MUSKEGON, Mich. — MUSKEGON, Mich. — The Norton Shores mother charged in the death of her 15-year-old son was back in court Thursday. She will now undergo forensic evaluations over the next few months before the case proceeds.
43-year-old Shanda Vander Ark was charged in the death of her son, Timothy Ferguson, back on July 8th after police say they found the teen dead inside the home they shared on July 6th.
Timothy’s older brother, 20-year-old Paul Ferguson, was charged days later with first-degree child abuse in his brother’s death.
Together, Vander Ark and Paul Ferguson are accused of a sinister pattern of abuse that may have lasted for years.
Muskegon County Prosecutor D.J. Hilson says the 15-year-old had special needs.
“As punishment – for I’m not sure what behavior – but as punishment, our 15-year-old was subject to ice baths, was subject to not being fed food other than bread or bread soaked in hot sauce,” Hilson told FOX 17 earlier in the month.
“It’s clear that this wasn’t the first time our victim, this 15-year-old, had suffered at the hands of neglect and abuse.”
When police found the 15-year-old's body inside the family's home, they say he showed signs of abuse and severely malnourished.
"Unfortunately, we do see quite a few child abuse cases come through the system. This is, in terms of severity though, certainly with the child actually dying as a result of the neglect or abuse, this is very unusual," Chief Trial Attorney for the Muskegon County Prosecutor's Office Matt Roberts told FOX 17 Thursday.
"Certainly, in my my years of experience, it's one of the most heinous and horrific cases that we've seen."
Vander Ark also has a history with child protective services out of Oklahoma, where the family lived briefly. But, she was never ordered to give up parental rights, or even contact with her three children.
"Obviously, we have no jurisdiction over what took place in Oklahoma. Certainly we are in receipt of those records, and those records are still coming in from Oklahoma that indicate exactly what had taken place," Roberts said.
"They obviously felt at some point there was a basis to at least state that her rights should have been terminated, but for whatever reason, they decided not to go forward."
If you or someone you know is suffering from abuse of neglect, call the National Domestic Abuse Hotline at (800)-799-7233 or Michigan Child Protective Services at (855)-444-3911.
