Journalists at ProPublica and NBC News would like to connect with people whose parental rights have been terminated in the past decade. We have received an outpouring of responses, and at this time we are only looking for people with cases in Alaska, Arkansas, Arizona, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia and West Virginia. We want to understand how your … [Read more...]
4 Family Members Die in Murder-Suicide Days After Judge Denied Woman’s Order of Protection Petition
Four people were found dead early Sunday morning in Roscommon County, Mich., in what police say was a murder-suicide. According to a release from the Roscommon County Sheriff's Department, the deceased have been identified as Tirany Lee Savage, 35, her son Dayton Cowdrey, 13, her mother Kim Lynnette Ebright, 58, and Bo Eugene Savage, 35 — who according to court documents was Tirany's husband. … [Read more...]
Norton Shores Mom Accused of Torturing, Killing Son Faced ‘Similar Allegations’ in Custody Case
Shanda Vander Ark, then Shanda Ferguson, voluntarily surrendered custody in 2012, court documents show. Data obtained by 13 ON YOUR SIDE showed Shanda Vander Ark, also known as Shanda Ferguson, had 18 different addresses between Oklahoma and Virginia before settling into this quiet stretch of Norton Shores. It’s where 15-year-old Timothy Ferguson, the alleged victim, came to live with his … [Read more...]
Task Force: Systems Need Better Understanding of Domestic Violence ‘Lethality Factors’
After reviewing what led up to the murder-suicide of a 3-year-old boy by his father last year, a Kent County task force on Tuesday released several recommendations for how systems can more effectively identify domestic violence and work to prevent killings. The Kent County Domestic Violence Community Coordinated Response Team stressed that the only person to blame for the death of 3-year-old … [Read more...]
Mother of Murdered Boy Leads Push for Change
The little boy who loved his dog, his sisters and his toys lost his life at the hands of his own father last fall. Dylan Thebo was murdered by his father at his father’s Lowell Township home on Aug. 31, 2021. Derek Thebo then died by suicide. Dylan’s mother says the signs of trouble were well-documented. “I think people aren’t believed. Because with especially the psychological abuse and the … [Read more...]