Shanda Vanderark & son, Paul Fergeson featuring Deerfield Run Artwork

Michigan Murders & Music

Join us on "Michigan Murders and Music" for a true crime road trip with a twist.

Picture this: you're cruising across Michigan with two of your wildest, most entertaining friends. At every stop, they've got a local true crime story to tell you.

Our mission is to explore these dark tales while staying laser-focused on the perpetrator, honoring the victims and their families by not sensationalizing their pain. On our special UNSOLVED episodes, we will occasionally focus more on the victim to help generate new leads and find answers.

And because no road trip is complete without a great playlist, every episode ends with a hand-picked song by a legendary Michigan band.

We guarantee a dark story and leave you with a happy ending—all in one trip.

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Michigan Murders & Music

Shanda Vanderark & son, Paul Fergeson featuring Deerfield Run

December 08, 2024 • Deerfield Run • Episode 103

0:00 | 44:10

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In this episode, we confront one of Michigan’s most disturbing and heartbreaking cases — the torture and murder of 15‑year‑old Paul Fergeson at the hands of his own mother, Shanda VanderArk. What unfolded inside their Muskegon home is almost impossible to comprehend: a pattern of escalating abuse, starvation, and cruelty that went unchecked until it was far too late.

We walk through the timeline of Paul’s final months, the horrifying details revealed in court, and the chilling mindset of a mother who inflicted unthinkable pain on her child. This case forces us to grapple with the darkest corners of human behavior — and the devastating consequences when warning signs are ignored.

To close out the episode, we feature Michigan band Deerfield Run, bringing soul and grit with their track “The River.”

Deerfield Run
bandcamp:https://deerfieldrun.bandcamp.com/album/reckless-2
website: deerfieldrun.com
facebook: https://www.facebook.com/deerfieldrunband?mibextid=ZbWKwl

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