MUSKEGON, Mich. (Court TV) — A woman convicted of torturing and killing her teenage son will head to court for a second day in a row in her bid for a new trial.

Shanda Vander Ark appears in court for a post-conviction hearing on Nov. 25, 2025. (Court TV)

Shanda Vander Ark was convicted of murdering her son, 15-year-old Timothy Ferguson, who weighed only 69 pounds when he died. Vander Ark was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole plus an additional 50-100 years after evidence showed her son was handcuffed, forced to sleep in a closet, starved and left in ice baths for hours at a time.

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Before Tuesday’s hearing could officially begin, Vander Ark’s attorney said his client hadn’t be

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