On January 11, 1992 in Madison, Indiana 12-year-old Shanda Rene Sharer (16?) of Jeffersonville, Indiana was molested, beaten and burned alive by four teenage girls: Melinda Loveless (16), Mary Laurine Tackett (17), Toni Lawrence (15), Hope A. Rippey (15). Investigators believed jealousy was the motive.
Wikipedia excerpt:
The girls drove to a gas station near Madison Consolidated High School, pumped
some gas into the car and bought a two-liter bottle of Pepsi. Tackett emptied
the bottle and refilled it with gasoline. They drove north of Madison, past
Jefferson Proving Ground to a place with which Rippey was familiar off US 421
on what was called Lemon Road. They placed Sharer, still alive, in a blanket
and carried her into a field by the gravel country road. Tackett made Rippey
pour the gasoline on her, and then they set her on fire. Loveless was not convinced
Sharer was dead, so they returned a few minutes later to pour the rest of the
gasoline on her.
The girls went to a McDonald's at 9:30 am for breakfast. The
girls laughed about Sharer looking like one of the sausages they were eating.
Lawrence, horrified, called a friend and told her about the murder. Tackett
then dropped Lawrence and Rippey off at their homes and returned home with
Loveless. They cleaned out the car, using a hose to wash the trunk. They then
drove to Loveless' house around 3:00 pm. Loveless found out Heavrin was at
River Falls Mall and had her paged, claiming an emergency, then told her that
they had killed Sharer and arranged to pick Heavrin up later that day.
Loveless's friend, Crystal Wathen, came over, and they told
her about what had happened. Then the three girls drove to pick up Heavrin and
bring her back to Loveless's house, where they told Heavrin the story; while
she did not believe it was true, she comforted the hysterical Loveless. Both
Heavrin and Wathen were convinced when Tackett showed them the trunk with
Sharer's bloody handprints and socks still there.
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CHRONOLOGY
Oct. 28, 1975 – Melinda Loveless born in New Albany, In.
Oct. 5, 1974 – Mary Laurine "Laurie" Tackett born
in Madison, In.
Jun. 9, 1976 – Hope Anna Rippey born in Madison, In.
Feb. 1976 – Toni Lawrence born in Madison, In.
Jun. 6, 1979 – Shanda Renee Sharer born, Pineville, Ky.
Jan. 11, 1992 – Shanda Renee Sharer (12) murdered; body
found in Jefferson County, In.
Apr. 22, 1992 – Toni Lawrence (15) accepts plea bargain.
Sep. 21, 1992 – Melinda Loveless (16) and Mary Tackett (17) accept
plea bargains
Jan. 4, 1993 – Melinda Loveless sentenced to 60 years.
Dec. 14, 2000 – Toni Lawrence (24), released from prison. (20-year
sentence); parole ended Dec. 2002.
Apr. 28, 2006 – Hope Anna Rippey (29) released; (40-year
sentence). Indiana Women's Prison, Indianapolis.
Jan. 11, 2018 – Laurie Tackett (44) released from prison.
Sep. 5, 2019 – Melinda Loveless (43) released from Indiana
Women's Prison, Indianapolis. (60-year sentence).
Sentences: Tackett and Loveless were sentenced to sixty
years in the Indiana Women's Prison in Indianapolis. Tackett was released in
2018, and served probation for one year. Loveless was released in September
2019. Rippey was sentenced to sixty years, with ten years suspended for mitigating
circumstances, plus ten years of medium-supervision probation. On appeal, a
judge reduced the sentence to thirty-five years. In exchange for her
cooperation, Lawrence was allowed to plead guilty to one count of criminal
confinement and was sentenced to a maximum of twenty years.
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[5030-1/23/21;7082-2/9/22]
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