The 1992 Murder of Shanda Sharer: The Evils of Wicca Exposed

15-year-old Lawrence, 17-year-old Tackett, 15-year-old Rippey and 16-year-old Loveless

Indianapolis, IN — In the cold of January 1992, the tranquil small town of Madison, Indiana, became the backdrop for a chilling tale of jealousy, violence, and the dire consequences of societal stigma surrounding alternative lifestyles. The murder of 12-year-old Shanda Sharer, a crime committed by four teenage girls, would not only shatter the lives of numerous families but also shed light on the evils connected with the Wiccan community.

On the night of January 10, 1992, Shanda Sharer, a bright and spirited young girl, was lured from her home by a group of teens driven by a potent mix of jealousy and resentment. Sharer's relationship with a classmate had ignited a rivalry among her peers, leading to a horrifying premeditated act of violence. The perpetrators—teenage girls aged 15 to 17—reportedly practiced Wicca and were entrenched in a lifestyle.

12-year-old Shanda Sharer

On the night of January 10, 1992, 15-year-old Lawrence, 15-year-old Rippey, and 17-year-old Tackett drove in Tackett's car from Madison to the home of 16-year-old Loveless in New Albany. While Tackett was friends with both Lawrence and Rippey, they had never met Loveless before. After arriving, they borrowed some clothes from her, and she revealed a knife, claiming she intended to use it to scare Sharer. Although Tackett, Rippey, and Lawrence had not met Sharer prior to that evening, Tackett was already aware of a plot to murder the 12-year-old girl. Loveless expressed her animosity towards Sharer, accusing her of being a "copycat" and for taking her girlfriend.

Tackett allowed Rippey to drive the four girls to Jeffersonville, where Sharer spent weekends with her father, stopping at a McDonald's along the way to ask for directions. They arrived at Sharer's house just before nightfall. Loveless instructed Rippey and Lawrence to go to the door and introduce themselves as friends of Heavrin. When Sharer opened the door, Rippey and Lawrence asked for her, and she replied that she was indeed Shanda. They then invited her to join them to meet Heavrin, who was supposedly waiting for them at "the Witch’s Castle," a dilapidated stone house situated on a secluded hill overlooking the Ohio River.

Witch Castle

Sharer hesitated to go out and claimed she had a party to attend, suggesting that the girls return around midnight. Although Loveless was initially upset, Rippey and Lawrence reassured her that they would return for Sharer later. The four girls crossed the river into Louisville to attend a punk rock concert by the band Sunspring at the Audubon Skate Park near Interstate 65. Lawrence and Rippey quickly lost interest in the concert and moved to the parking lot, where they engaged in sexual activities with two boys in Tackett's car.

Later, the girls headed to Sharer's house. During the ride, Loveless expressed her eagerness to kill Sharer, although she claimed her intention was only to scare her with the knife. When they arrived at Sharer's house at 12:30 a.m., Lawrence refused to go get Sharer, prompting Tackett to accompany Rippey to the door instead. Meanwhile, Loveless hid under a blanket in the back seat of the car, clutching the knife.

Sharer’s Abduction

Sharer's father and stepmother had gone to bed, allowing her to stay downstairs and watch television for a while. Rippey informed her that Heavrin was still at the Witch's Castle. Although Sharer hesitated, she eventually agreed to go after changing her clothes. Once they got into the car, Rippey started asking her questions about her relationship with Heavrin. Suddenly, Loveless leapt from the back seat, pressed a knife to Sharer's throat, and began interrogating her about her sexual involvement with Heavrin. They headed towards Utica and the Witch's Castle. Tackett shared a local legend that claimed the house had once been a castle owned by nine witches, which the townspeople burned down to eliminate them, leaving only a small stone structure behind.At the Witch's Castle, they brought a trembling, sobbing Sharer inside and bound her arms and legs with rope. Loveless mocked her, commenting on her beautiful hair and speculating how pretty she would look if they were to cut it off, heightening Sharer's fear. Loveless then began removing Sharer's rings, handing them to the other girls.

At one point, Rippey took Sharer's Mickey Mouse watch and danced to the tune it played. Tackett further tormented Sharer by claiming the Witch's Castle was filled with human remains and that she would soon join them. To intensify the threat, Tackett retrieved a shirt with a smiley design from the car and set it ablaze, but quickly worried that the fire might draw attention from passing cars, prompting the girls to leave with Sharer.

During the car ride, Sharer repeatedly pleaded with them to take her back home. Eventually, they lost their way and decided to stop at a gas station, where they covered Sharer with a blanket. While Tackett went inside to ask for directions, Lawrence called a boy she knew in Louisville and spoke with him for several minutes to calm her nerves, omitting any mention of Sharer's abduction. They returned to the car, but soon got lost again and found themselves at another gas station. There, Lawrence and Rippey noticed a couple of boys and spoke with them briefly before getting back into the car and driving off. After some time, they arrived at the edge of some woods near Tackett's home in Madison.

Sharer’s Torture

Tackett guided them to a dimly lit, abandoned building situated off a logging road, surrounded by dense woods. Frightened, Lawrence and Rippey remained inside the car. Loveless and Tackett forced Sharer to undress down to her underwear, after which Loveless began to assault her with her fists. Following that, Loveless slammed Sharer's face into her knee multiple times, causing injuries to Sharer's mouth from her braces. Loveless attempted to cut Sharer’s throat, but the knife was too dull to be effective. Rippey exited the car to help restrain Sharer. Loveless and Tackett then took turns stabbing Sharer in the chest. Afterward, they strangled her with a rope until she lost consciousness, placed her in the trunk of the car, and told the other two girls that Sharer was dead.

The girls drove to Tackett's nearby home to relax with soda and clean up. While inside, they heard Sharer screaming from the trunk, prompting Tackett to step outside with a paring knife, where she stabbed Sharer multiple times before returning minutes later, covered in blood. After cleaning herself up, Tackett used her "runestones" to predict the girls' futures. 

At 2:30 a.m., Lawrence and Rippey chose to stay behind while Tackett and Loveless went for a drive in the country, heading toward the nearby town of Canaan. Sharer's cries and gurgles prompted Tackett to stop the car. When they opened the trunk, Sharer was sitting up, bloodied, with her eyes rolled back, but unable to speak. Tackett then struck her with a tire iron until she fell silent, claiming to feel her head caving in, and urged Loveless to "smell it." They proceeded to sexually assault Sharer with the same weapon. The tire-iron assault continued intermittently for hours as the girls drove through the countryside. Throughout the physical and sexual assault, the girls used Wiccan symbols and rituals. 

Loveless and Tackett returned to Tackett's house just before dawn to clean up again, rousing the other two girls from their sleep. Curious about Sharer, Rippey inquired about her, prompting Tackett to laugh as she recounted the torment they had inflicted. Their chatter stirred Tackett's mother, who initially scolded her daughter for being out so late but then kindly offered to make breakfast for the girls. Tackett politely declined, explaining that she needed to drive the others home. Instead, however, she headed to the burn pile, where they opened the trunk to check on Sharer. Lawrence, however, refused to look. In a sudden burst of cruelty, Rippey sprayed Sharer with Windex, mocking, "You're not looking so hot now, are you?"

Sharer’s Burned alive

The girls drove to a gas station near Madison Consolidated High School, filled their car with gasoline, and purchased a two-liter bottle of Pepsi. Tackett emptied the Pepsi and filled the bottle with gasoline instead. They then headed north of Madison, past Jefferson Proving Ground, to Lemon Road off U.S. Route 421—a location familiar to Rippey. While Lawrence stayed in the car, Tackett and Rippey wrapped the still-alive Sharer in a blanket and carried her to a field by the gravel country road. Rippey doused Sharer with gasoline before they set her ablaze. Loveless, uncertain whether Sharer was truly dead, insisted they return a few moments later to pour the remaining gasoline on her. Again, the girls used Wicca symbols and rituals.

Memorial site believed to be where Shanda took her last breath

At 9:30 a.m., the girls stopped for breakfast at a McDonald's, laughing as they compared Sharer’s charred body to the sausages they were eating. Afterward, Lawrence called a friend to confess the murder. Tackett then dropped Lawrence and Rippey off at their respective homes before returning home with Loveless. Loveless informed Heavrin about the killing and made plans to pick her up later that day with Tackett.

Crystal Wathen, a friend of Loveless, came over to share what had transpired. The three girls then drove to pick up Heavrin and brought her back to Loveless's home, where they recounted the entire story. Initially, both Heavrin and Wathen were skeptical until Tackett revealed the trunk of the car, showcasing the bloody handprints and socks belonging to Sharer. Horrified, Heavrin requested to be taken home. Once they arrived in front of her house, Loveless kissed Heavrin, expressed her love, and urged her not to tell anyone. Heavrin agreed to keep it a secret before heading inside her home.

After an extended period of torture that included burning her with cigarettes and other heinous acts, they ultimately decided to kill her. Melinda Loveless is reported to have delivered the fatal blow, stabbing Shanda multiple times.

Years later, the Shanda Sharer case remains a somber reminder of the depths of human cruelty as well as the risks posed by involvement in Wicca and witchcraft. As communities reflect on the fragmented lives left in the wake of such violence, the haunting question lingers: how can we foster understanding and compassion in a world quick to assault others based on their religous beliefs.

In remembering Shanda Sharer, we are reminded not only of the innocence lost that fateful night but also of our responsibility to challenge and dismantle the religious institutions that promote violence in our communities.