Shanda Vander Ark: Son testifies against her during trial, describes torture and abuse of his own brother
Timothy Ferguson, a 15-year-old special needs boy, knew little in the last six months of his life outside of starvation, isolation in a basement closet, and lengthy ice baths, all at the hands, according to prosecutors, of his mother and older brother.
“This is a child who was essentially already on death’s door with his malnutrition. But his mother, the person responsible for his care and custody and well-being, is telling her other son to feed him hot sauce,” said Muskegon County’s Chief Trial Attorney Matt Roberts during opening statements on Dec. 13, 2023.
Court TV is posting video of the trial proceedings. The following is information taken from video of the court proceedings, unless otherwise specified.
Opening Statements
Shanda Vander Ark is charged with first-degree child abuse and felony murder for the death of her son, Timothy Ferguson. A Norton Shores Police Department (NSPD) statement said that at 6:37 a.m. on July 6, 2022, officers responded to a 911 call about an unresponsive male teenager. He was dead when they arrived, and police found evidence of malnutrition and abuse. Days after Shanda’s arrest, her other son, 21-year-old Paul Ferguson, was also arrested and…
