A Michigan mother, who starved her 15-year old son to death, has been found guilty for his murder.
Shanda Vander Ark, 44, vomited on the stand in court after being shown photos of her son’s malnourished body as she testified during her trial.
She had been accused of abusing her 15-year-old son, Timothy Ferguson, who died in July 2022, weighing just 69 pounds, showing signs of malnutrition and hypothermia.
The cause of the death for the boy, who according to authorities suffered from disabilities, was ruled a homicide.
Vander Ark was found guilty of murder and child abuse by a Muskegon County jury Friday. She will face a mandatory life sentence at a sentencing hearing in January.
In a video of her testimony, Vander Ark is shown several photos of Timothy’s, before ducking below the stand as she appeared to vomit several times in response to the pictures.
Vander Ark was convicted of neglecting her 15-year-old son, Timothy Ferguson, so severely that he died in the basement of their home. Timothy was described by his mother as having high-functioning autism, ADHD, bipolar disorder, and several other mental ailments.
Vander Ark was accused of feeding Timothy hot sauce, putting him in ice baths and depriving him of refrigerator and cabinet access.
The 21-year-old son of Vander Ark, Paul Ferguson, who was recently convicted in the murder along with his mother has taken a plea deal in the case.
Paul Ferguson pleaded guilty Thursday to one count of first-degree child abuse. As part of a plea deal with the prosecutor’s office, Paul testified against his mother Shanda Vander Ark at her trial last week.
According to his testimony, Paul would dole out punishments to his brother Timothy at the order of his mom.
Paul is accused of forcing Timothy to eat slices of bread covered in hot sauce that was purchased specifically to use as a punishment tool.
In the hours before Tim’s death, Paul is accused of forcing his brother to sit in an ice cold bath for about nine hours.
“I’d say it’s something close to Stockholm Syndrome,” Paul said on the stand regarding his relationship with his mother. “I desire to find a role model that, due to my own low self-esteem, I would do anything to make them proud of me. That’s not an excuse, I know, but i feel like I’m glad I was at least able to realize it, so I could correct it.”
If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.