An Indiana woman who was convicted on three counts of reckless homicide after she struck and killed three young siblings as they crossed a road to board their school bus was released from prison early this week after completing a bible course, according to Law And Crime.
Citing court records, the news outlet reported Friday that Alyssa Shepherd, 27, was released from the Rockville Correctional Facility on Wednesday after serving just over two years of her sentence.
Authorities say that Shepherd in the early morning hours of Oct. 30, 2018 failed to stop for a school bus on Indiana 25 next to the Meiser Mobile Home Park despite the bus idling with its stop-arm and lights fully activated, according to Law And Crime. As she passed the stationary bus, Shepherd struck and killed 9-year-old Alivia Stahl, as well as her 6-year-old twin brothers, Xzavier Ingle and Mason Ingle.
The collision also left a fourth child, Maverik Lowe, severely injured. Lowe was not related to the other three children, the report states.
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“Shepherd was initially slated to be released from prison in September 2022, but under Indiana’s state law governing jail credit, her sentence was reportedly reduced by six months after she completed a Bible study course offered by the facility,” according to the report.
Understandably, relatives of the victims are not happy with the decision.
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Brittany Ingle, the mother of the children killed in the crash, expressed her anger at Shepherd’s release in an interview with South Bend ABC affiliate WBND-LD.
“She saw me screaming over my dead children’s body and showed no mercy,” said Ingle, reading a message that sounded like a victim impact statement. “Alyssa Shepherd not only stole the lives of my three children, she destroyed my family.”
“I’m still kind of in shock. We knew this day was coming. We just didn’t expect it to come this fast,” she added.
Ingle also expressed dismay at Shepherd’s alleged lack of accountability for the deaths of her three children.
“I mean she literally has not accepted the role of responsibility for my children’s death,” Ingle reportedly said. “She’s had enough time, if she cared enough to reach out or write a letter or have our attorney. I mean, she’s done nothing to you know, advocate for school bus safety.”
The children’s grandfather, Michael Schwab, told the South Bend Tribune that Shepherd’s release is a painful reminder that it is the victims’ family, not the defendant, who received a life sentence.
“The story never ends for the family,” Schwab reportedly told the newspaper. “This is a life sentence for our family. Though she was granted early release and allowed to return to her family, there is no early release for our family and the children won’t be returning to us.”
Fulton County Prosecutor Mike Marrs, who previously criticized the sentence as being “too light,” also said Shepherd showed a lack of remorse.
“I can understand if you’re the one doing the time, you want to get out as quick as you can,” Marrs told WBND. “On the other hand, that’s really been the state’s major issue with the case as far as the defendant from day one. We just haven’t seen any remorse.”
