, Shanda somehow managed the strength to sit up. Her body was blood red, while her eyes were pure white. At some point during this time, the girls anally molested Shanda with the tire iron, however none of the girls have ever admitted any knowledge of the wounds. Shanda began swaying back and forth as Laurie talked to her. Shanda said nothing. Just then Laurie’s mother yelled out the door for her. Laurie slammed the trunk down on Shanda’s head and ran inside to see what her mom wanted.

Once Laurie returned from the house the girls decided it was time to end Shanda once and for all.

As the girls drove down the road they decided that the best way to get rid of Shanda was to burn her. Laurie pulled into a Clark Oil station, north of Madison, to fill up the gas tank. As she worked the pump she had Toni buy a two-liter bottle of pop so that they could fill it with gas. Upon finishing their business at the gas station the girls drove to Lemon Road. Hope was familiar with the area and suggested that it would be a good spot to get rid of Shanda.

When they spotted an old logging road they turned in and stopped the car. Laurie opened the trunk and Melinda and Hope helped her pick up Shanda with the blanket they had covered her with earlier. Toni chose not to help and sat in the car watching as they carried Shanda several feet behind the car before laying her on the ground. Hope took the bottle of gasoline and poured a generous amount on Shanda, afterwards Laurie struck a match and threw it down on Shanda’s gas soaked body. The gasoline instantly ignited and the fire appeared to be burning well. The girls hopped back into the car and took off. Melinda got nervous as they drove away and told Laurie to turn around. She wanted to make sure the body was burning good. Once back at the scene, Melinda grabbed the pop bottle with the remaining gasoline and ran over to Shanda’s corpse. She stood there staring momentarily as Shanda curled up into a fetal position and her tongue began darting in and out of her mouth. After she felt she had seen enough, she threw the remaining gasoline on Shanda’s smoldering corpse and ran back to the car. Melinda thought Shanda’s movements were funny and bragged to the others about what she had witnessed.

The girls felt the ordeal was over. Shanda was out of Melinda’s life for good. Laurie seemed to enjoy herself during the crime and Hope and Toni must not have been too shook up, because they had several opportunities during the night to summon help for Shanda, but they obviously chose not to. All of their hard work made them tired, so they decided to stop at McDonalds on the way back. During breakfast Laurie and Melinda joked several times about how the sausages they were eating resembled Sandra. After breakfast Laurie drove Hope and Toni to their homes and went with Melinda to her house. They decided earlier that she would sleep over, but first they wanted to make some calls and brag about what they had just done.

Escaping Death

It did not take prosecutor Guy Townsend long to bring charges against Hope Rippey and Toni Lawrence. On March 15, 1992, he charged both girls with murder, arson, battery with a deadly weapon, aggravated battery, criminal confinement, and intimidation. During their arraignment, Judge Ted Todd waived both into the adult system. Following their brief appearance they were taken to Jefferson County jail to await trial. Later that same afternoon, Melinda Loveless and Laurie Tackett were brought before Judge Todd and charged with seven additional crimes, including child molesting and criminal deviate conduct. A month later, on April 9, 1992, Townsend filed an additional count of felony murder against Loveless and Tackett.

On April 22, 1992, Toni Lawrence decided not to take her chances with a trial and accepted a plea bargain with the state. In exchange for testimony against the other three girls, Townsend agreed to drop all of the charges except for a guilty plea for criminal confinement. For this charge Lawrence would face six to 20 years behind bars. The sentence would, of course, be at the judge’s discretion. While many people decried the plea agreement as ludicrous, Townsend felt it was necessary to have an eyewitness for the state.

Regardless of the state’s new key witness, Loveless, Rippey and Tackett would not wave from their pleas of not guilty and repeatedly turned down the state’s offers. Townsend was becoming incensed and on July 13, 1992, filed death penalty specifications against Loveless and Tackett. In addition, he filed yet another charge against both girls – conspiracy to commit murder. Because of Rippey’s age, Townsend could not file death penalty specifications against her.

On August 17, 1992, Toni Lawrence was discovered slumped over in her cell. She was rushed to Scott Memorial Hospital in Scottsburg, where it was determined that she had taken an overdose of Lorazepam, an antidepressant drug. She had apparently been saving her prescribed daily doses. Lawrence was initially comatose and remained in the intensive care unit for 11 days before regaining consciousness. Following her recovery, Judge Todd ordered that she be transferred to Lifespring mental health facility in Jeffersonville for evaluation. Lawrence remained in the custody of mental health officials until October 1992, when she was transferred back to jail.

On September 21, 1992, Melinda Loveless and Laurie Tackett finally decided to plea bargain with the state. Both pled guilty to the murder and torture of Shanda Sharer, arson and criminal confinement. In exchange, the state would drop all other charges and withdraw the death penalty specifications against them. The agreement specified that they both cooperate with the state and that their ultimate sentences run concurrently.

Eight days after her plea agreement, Melinda Loveless was caught having sex with an employee at the Clark County Jail. The employee subsequently resigned and Loveless was transferred to the Indiana Woman’s Prison. No charges were ever filed. In November 1992, Tackett and Loveless attended separate plea agreement hearings in which they had to admit to their actions in the death of Shanda Sharer. Judge Todd set both sentencing hearings for December 14, 1992. The following day Hope Rippey’s trial date was set for March 1, 1993. Regardless of what her cohorts were doing, she continued to maintain her innocence.

During the first week of December 1992, Laurie Tackett gave an exclusive interview to Chris Yaw, a reporter from WKRC-TV in Cincinnati. During the five-minute interview Tackett repeatedly blamed Melinda Loveless for Shanda’s death.

“I didn’t think she was going to go that far,” Tackett said. “It wasn’t really the fact that I can’t believe I’m doing this. It was the fact that I can’t believe this is happening. I told her it was stupid.

“Shanda hugged me. She asked me not to let Melinda do it. She was crying…there wasn’t anything I could do.”

Tackett went on to say that she expected to beat the charges against her and that she planned on pursuing a degree in child psychology.

On December 10, 1992, Judge Todd accepted Toni Lawrence’s plea agreement in exchange for her full cooperation. Reporters from all over the United States were already making their way to Madison, Indiana, in anticipation of Melinda Loveless and Laurie Tackett’s sentencing hearings.

“The age of innocence here ended about 10:45 A.M. last January 11 on a dirt road fifteen miles out of town,” wrote Chicago Tribune reporter Ron Grossman.

“It’s like you look at the Leopold and Loeb case, recast it for girls, and set it in Main Street, USA,” he added.

Shattered Lives

On December 14, 1992, the opening day of the sentencing hearing for Melinda Loveless, television trucks lined the street outside of the Jefferson County Courthouse. The courtroom was packed with reporters, onlookers, and family members for both sides – Loveless’ and Shanda’s. As the session began, prosecutor Guy Townsend described to the court in vivid detail the events of January 10 and 11 – Shanda’s abduction, torture and murder. Over the next several days Toni Lawrence, Laurie Tackett and several friends and acquaintances of Loveless’ were called to testify against her. In addition Townsend called Donn and Ralph Foley; Sheriff Richard “Buck” Shipley; Detective Steve Henry; Sergeant Curtis Wells; Dr. George Nichols and members of Shanda’s family.

In the end, the most compelling and heart wrenching testimony came from Shanda’s mother, Jackie Vaught. She began with a video, which was a collection of photographs of Shanda at different stages in her life. As the tape played, Jackie narrated the particular events in the photos. Following her presentation, she read a previously written statement to the courtroom that lasted for approximately 45 minutes.

“It has obviously shattered all of our lives. I speak for all of us when I say I don’t think there is anything worse than burying your own child.

“I can’t control my emotions most of the time and I cry because I want my baby back. I want her home for Christmas this year, but I can’t have her. This year I didn’t get to buy Shanda any presents. There are no presents for her under my tree.

“Melinda has cheated me out of being with my daughter during this life. It is my wish for you (Melinda) that you live your life with memories of her screams and the sight of her burned and mutilated body. I’m not sure who you love most in life, Melinda, whether it be your mother or your father, but I want you to imagine them in the trunk of that car. I want you to imagine the person you love the most begging and screaming for their life. I want you to imagine that person being the person laying on that ground that was burned and mutilated. Maybe then, and I doubt this seriously, you could feel a small portion of the pain our family feels. The proper punishment for Melinda would be to place her in a cell with pictures of Shanda’s burned body and force her to continually listen to a tape of my daughter screaming like she did that night.

“I hope and pray you remember these words for the rest of your life. -- May you rot in hell.”

At the conclusion, Judge Todd announced that he would wait until after Laurie Tackett’s sentencing hearing to pronounce both girls’ sentences.

Laurie Tackett’s sentencing hearing began on December 28, 1992, and was almost identical to that of Melinda Loveless’s. Townsend more or less recounted the same events and the witnesses varied little. In addition, Loveless and Lawrence both testified as part of their plea agreement.

On the morning of January 4, 1993, Melinda Loveless stood before Judge Todd and awaited her sentence. He began by citing all of the factors involved in the case, including the “gruesome nature” of the crime and the victim’s age. After a brief pause, Judge Todd sentenced Loveless to 60 years in prison, the maximum sentence allowed under plea agreements.

“You still have time to turn your life around and do something good and useful with your life after prison,” Todd said as Loveless began weeping uncontrollably. “Shanda Sharer does not. I hope you take advantage of this opportunity.”

Melinda continued to sob as she was led away and Laurie Tackett was brought in. The judge again cited the factors involved in the case and passed down the identical sentence he gave Melinda just moments before. Tackett, stone-faced, did not flinch as the sentence was read.

Following the sentencing of Loveless and Tackett, Shanda’s mother, Jackie Vaught, gave a brief statement to the press.

Just two days after the sentencing of Loveless and Tackett, Shanda’s parents filed a $1 billion dollar lawsuit against all four girls. The suit was filed after a Louisville television station reported that Tackett was negotiating to sell her story to a movie production company and that Loveless was also considering various offers she had received. Shanda’s parents never expected to collect any of the money, they simply wanted to discourage the girls from profiting at their daughters expense. That same day, Jackie gave a brief interview to the Courier Journal.

“It’s appalling to think that they could profit from killing Shanda, but I can’t say I was shocked to hear about their plans. I know the horrible things these girls are capable of,” she said.

Clark County Circuit judge Daniel Donahue agreed with Jackie and quickly issued a temporary injunction blocking the girls from making any deals to sell their story.

Despite Judge Donahue’s injunction, Indiana law mandates that any money a felon receives for publication or broadcast rights be deposited in a violent crime victim’s fund, hence it was and still is, highly unlikely that the girls would ever be able to profit from their crime.

Pathetic Excuses




Toni Lawrence’s sentencing hearing began on January 19, 1993. The hearing lasted a mere two days, during which time investigators praised Lawrence for her cooperation and several teachers, family members and friends testified on her behalf. As the hearing came to an end, Lawrence was granted permission by the court to read a statement of her own, directed towards Shanda’s family.

“I’m so sorry about your little girl. I know that you can never forgive me for being with those girls on January 10th and 11th but I would like to explain some things to you.

“I do feel very much remorse for your daughter. I’ve been locked up for ten months and that time has been a living hell. I’ve had nightmares where I wake up screaming and can’t stop and think for a second without seeing Shanda’s burned body or hearing her screams. I was terrified of Melinda and Laurie. Melinda had a knife and was going to kill Shanda. I know I should be punished, but in my heart, seeing Shanda tortured and burnt was punishment in itself. I didn’t get help because I was scared they would kill me too.

“That night and morning will live visibly in my mind for the rest of my life. I know you have the right to hate me. I wished there was something I could do for you, but all I can say is how very sorry I am.”

Following Lawrence’s statement Jackie Vaught took the pulpit and gave her reply.

“I sat through three sentencing hearings and had to look and listen to my daughters murderers day after day while they have lied and put on acts worthy of an Oscar…I see attorneys trying to convince everyone that these girls are victims. The victim here is Shanda Renee Sharer and her family and friends. Toni could have saved my daughters life that night at any given time. She chose not to.”

When court reconvened the next morning, Judge Todd sentenced Toni Lawrence to serve 20 years in prison, the maximum sentence allowed by law. Lawrence broke down and cried as deputies led her away.

On June 1, 1993, after several delays, Hope Rippey’s trial finally began. At the request of the defense, the trial had been moved to South Bend, Indiana and was being held at St. Joseph’s Superior Court House with Judge Jeanne Jourdan presiding. As the trial began, Rippey took the stand and stated that her only action against Shanda was pouring the gasoline on her body. Following her brief statement, the defense called psychologist Michael Sheehan to the stand. Dr. Sheehan stated that Rippey was immature and had acted solely under the domination of Melinda Loveless and Laurie Tackett. However, the testimony by Lawrence, Loveless and Tackett painted a different picture. The prosecution also called forward witnesses from the previous three proceedings. The last to testify was Shanda’s mother Jackie. As she once again showed the video of Shanda to the court, she became angry when Hope held her head down. The judge then ordered Hope to watch the presentation. Following the video, Jackie made a brief statement.

“Imagine how you would feel if someone did to your niece what you did to our child. You cannot know the pain we’ve felt. There is no greater pain than losing your child.”

After a short recess, Judge Jourdan sentenced Hope Rippey to the maximum 60 years, and then suspended 10 years for mitigating circumstances, ordering her to be placed on probation for 10 years at the time of her release. Judge Jourdan then made her own statement to the court.

“Hope Rippey had choices. There were avenues of escape, ways to help herself, ways to help Shanda. She poured the gasoline so no one would get caught, even though she knew it would kill Shanda. Her lack of mercy, of tender courage, is a horrifying lesson to us all.”

Following Rippey’s sentencing, Jackie Vaught spoke to the press from the steps of the courthouse.

“I don’t know what normal is anymore, I’m not the person I was when Shanda was here. I’m going home to my new grandbaby that was just born. You have to go on. Shanda’s with God.”

Epilogue

Melinda Loveless, Laurie Tackett and Hope Rippey are currently serving their sentences at the Indiana State Women’s Prison in Indianapolis. Due to Indiana’s policy of reducing inmates' sentence by a day for every day served, if they exhibit good behavior, Hope Rippey could possibly walk out of prison in 2017, when she is 40; and Melinda Loveless and Laurie Tackett in 2022, when Loveless is 46 and Tackett is 47 years old. In the spring of 1994, Toni Lawrence received her GED. Four years later, On Nov. 10, 1998, she was denied early release from prison. During 2000 she received an associate's degree, which reduced her prison sentence by nearly one year.

In March 2000, I sent out a letter to each of the convicted murderers and asked them for their opinion on why someone would kill. Only two responded, and Laurie Tackett was the first:

“I’ve often wondered what motivates someone to commit murder myself. No murderer has the same motivations as all the rest in my opinion. I believe (killers) are really deep individuals who are searching for some kind of release. Whether it be mental, physical or spiritual, it’s always release. There’s always a purpose for one’s actions … there could be many reasons.

“Let’s say for instance, I know a couple of people who kill simply for the fear that they see in their victim’s eyes, and for the sight of blood on their bodies … my opinion is that they do it to feel superior or high on the victims fear, and they’re thirsty for the spill of blood.”

Recent online photo of Toni Lawrence
The only other reply to my question came from Toni Lawrence. While her views were pretty much the same as Tackett’s ─ “I think the first time one kills they kill to get that high that they could never obtain any other way” ─ it was a separate more telling paragraph that catches the attention:

“ So you write Laurie? How about Hope – Melinda? … I don’t mind about Laurie – please tell her I think of her daily and that I’m ok.”

The above statement leads one to seriously question some of Toni’s initial statements regarding her relationship with Laurie and her participation in the murder of Shanda Sharer. It seems odd that someone would want to send best wishes to a person whom they claimed ruined their life by brutally murdering an innocent girl.

Regardless of her level of guilt, on December 14, 2000, 24-year-old Toni Lawrence walked out of prison after serving nearly nine years of her 20-year sentence. Following her release, Lawrence spoke briefly with Louisville television station WAVE before heading back to Madison with her parents.

"I didn't stop it, I couldn't stop it. I don't care what anyone else says. If I would've tried anything different, I would've been dead, lying there with her and they would never know."

Toni will remain on parole until December 2002.

On Saturday, April 21, 2001, 45-year-old Courier-Journal reporter Michael Joseph Quinlan, author of Little Lost Angel – The True Story Of The Teenage Conspiracy To Kill Twelve Year Old Shanda Sharer, died at his home in Lawrenceburg, Ky., from brain cancer. Following his death, Kathy Quinlan started the Michael Quinlan Brain Cancer Foundation.