Shanda Vander Ark was charged with murder and child abuse in the death of her fifteen-year-old son with special needs. Timothy was just sixty-nine pounds when he was found dead by his mom and brother in June of 2022. Prosecutors alleged that Shanda and her older son Paul tortured Timothy with ice baths and bread soaked in hot sauce made from two of the world’s hottest peppers. They also alleged that the pair denied him food and water. This week’s Court TV Podcast features Shanda Vander Ark’s direct examination in full as she tells the jury her side of this tragic story.

For more on the Shanda Vander Ark case, click here.