IN - Shanda Sharer, 12, Madison, 11 January 1992

[dee10134]

I read this book also years ago before it seemed like every kid out here was doing these crazy things. I don't think she should be out either. I agree with the girls mom....she poured gas on a 12 year old.....so sad

She was a 15 year old CHILD at the time. I think she has paid her debt to society. As sad as the story is, and as bad as I feel for Shanda's mother, I still believe in prisoner rehabilitation and feel that this prisoner was rehabilitated.

She is now a 29 year old ADULT with a college education... She could go out into the world and speak out AGAINST violence. She could turn this tragedy into something positive by becoming a motivational speaker in violent high schools and talk to them about her story and what she did and how she not only ruined her life but the life of Shanda and Shanda's family by that one senseless act of violence.

 

[kwatson696]

She was a 15 year old CHILD at the time. I think she has paid her debt to society. As sad as the story is, and as bad as I feel for Shanda's mother, I still believe in prisoner rehabilitation and feel that this prisoner was rehabilitated.

She is now a 29 year old ADULT with a college education... She could go out into the world and speak out AGAINST violence. She could turn this tragedy into something positive by becoming a motivational speaker in violent high schools and talk to them about her story and what she did and how she not only ruined her life but the life of Shanda and Shanda's family by that one senseless act of violence.

She murdered a 12 year old CHILD, and her attorney says she is "profoundly retarded". No she does not to be released. IMO
QUOTE-
Small said in a telephone interview last week. He said the abuse made Loveless “profoundly retarded” .

 

[HAWG]

Shanda didnt get a second chance so why should she. Sure she is going to walk the line in prison that dosnt mean that she will out in the real world. If you ask me it is tooooo risky to let her out. Look at what could happen. I dont think this is a good ideal because if she gets mad at someone may get hurt or killed do we have to lose someone eles to be conveinced that she is a threat to the world????

 

[sleuthin4fun]

She was a 15 year old CHILD at the time. I think she has paid her debt to society. As sad as the story is, and as bad as I feel for Shanda's mother, I still believe in prisoner rehabilitation and feel that this prisoner was rehabilitated.

She is now a 29 year old ADULT with a college education... She could go out into the world and speak out AGAINST violence. She could turn this tragedy into something positive by becoming a motivational speaker in violent high schools and talk to them about her story and what she did and how she not only ruined her life but the life of Shanda and Shanda's family by that one senseless act of violence.

This is all good and well but, there are consequences to all behavior good or bad. She needs to finish out her sentence. She can make something positive out of this behind bars. I can't imagine that there would be a line at the door to hear her speak.

 

[2sisters]

They burned her alive, i could care less how they have changed. my sympathy and pity lies with Shandas family, not those 4. i doubt they have changed, I am sure they will commit more crimes down the road.

 

[MagicRose99]

They burned her alive, i could care less how they have changed. my sympathy and pity lies with Shandas family, not those 4. i doubt they have changed, I am sure they will commit more crimes down the road.

They didn't just burn her alive... they beat her, stabbed her, bashed her in the head and burned her... she lived quite a long time while they tortured her. These 4 monsters should have been treated the same way they treated Shanda...

 

[Texana]

What message do we send to other teens who kill? Getting out at 41 is a peach of a deal, really. Maybe 35 or so--but definitely not before 30. No way the girls who did this should get out before their hormones mature into the 35-ish age!

The torture aspect is the troubling thing. They did not kill on impulse or out of rage in a single impulse. They caused agony and great pain and meant to inflict that pain.

Another word for charming is manipulative. That bothers me even more than the original crime.

 

[Kellee]

She was a 15 year old CHILD at the time. I think she has paid her debt to society. As sad as the story is, and as bad as I feel for Shanda's mother, I still believe in prisoner rehabilitation and feel that this prisoner was rehabilitated.

She is now a 29 year old ADULT with a college education... She could go out into the world and speak out AGAINST violence. She could turn this tragedy into something positive by becoming a motivational speaker in violent high schools and talk to them about her story and what she did and how she not only ruined her life but the life of Shanda and Shanda's family by that one senseless act of violence.

She was a 15 year old girl who didn't even know Shanda. She is the one who went to Shanda's door and lured her into the trap that all four had laid out. She is the one who, after separating from Melinda and Laurie for 4 hours, voluntarily rejoined them. She is the one who directed them to the spot where they finally killed Shanda. She is the one who helped Melinda and Laurie get her out of the trunk. She is the one who finally agreed to throw the gasoline on Shanda knowing full well that the plan was to burn her alive. Hope was an extremely active participant in the murder.

This was a prolonged, torturous murder that took hours to accomplish.

I can't help but compare this case to another well-known murder. Leslie Van Houten was 19 - only 4 years older than Hope - when she participated in the killing of Rosemary LaBianca. LVH grappled with Ms. LaBianca while Patricia Kenwinkel stabbed her, then LVH stabbed Mrs. LaBianca 16 times in the back when ordered by Tex Watson to 'do something', supposedly thinking that Mrs. LaBianca was already dead.

The LaBianca murder(s) was/were a horrendous act that occured over a relatively short time period.

LVH is still incarcerated after almost 40 years with little to no chance of parole. She, too, is personable, has been a model prisoner and earned college degrees.

All four of the girls involved in Shanda's murder deserved much harsher sentences than they actually received. I believe they all deserved at least life sentences, with the possible exception of Toni Lawrence. What those girls did to Shanda is unimaginable. IMO, they are no better than LVH, Patricia Kenwrinkel or any of the other Manson family members. As a matter of fact, I'd venture to say that Hope was more culpable in Shanda's death than LVH was in Mrs. LaBianca's.

I can understand the public outrage in the Manson case and I ask - Where is the outrage that these young women are being released into the public at relatively young ages? IMO, it is wrong. They still have a debt to repay.

 

[MeoW333]

I read the book, also, and then tossed it into a dumpster. The things they did to that poor girl are too horrific to think about...

 

[CaliKid]

Shanda's death was one of the most horrible I ever heard of, and for good reason the 4 sub-humans were given the sentences they deserved. The judge had no right reducing Hope Rippey's prison term. What he did was parole her- without the benefit of a parole hearing in which Shanda's family would be allowed to testify. Disgraceful!

 

[believe09]

Shanda's mom was given a life sentence that day-and you could argue that she was given a kind of DP. I thought the Prosecutor had done a good job during the sickening trials and the after math-but what a way to chicken out by making a deal and not calling Shanda's mom. She was due more respect than that...she has been TESTIFYING (almost in a biblical sense) since the day Shanda was found and it was clear what was done to her...how do you make sense of that kind of inhumanity done to your child? And to have the rug pulled out from under her with no warning is unconscionable...who is comforting this poor woman as her daughter's murderers leave prison one by one because they are charming and have furthered their educations? And how do we as a society want our perps to atone for a crime this cruel-a life for a life is fair, and I don't necessarily mean the DP. I am glad that at least outwardly she seems to be a better person; she should spend her days helping other women WITHIN those prison walls. Simple.

 

[southcitymom]

She was a 15 year old CHILD at the time. I think she has paid her debt to society. As sad as the story is, and as bad as I feel for Shanda's mother, I still believe in prisoner rehabilitation and feel that this prisoner was rehabilitated.

She is now a 29 year old ADULT with a college education... She could go out into the world and speak out AGAINST violence. She could turn this tragedy into something positive by becoming a motivational speaker in violent high schools and talk to them about her story and what she did and how she not only ruined her life but the life of Shanda and Shanda's family by that one senseless act of violence.

I'm glad I'm not the only one here who feels this way. I have deepest empathy for Shanda and her family and for the young girls whose actions ended Shanda's life. I was not the same person at 29 that I was at 15 - I doubt many of us were.

There is good in the worst of us and bad in the best of us, so I do not have a problem with accepting that a murderer has good qualities just as a saint has bad ones. The world and those who people it are not painted in simple black and white strokes - as much as we may wish it were so.

My prayers for healing and peace for all who were touched by this senseless tragedy.

 

[STEADFAST]

I agree that all people have good and all have bad in them, but I don't see what it has to do with an individual, even with some good qualities, serving a long, long prison term for torturing a little girl to death. Of course people change over the years, but there is no way someone changes from being capable of committing this heinous act to being a peaceful, loving member of society. I don't think being fifteen at the time of the attack excuses her in any way. She was plenty old enough to know the evil of her actions. The world will be better off with her locked up for as long as possible.

 

[deanws]

Just bumping this up, Melinda Loveless wants out of prison early.
There is a petition to sign here.

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/15/justice-for-shanda


and news articles on Melinda wanting out of prison

http://www.news-tribune.net/floydcounty/local_story_289093745.html

http://www.crimelibrary.com/news/original/1007/1601_melinda_loveless1.html


Melinda does not deserve to be out of prison, and all of the other girls should still be there for the rest of their lives. JMO

I agree. They should all rot for the rest of their lives!

:behindbar

 

[southcitymom]

...... The world will be better off with her locked up for as long as possible.

We can't possibly know this - we can only form opinions based on the most limited of information. Only time will tell if the world will be better off or not better off with her release.

 

[Texana]

She was a 15 year old girl who didn't even know Shanda. She is the one who went to Shanda's door and lured her into the trap that all four had laid out. She is the one who, after separating from Melinda and Laurie for 4 hours, voluntarily rejoined them. She is the one who directed them to the spot where they finally killed Shanda. She is the one who helped Melinda and Laurie get her out of the trunk. She is the one who finally agreed to throw the gasoline on Shanda knowing full well that the plan was to burn her alive. Hope was an extremely active participant in the murder.

This was a prolonged, torturous murder that took hours to accomplish.

I can't help but compare this case to another well-known murder. Leslie Van Houten was 19 - only 4 years older than Hope - when she participated in the killing of Rosemary LaBianca. LVH grappled with Ms. LaBianca while Patricia Kenwinkel stabbed her, then LVH stabbed Mrs. LaBianca 16 times in the back when ordered by Tex Watson to 'do something', supposedly thinking that Mrs. LaBianca was already dead.

Well said, Kellee. There is no reason why Leslie is still in prison while any of these girls involved in Shanda's murder are not.

It is not only about the girls who did this and whether--if that is possible--they have been rehabilitated. It is about the value we place as society on Shanda's life, which so far, seems to be fairly low.

 

[STEADFAST]

We can't possibly know this - we can only form opinions based on the most limited of information. Only time will tell if the world will be better off or not better off with her release.

Actually, we already know that she's a murderer. She is not a different person than the fifteen year old who committed the crime. She is the very same person; maybe she has changed somewhat, but a person's basic character is already formed by that age. She has proved herself to be dangerous to others.

 

[calidreamin]

Actually, we already know that she's a murderer. She is not a different person than the fifteen year old who committed the crime. She is the very same person; maybe she has changed somewhat, but a person's basic character is already formed by that age. She has proved herself to be dangerous to others.

I couldn't agree with you more STEADFAST. She tortured and murdered a 12 year old in the worst possible way. I don't care how many classes she takes there is no way someone that could do such a thing would ever not be a threat to society. That poor little girl and her mother don't get to change their fates, why should she?

 

[southcitymom]

Actually, we already know that she's a murderer. She is not a different person than the fifteen year old who committed the crime. She is the very same person; maybe she has changed somewhat, but a person's basic character is already formed by that age. She has proved herself to be dangerous to others.

At the age of 15, I was a promiscuous alcoholic and drug addict who thought nothing of harming others to get what I wanted and needed. I never murdered, but I lied, stole, cheated, hurt people in my selfishness....etc...etc... By my late 20s, I wasn't that person at all because I was blessed with positive change.

I'm surely not that person today at the age of 41 and I believe that I give back positive things to the world.

I'm never a good person to tell that people can't change themselves completely because I have seen it happen so much in my own life and the lives of others.

But I understand that not everyone shares my perspective!

 

[mindi77]

She was a 15 year old CHILD at the time. I think she has paid her debt to society. As sad as the story is, and as bad as I feel for Shanda's mother, I still believe in prisoner rehabilitation and feel that this prisoner was rehabilitated.

She is now a 29 year old ADULT with a college education... She could go out into the world and speak out AGAINST violence. She could turn this tragedy into something positive by becoming a motivational speaker in violent high schools and talk to them about her story and what she did and how she not only ruined her life but the life of Shanda and Shanda's family by that one senseless act of violence.

Sorry but I have to disagree. I am the same age and it should have never got that bad. I did some stupid crap as a young teen but murder wasn't one of those things. Shanda's mother never gets to see her baby again. She can tell her story from inside those prison walls for all I care