A mother who was found guilty of starving her son to death appeared to become physically ill when viewing photos of his emaciated body during the trial. Shanda Vander Ark, 44, denied food to her 15-year-old son, Timothy Ferguson, which ultimately led to him weighing just 69 pounds at the time of his death in July 2022.
The judge allowed cameras in the court, and Court TV caught video of Vander Ark reportedly vomiting in a trash can after viewing images of her son. Per CBS News, an autopsy determined that Ferguson died from malnourishment and hypothermia. His death was deemed a homicide.
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The mother reportedly did not act alone.
According to a 2022 MLive report, Vander Ark's other son, 20-Year-Old Paul Ferguson, allegedly helped his mother abuse his younger brother, who had some mental disabilities. Per a 2022 arrest report, Paul Ferguson reportedly told police about the abuse.
"Paul Ferguson admitted to striking Timothy several times, open handed, on the head, as well as dropping him on his head after removing him from an ice bath," the arrest affidavit stated.
Timothy Ferguson was reportedly forced into an ice bath the day before he died. Paul Ferguson faces one count of child abuse in connection with the case.
Vander Ark's attorneys argued she didn't know her son was starving.
CBS News reported attorney Fred Johnson claimed the mother didn't realize the extent of the abuse she was inflicting on her son and didn't know that he was starving.
Matt Roberts, a Muskegon County deputy prosecutor, said she is fully culpable. "She killed him. She starved him to death," Roberts said.
She had security cameras in the home to record Timothy Ferguson if he tried to sneak food and had locks on the refrigerator and pantry to stop him from eating, WZZM reported.
Vander Ark allegedly conspired with her other son to punish Timothy Ferguson.
Court documents of text messages between Vander Ark and Paul Ferguson reportedly showed conversations about punishing Timothy Ferguson. They allegedly subjected him to various forms of torture, such as feeding him hot sauce, putting him in an ice bath, and forcing him to stand against the wall for long periods, according to WZZM.
Video of her testimony seemingly shows Vander Ark getting sick on the stand.
Court TV posted a video on YouTube of Vander Ark's testimony that shows the mother appearing emotionless as she talks about the torture her son endured before his death. When an attorney shows the mother images of her son's body and asks, "He looked like that when you put him in the bathtub?" Vander Ark's head disappears, and she seems to vomit violently into a trash can.
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A Jury deliberated for only one hour before handing down a guilty verdict.
The jury did not take long to agree that Vander Ark was guilty of intentionally killing her son, WZZM reported. She was convicted of open murder and child abuse. She did not appear in court to hear the verdict but will be required to attend her official sentencing and to listen to the victim's statements. Vander Ark faces a mandatory life sentence.
If you suspect child abuse, you can call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-422-4453 (1-800-4-A-Child) or go to Childhelp.org. The hotline is available 24/7.
