Madden sentenced to 25-plus years jail time
Shanterrica Madden, a former MTSU student found guilty in the stabbing of Lady
Raider basketball player Tina Stewart, was sentenced to 25 years in jail for second-
degree murder. Madden may also serve up to four additional years for tampering
with evidence, depending upon parole possible in exchange for good behavior.
Madden, 20, was convicted of second-degree murder in mid-May of stabbing her
Raiders Crossing roommate, Stewart, to death using a serrated kitchen knife. The
two were arguing about Madden’s use of marijuana in their shared apartment.
“I saw no remorse,” said Judge Don Ash of Madden’s attitude.
The sentences will be served consecutively, and Madden’s first chance at parole will
come in 26 years, as she is required to serve 30 percent of the four-year sentence.
She will be 46 years old.
Madden originally pled self-defense to a first-degree murder allegation.
Prosecution attorney Bill Whitesell said in a May press conference directly after the
sentencing that Madden was convicted of second-degree murder instead of first-
degree murder because they were unable to prove premeditation.
However, he also said he believed Madden’s actions the night of March 2, 2011
spoke louder than any testimony.
“The fact that she shut the door and let her die was uncalled for,” Whitesell said in
May. “There is just no excuse for that.”
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5 Comments
It is stories like these that make me glad I don’t need to live with a roommate. There is a risk you may end up having to share space with someone mentally unbalanced. I realize that it can be a good way to make new friends, but the fact is that most of the time these are strangers who have to quickly get used to each other, and hopefully get along. Sharing a class or work space with someone is one thing, but where you live and sleep is another. It’s where you go to feel safe and comfortable, and having someone intrude on that can be quite unnerving. People’s lives need some privacy, and don’t like it when a person they don’t know well or don’t trust gets involved. I don’t know what kind of relationship these girls had before the incident, but I doubt they were friends if it could escalate to murder. Maybe something could have been done to prevent this, if there were signs that there was a lot of tension between the roommates. One of them could have moved out, but finding a new place to stay can be a huge hassle, and there aren’t always other options, which is unfortunate. It’s not something worth killing over though. If there was indeed a lot of fighting between the two previously, someone should have stepped in and done or said something. Sometimes people stay quiet though, out of fear of stirring up more trouble. Fear holds a lot of people back from taking action.
I hate to say it, but good. She deserved 25 years if not more. To take someone’s life is terrible, to take someone’s life over something stupid is even worse. Also, to kill someone with a serrated kitchen knife is just gruesome. And unlike a gun, when you go after someone with a knife you have time to think about what you are doing. It’s not bang, and then over with. It’s stabbing and cutting and seeing a lot of blood. Just like the article says, there is no excuse for that. Is smoking in your apartment really worth a human life? I think not. I know I don’t know the whole story and there are bound to be details that forever remain a mystery to me, but I still don’t think this girl could have any logical, sane reason to kill her roommate. I’ve had uptight roommates before, but nothing they have ever done would make me want to take one of their lives. It’ll be a long time before this woman sees the light of day in freedom, sad for her but even sadder for the poor girl she murdered over an argument about smoke marijuana inside. Was it worth it? Doubtful.
that was crazy that one person takes a nother person’s life over something dumb. when she (madden) and the other girl should had left the building.
It is sad that someone so young decided her only option was to kill another human being. She was twenty years old and now she will spend a good part of her younger life in prison. I am just wondering what else prompted her to make this awful decision? Was it her past in her younger life or her past with her roommate? It’s also sad that the judge said that he saw no remorse. I wonder if she will ever feel remorse or fully understand the repercussions of her actions. I do think the sentence was a little light. She was only sentenced to twenty-five years plus jail-time, which I do not feel is long enough for stabbing another person to death. She also just left her to die, which shows that stabbing someone did not affect her in any way. It just saddens me to know that someone so young can ruin her life simply over a drug dispute. I think the MTSU community really pulled together when this happened. It’s upsetting to think that a Lady Raider with a promising future was taken away so quickly and horribly. Glad that MTSU showed no tolerance with this act.
It is stories like these that make me second guess having a roommate. The fact that it happened in our community scares me even more. It is hard to believe that a crime this horrific happened over something so ridiculous. What is even worse is that she was in the right over the issue and ended up losing her life. It goes to show that it is crucial to make sure you really know someone before deciding to live with them. I am curious to know if the girl was known to have anger issues, or if they just didn’t get a long the whole time they lived together. The fact that the crime was so violent and cold makes me feel like she must have had some type of psychological issues far worse than simply having a problem with her roommate. Her lack of remorse after the crime happened is shocking as well. This tragedy made one of the biggest impacts on our campus I have ever seen. The amount of support and everyone coming together to mourn this loss was inspiring. Although it is a tragic story we will never forget, I am glad it is finally resolved and Madden is getting what she deserves.