Shelby Lacie Andrews

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On Aug. 1, 2006 police were called to the home of Ryan and Angela Andrews, where they discovered the battered body of Shelby Andrews, who was covered with old and new bruises and bite marks, and whose brain was later found to have been swelling. Angela forced and locked Shelby into a tiny space inside a linen closet between the shelves and the door with little breathing space, where she was forced to stay upright. Shelby had difficulty breathing and panicked, she was pleading to be let out. She wept and cried out that she was choking on her own vomit.

 

In a confession, Ryan Andrews outlined regular and repeated abuse of his biological daughter Shelby that he participated in but which was largely inflicted by his new wife, Angela Andrews. Her biological children also were present in the home when beatings and other mistreatment of Shelby took place. Among other things, Angela Andrews forced Shelby to eat her own feces, slammed the girl's head repeatedly into the stairs, beat the girl in the vaginal area with the heel of a shoe and also hit her vaginal area with a metal spray can "while we held her arms and legs," Ryan Andrews wrote. On the night Shelby died Angels told Ryan to leave the Shelby inside because she was "just trying to play me," and the couple watched TV while the girl was trapped inside the closet area after the door knob had been removed. Angela Andrews had objected to tying the door closed with a rope because it allowed Shelby to push it open a little bit and get some air, Ryan Andrews said. "When we later opened the door Shelby was dead, and her lifeless body fell to the floor.”

 

Angela Andrews pleaded guilty to first degree felony murder for killing her ten year old stepdaughter. She also pleaded guilty to second degree felony sexual abuse of a child, which is a reduction from the original charge of first degree felony aggravated sexual abuse of a child. On Jan. 22, 2007 Ryan Andrews pleaded guilty to first degree felony murder and was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison.

 

Shelby lost her life because her father wasn't man enough to stand up for her. I will NEVER understand how anyone can just stand by and watch their child be abused.