An “evil” older brother who pleaded guilty to tormenting and starving his autistic younger brother was nauseous as he was sentenced to up to 100 years in prison.
Paul Ferguson, 21, was described Monday as “one step away from becoming a psychopath” by Judge Matthew Kacel, who sentenced him to a minimum of 30 years and a maximum of 100 years behind bars.
Kacel defied sentencing guidelines that suggested Ferguson receive nine to 15 years behind bars, and the child molester was filmed retching in shock as he was warned he could be jailed until the year 2124. His mother vomited in court during his own judgment.
Ferguson was also seen shrinking to the collar of his prison shirt and then sticking his head out during the fiery sentencing remarks.
He was convicted of first-degree child abuse related to the gruesome death of his 15-year-old younger brother Timothy, who died in July 2022 after suffering an onslaught of sadistic abuse from Paul and their mother.
The autistic boy weighed just 69 pounds when he died at his Michigan home and had been subjected to merciless punishments, including force-feeding him hot sauce, depriving him of sleep and locking up food.
Paul Ferguson, 21, pleaded guilty to tormenting and starving his autistic younger brother and physically nauseating him when he was sentenced to up to 100 years in prison on Monday.
Paul and his mother have been sentenced to life in prison for the death of his autistic younger brother Timothy (left), who was subjected to cruel punishments including ice baths, starvation and force-feeding hot sauce.
Timothy Ferguson, 15, who had autism with motor and speech disabilities, died of malnutrition and hypothermia. He appears in an undated photo.
The brothers’ mother, Shanda Vander Ark, 44, (pictured) was sentenced in January to life in prison without the possibility of parole after a jury found her guilty of murder and child abuse in the teen’s death.
The brothers’ mother, Shanda Vander Ark, 44, was sentenced in January to life in prison without the possibility of parole after a jury found her guilty of murder and child abuse in the death of her son.
She vomited in court as she was shown horrific images of her son’s emaciation as he starved to death.
She began to retch and vomit in full view of the jury, showing signs of a mental breakdown when a prosecutor questioned her: ‘Did he look like that when you put him in the bathtub?’
Timothy had speech and motor problems, as well as being autistic, and Paul and his mother tormented him with callous punishments that also included subjecting him to long ice baths.
At Shanda’s trial, it was revealed that she also forced her son to eat only bread covered in hot sauce and locked the refrigerator to prevent him from eating.
Vander Ark is also said to have covered the house and the small closet where Timothy slept with motion sensors, alarms and live streaming cameras.
Vander Ark, who was a law clerk in Newaygo County Circuit Court, previously testified that he had purchased hot sauce online after Paul thought it would be a good idea to punish Timothy.
A text message exchange between the couple also showed her wondering if they should drop the hot sauce on the young man’s genitals.
‘I wonder what it would feel like to have that hot sauce on your private parts.’ I’m not saying to touch it there, not at all, but for it to drip a little bit there, it’s that horrible,’ she asked.
The brothers’ mother, Shanda Vander Ark, 44, vomited in court after being shown horrific photos of her emaciated disabled son, whom she starved to death in January.
Timothy’s older brother, Paul, 21, is pictured testifying against their mother at her previous trial.
Vander Ark is said to have covered the house and the small closet where Timothy slept with motion sensors, alarms and live streaming cameras.
Vander Ark tortured him by feeding him only bread covered in hot sauce, deprived him of sleep, and forced him to take ice baths as punishment.
The refrigerator in the house where Timothy died was chained as he starved to death.
Hours before Timothy died, Paul allegedly put him in an ice bath for nearly nine hours.
However, he testified against his own mother at trial, claiming that he too was a victim and suffered from “something like Stockholm syndrome.”
“I want to find a role model who, because of my low self-esteem, would do anything to make them proud of me,” he said.
“That’s not an excuse, I know, but I’m glad I was able to at least realize it and be able to correct it.”
The testimony and guilty plea came in exchange for prosecutors agreeing not to file elevated charges, such as murder, for the 21-year-old, according to Muskegon County Chief Trial Prosecutor Matt Roberts.
At his own trial this week, Paul appeared despondent, insisting he regretted his actions and begging for “mercy and justice” from the judge.
In his testimony at the trial, Paul said: ‘What reasons could justify my actions? I could invent a thousand and never believe one.
‘What words could express my regret? I could think of millions and yet never feel that they are enough.’
The property where Timothy was starved and tortured
His words fell on deaf ears when the judge said he did not believe Paul was truly remorseful.
“The court believes that Mr. Ferguson is one step away from becoming a psychopath like his mother,” Muskegon County Circuit Judge Matthew Kacel said Monday, reports the Grand Rapids Press.
Muskegon County Chief Prosecutor Matt Roberts added that Paul poses a threat to the public if he does not receive mental health treatment while incarcerated.