The Tragic Loss of Innocence & Youth

The Tragic Loss of Innocence: Shanda’s Story

Shanda Sharer was a 12-year-old young girl who saw her life ended tragically just a mere months before her 13^th birthday in 1992. Her story and, ultimately, her death would unequivocally capture the attention of the nation due to the brutality of the crime and the ages of those who carried out such a heinous and vicious attack.

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Shanda Sharer: Her innocence was stolen by jealousy of another

Shanda Sharer was a young girl living in Southern Indiana at the time when the only thing she should have been worrying about was the things that a typical pre-teen should have been worrying about. Instead, she was lured out under the pretense of seeing someone she had been involved with, only to have her life snuffed out by four remarkably monstrous teenagers.

Shanda was found in Madison, Indiana, on the morning of January 11, 1992, by a father and son who had been out hunting squirrels in the early morning hours. They immediately alerted the authorities, and an investigation was underway. Back then, these types of things didn’t happen in small-town Indiana. They just didn’t, especially not in small towns, because of how close-knit everyone is.

Shanda had her whole life ahead of her. That was until it was suddenly ripped away. All because she had been talking to the ex-girlfriend of one of the girls responsible for taking her life. They say that love makes people do crazy things. Yes, some have murdered others due to their own jealousy. And honestly, how insane does one have to be in order to try and justify killing a 12-year-old young girl because she had been talking to an EX-girlfriend of someone else? EX usually means that there is no longer a relationship to be had. Jealously over something that you lost is no reason to ruin someone's life and, ultimately, your own life in the process. Because that is exactly what happened in January 1992, Shanda may have completely lost her life, but the lives of her family and friends were also altered all the same.

The Perpetrators and the Subsequent Aftermath of the Crime

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Who were these monsters that took the life of a 12-year-old girl? Well, it turns out that they were young teenagers themselves, with the oldest only being seventeen years old. How could anyone with their life so full and so much to do in the future even partake in the murder of another? It didn't make any sense. The one thing that a couple of the perpetrators had in common was abuse and the trauma that came from it.

Does the trauma and abuse excuse the fact that four people took a young girl's life? No, it absolutely does not. It is never an excuse to take someone else's life just because you got dealt a bad hand in life. Violence begets violence. The amount of violence unleashed against Shanda is almost unspeakable. The lengths that her perpetrators went to in order to end her life all because of a love interest that she had is just mind-boggling.

The girls that took away Shanda's life literally went about the rest of the morning as if nothing had happened. How could they act like they hadn't just taken the life of another? It is completely unfathomable that one can act like they didn't just commit such a heinous and volatile act.

The perpetrators had absolutely no regard for human life. It was not until one of the four killers finally had some kind of a conscience and told her parents and police what had happened. Only then were the other three killers taken into custody and ultimately charged with Shanda's death. Each of Shanda's killers were eventually released on parole, much to the outrage of the community.

It can be said that Shanda's killers also took another life after taking her's. That would be the life of Shanda's father. Shanda's mother said that her husband lost the will to live on after the loss of their daughter and he ultimately drank himself to death.

Shanda's Legacy After Death

While incarcerated, the main tormentor in Shanda's death has appeared to turn over a new leaf in her life. She trains service dogs for the disabled. Shanda's mother stated that she saw someone with compassion in place of the person that practically had no emotion in the court room. Jacque Vaught, Shanda's mother, donated a puppy in Shanda's memory to the Indiana Canine Assistance Program (ICAN).

"Jacque has faced criticism over her decision to let Shanda's killer honor her name. "It's my choice to make. She's my child," said Jacque. "If you don't let good things come from bad things, nothing gets better. And I know what my child would want. My child would want this." "She helped me to heal, forgive and grow, whether she wanted that or not," Loveless said through tears, "She did a good thing. And I would thank her. I couldn't thank her enough.

Melinda is training Angel to help someone in need, but Angel is already helping her. "Angel is in good hands. And I'm doing it for Shanda." -courtesy of Wave3 News