WEDNESDAY THEME POST
TRUE CRIME THEME
Hi all! This is my “favorite” true crime story, so I had to begin with it.
(Those are the girls’ mug shots. What’s with those scary high school yearbook grins? Gross.)
On January 11, 1992, three teenage girls abducted, tortured, and eventually murdered twelve year old Shanda Sharer by burning her alive. The ringleader was 16 year old Melinda Loveless, who was jealous because Shanda was secretly dating Melinda’s 14 year old girlfriend, Amanda. 17 year old Laurie Tackett was her most active accomplice; she’d always wanted to murder someone, and had a specific fascination with burning someone alive. Hope Rippey just went along for the ride, helping to hold Shanda down while they beat her, spraying window cleaner on her open wounds, and pouring the gasoline on her body. 15 year old Toni Laurence was the least involved. She didn’t actively hurt Shanda, but despite having many opportunities to get help, she chose not to.
Here’s what the crime scene looked like:
Apart from a pair of panties, the body was naked and extensively burnt from the waist up. The legs of the victim were spread as if they had been posed, and the arms were stretched skyward with clenched fists. The victim appeared to have been a young woman, but the chest had been burned so badly that it was difficult to tell. Most horrifying of all was the victim's face - the eyes were empty, without color; and the mouth was wide open, exposing teeth tightly clenched on the victim's tongue. The scene was brutal, one that neither man would soon forget.
Read the full story here.
Melinda and Laurie are still serving their 60 year prison sentences, but Toni was released from her 20 year sentence in 2000, and Hope was released from her 50 year sentence in 2006.
The show Deadly Women covered this case. They interviewed Shanda’s mom, as well as Amanda, and some of the law enforcement involved.
Click to viewWhat do you all think about this? Should Hope and Toni be out of prison? I’ve always been most interested in Toni, since she wasn’t actively involved in the assaults or murder, but was obviously a passive contributor by not doing anything to stop it. And she had many, many opportunities. People love to say, “That awful bitch, I hope she rots in hell!!!” But I’m not sure I would have had the guts to intervene as a terrified fifteen year old. I’d like to think I would have. But there’s no way to know until you’re in that kind of situation.
Anywho, what are your favorite true crime stories?! Which killers and/or criminals fascinate you the most?
(Just a reminder -- do not post any crime scene photos! Not even I like to look at those, haha. Ew.)