MUSKEGON, MI – Shanda Vander Ark, the West Michigan mother who tortured her son to death, will appear in a Muskegon courtroom this week in a bid for a new trial.

It’s been nearly two years since Vander Ark last made an in-person appearance in court when she was sentenced to life without parole for murder.

Vander Ark, 46, is fighting for a new trial after she was convicted of murder for orchestrating brutal punishments that led to the death of her son, 15-year-old Timothy Ferguson .

The case drew major attention due to the horrific details surrounding Timothy’s death.

Timothy, who had special needs, was found dead on July 6, 2022, in his family’s Norton Shores home after suffering months of torture at the hands of his mother and older brother, Paul Ferguson .

Timothy was force-

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