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A 21-year-old Michigan man, Paul Ferguson, was convicted of first-degree child abuse leading to the death of his 15-year-old autistic sibling. Ferguson was sentenced to a minimum of 30 years and a maximum of 100 years in prison on Tuesday, February 27, 2024.
Trigger warning: The following article contains graphic descriptions of child abuse. Reader discretion is advised.
The decision comes after he pleaded guilty in December 2023 to first-degree child abuse leading to the death of Timothy Ferguson. According to Metro, Muskegon County Circuit Judge Matthew Kacel said he did not believe Paul Ferguson was truly repentant.
Timothy, who was also speech and motor impaired, died in July 2022 after being subjected to horrific torture and mistreatment by his mother and elder brother, CBS News reported. According to law enforcement, Timothy weighed only 69 pounds and died of malnourishment and hypothermia. As per Metro, before his death, he was put in an ice bath for 9 hours.
"And people say demons don't exist": Netizens react to Timothy's abuse at the hands of his brother Paul Ferguson
As news of Paul Ferguson's sentence spread, netizens were left shocked. They expressed disbelief at the abuse, demanding he receive the death penalty. They called it heartbreaking and inhumane. Here are some comments seen on Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg)'s X post about the same:
In December 2023, Paul Ferguson's mother, Shanda Vander Ark, was sentenced to life without parole for the teen's death. New York Post reported that when she was shown a photo of her child's emaciated body, she retched in court.
Paul testified against his mother, alleging he, too, was a victim of "something close to Stockholm Syndrome." As per the New York Post, he told the court:
"I desire to find a role model that, due to my own low self-esteem, I would do anything to make them proud of me. That's not an excuse, I know, but I feel like I'm glad I was at least able to realize it, so I could correct it."
Per CBS News, Paul Ferguson and Vander Ark punished Timothy by feeding him hot sauce, subjecting him to ice baths, forcing him to sleep in a closet, and locking the refrigerator and food cabinets.
In addition to jail time, Prosecutor Matt Roberts stated that Paul needs access to mental health treatment or he would be a risk to the public.
