NORTON SHORES, Mich. — The Norton Shores woman found guilty of torturing her teen son to death will appear in court Tuesday after claiming her counsel was ineffective.

Shanda Vander Ark was sentenced to life in prison without the chance of parole in January 2024 for the torture and death of her 15-year-old son Timothy Ferguson.

Vander Ark appeared in court back in July when she asked for a new trial, arguing that she had been incompetent to stand trial. Judge Matthew Kacel denied a retrial but did order a hearing to address her counsel's effectiveness.

Called a "Ginther hearing," the court will hear evidence and testimony Tuesday on whether Vander Ark received adequate counsel.

"There are a number of areas that we raised where we felt that trial counsel should have taken maybe a

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