Seeking new trial, mom convicted of murder blames lawyer and son

'I didn't fake anything': Shanda Vander Ark fights for new trial

MUSKEGON, Mich. (Court TV) — Convicted killer Shanda Vander Ark returned to the witness stand on Friday, where she continued to blame her dead son for his own death as she pushes for a new trial. Shanda Vander Ark appears at a post-conviction hearing on March 20, 2026. (WZZM) Vander Ark was convicted of murder in the death of her son, 15-year-old Timothy Ferguson, who had special needs. Ferguson weighed only 69 pounds when he died; his death cer…

Seeking new trial, mom convicted of murder blames lawyer and son

A Norton Shores mother who was sentenced to life in prison for the starvation death of her 15-year-old son was back in court Friday morning asking the same judge who once called her a “torturer” for a new trial.