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A Michigan law clerk vomited in court after she was shown horrifying pictures of her emaciated disabled son whom she starved to death.
Shanda Vander Ark, 44, was on trial for the murder and torture of Timothy Ferguson, 15, who died at their home on July 6, 2022 weighing just 69 pounds. An autopsy found he died from malnourishment and hypothermia.
Prosecutor Matt Roberts showed pictures of the teenager's frail body to Vander Ark in court on Thursday afternoon and she began to throw up.
She tortured Timothy, who had autism with speech and motor impairment, by feeding him only bread covered in hot sauce, depriving him of sleep and forcing him into ice baths as punishment.
Vander Ark did not turn up to the trial on Friday due to a 'medical issue' but a jury found her guilty of first-degree murder and first-degree child abuse in her absence. She is due to be sentenced on January 29 and faces life in prison.