Mother of the Year! Craziest case ever! The Case of Shaninia Gardner. True Crime Documentary.

[Music] hi everyone my name is Jack and today we're going to take a look at another horrible case with you Martin Gardner sat on the porch of his desolate home clutching a photo album he had received years after the tragic day that album had become a symbol of his loss a living test to a terrible tragedy Martin's gaze stopped at the pictures of his small and innocent children talin Sai Savi and yazzi these pictures were all he had left of his Happy Days as he looked into their faces he could almost hear their children's voices

filling this house with laughter and warmth Once Upon a Time Martin's first child was Talon who was only 4 years old to his father he was the light of his life the the man dreamed of spending all his free time with him teaching him everything he knew and drinking beer with him in the future when Talon would be a real grown man and Martin himself would be gray and important little Saia who was only 3 years old always ran to her father when he came home from work remembering to take her cloth doll with her

she always asked Martin to give her and her doll a kiss before she went to bed this always brought a smile to her father's face and he performed this sweet ritual with seriousness and respect Savi a 2-year-old girl was silent and intelligent she loved to flip through books and watch animal movies Martin often took her on his lap and read her favorite stories to her he saw in her the potential of a future intelligent and serious woman who would achieve Great Heights in life and yazzi was the youngest still a very tiny baby with deep

black eyes when Martin looked into her eyes he saw a vast World there those eyes were exactly like those of her mother Shenia Gardner Martin remembered how happy he was that she had given him this beautiful world full of love comfort and children's laughter but that world was shattered one fateful day Shenia Gardner was born in the late 80s in Memphis the American state of Tennessee Little is known about her early years other than the fact that she was the daughter of Elanor Snodgrass who once inhabited the Cozy cabins of Madison Alabama shania's childhood youth

flowed as routinely as any other girls at that time she was a young brunette with curly hair slender and beautiful the girl was always surrounded by loyal friends and displayed bright talents Shenia was filled with a true creative Spirit she had a unique gift of composing songs music was her passion and singing was her way of expressing herself her vocal abilities caught the attention of the locals and she became a local celebrity however singing was only one one of her many hobbies Shenia was fascinated by the world of fashion and photography she looked great in

front of the camera and could turn everyday moments into works of art despite all these colorful Hobbies inside Shenia was a woman full of Charity who always found time for Religion she often attended church and carefully cared for her family everything in shania's life seemed set and promised a bright future Shenia was only 14 years old when she met derril Clayton it started with a casual introduction through mutual friends they immediately found common ground and became friends by the time they grew up and graduated from high school their relationship became more serious and the young

people officially became a couple Shenia and drr spent a lot of time together everyone considered them serious and stable young people however there were some questionable episodes in their record both were seen in minor offenses such as traffic violations or disorderly cond conduct on the streets in 2008 things got more serious drr was accused of assaulting a woman and although it was done unintentionally he was facing serious punishment the guy got lucky and soon all charges against him were dropped Shenia and detray did not formalize their relationship but they lived together in the same year

2008 the couple had a son who was named D Shenia became a caring mother not only to him but also to detrays to children from his previous relationship Sonia Clayton detray's mother always saw Shenia not just as a woman in love with her son but as part of her family Shenia was noted for her devotion and care for her children which made her special in Sonia's eyes however the Lover's relationship was not a long one and little is known about what exactly happened between them however even after the breakup they continued to maintain some distant

communication to deail Shenia remained a good wife and a caring mother when D was just 2 years old Shenia was involved in a small incident it was a minor infraction perhaps a parking ticket or a minor argument of no great importance it was also insignificant compared to what the future held for her marrying Martin Gardner was a new phase in shena's life fate had led her to this man who appeared to bring joy and stability to her life Shenia on the other hand won Martin over with her kindness and love for children in her eyes

he saw an ocean of feminine tenderness and wisdom their story developed rapidly in September 2013 they decided to start their life together and moved into an apartment complex in southeast Shelby County the wedding was just the beginning of a new phase of their life together shortly after the celebration they had their first child baby Talon and in 2014 little Saia was born into the world soon two more girls Savi and yazzi came along making their big family even happier and busier in total Martin and Shenia had four children together as well as one child from

the young woman's previous relationship for the young mom children always came first and she enjoyed working part-time at the Children's Hospital moreover she was actively involved in a center that raised funds to help children it was her calling and she gratefully dedicated her life to helping those in need need on the cusp of a terrible event Friday July 1st 2016 an ordinary day that didn't portend anything out of the ordinary around noon Shenia was on the phone with her husband Martin her voice was calm as it usually is she told her husband that she was

going to watch a movie with the kids there was nothing to indicate that something terrible was going to happen on this ordinary day and then at that moment when the spouses were having a quiet conversation an incomprehensible Madness began to happen suddenly Shenia changed she took a kitchen knife and went into the living room there she attacked her own six-month-old daughter yazzi the defenseless little girl who couldn't fight back was caught in a terrible trap her life was cut short in an instant at the hands of her most loved and closest person D the oldest

of the children he was only 7 years old witnessed this nightmarish scene a terrible tragedy played out before his eyes for which he was too young to understand the boy thought only one thing he must do something to save his younger brother and sisters panicked and desperate he ran out of the house Shenia didn't stop there the young woman followed her son out of the house armed with a knife ready to continue her nightmarish plan she rushed after dalon but the man terrified and desperate screamed so loudly that he attracted the attention of the neighbors

a couple of neighbors heard his screams and quickly went outside to see what was going on they found themselves witnessing a nightmare that did not settle in their minds realizing that D was being watched Shenia went no further however the whole horror was not over yet chenia returned to the house where Savi and Talon were waiting for her distraught she went up to the bedroom where the little ones were it was the last moments of their innocent lives meanwhile those who witnessed the nightmare didn't waste a second they quickly called Emergency Services asking for help

and rescue for Little D and his younger siblings at that moment none of them could have imagined the tragic consequences that awaited this peaceful Street Sheriff's Personnel arrived on the scene and were confronted with an eerie scene inside the home at 7,449 Southern Hill Drive they found a blooded chenia and her four children lying motionless arft of Life the sight left everyone in shock Shenia sat with her cell phone in her hands she slowly dialed the number of Martin her husband her voice sounded quiet and cold as she confessed to killing her children the tragedy

that had unfolded in their lives was the horrific event that would forever be remembered in this quiet neighborhood by the time the prosecutor's office and special unit arrived on the scene it was all over there was only an eerie silence in the house that had once been the place of the happy Gardener Family Blood and Horror lurked in every corner the investigators had a bloody knife in their possession silently bearing witness to the gruesome incident chaplain arrived to help and were shocked by what had happened as well as Specialists ready to assist D the horror

he had endured required immediate intervention while the necessary information was gathered and investigations were underway law enforcement asked residents to stay inside their homes and not go outside some did not need this request they still felt fear and uncertainty their home seemed de to be the only safe place a major operation forced Sheriff's officials to close off access to the apartment complex including the golf area and Country Club as for Shenia she was apprehended and taken into custody without bail her trial was immediately scheduled for July 5th Society could not remain indifferent to these horrific

events unfolding in the life of Shenia Gardener no matter how monstrous she was portrayed she was a mother and a partner who rais rated love care and joy according to Michelle jimon her coworker Michelle vigorously defended Shenia on social media speaking out about the unfairness of the allegations she also brought up an important aspect postpartum depression cases like this have sparked discussion and Dr Joel Risman a psychiatrist at the University of Tennessee Medical Center confirmed that the killing of children by their own mother is rare and usually accompanied by mental illness he also pointed out

the lack of mental health funding in the state which leaves many families without the support they need Dr Diane Barnes a psychology and postpartum health specialist explained the difference between postpartum depression and postpartum psychosis emphasizing that they are completely different conditions with different symptoms and while shania's exact condition required further investigation Dr Barnes doubted that women in a state of postpartum depression would commit Comm such acts she leaned toward the idea of psychosis the investigation in Shenia Gardner's case was arduous her defense attorney Craig Morton became her defense attorney but he chose not to comment

on the case to the media in the early stages believing it was too early for such discussions on July 5th 2016 at the court hearing Shenia remained silent appearing only via video link judge L Lambert asked her questions but the young woman did not utter a single word after the trial Shenia was sent to the Mental Health Institute shania's next ofkin came to the courthouse but declined to comment to reporters Morton's attorney and prosecutor Jennifer Nichols planned to file a motion to preserve evidence in the case including information gathered from social media January 2017 brought

formal charges against Shenia on four counts aggravated child abuse aggravated murder with a deadly weapon aggravated child abuse and child neglect the mysterious and gruesome investigation continued and the community was left waiting for justice and answers to many questions the hearing included testimony from shania's loved ones on that fateful day Sonia dril's mother was undoubtedly shocked to learn of the terrible tragedy she immediately arrived on the scene in a desperate search for her grandson D Sonia maintained that what had happened had nothing to do with the young woman she had once known she expressed her

belief that something supernat natural perhaps of a diabolical nature was behind it all As Time passed however and the initial shock began to wear off Sonia began to speculate about possible motives she speculated that perhaps the young couple was in the process of divorce for fear of being alone caring for five children Shenia might have come to the terrible decision to end it all but despite these Reflections Sonia found it hard to believe to her the Shenia she had once known was far from a person capable of such a horri act drr D's father also

refused to believe in shania's guilt he admitted that although he was never his son's Guardian he was always able to visit him after his relationship with Shenia ended but November 2014 was the last time he saw his son he noticed that each time Shenia became more and more radical in her actions and decisions every attempt he made to contact his son failed and he was simply not allowed to be involved in his life but in fact Shen ia's friends and family had long ago noticed that a completely unexpected upheaval had taken place with her the

young woman began to experience a strange discomfort that gradually developed into deep anxiety paranoia and even worse panic attacks her behavior became erratic and unpredictable and many people began to suspect that it might be related to postpartum depression this came as a real shock to those around her as Shenia seemed to be a strong and dependable woman she had always been the one in control but now she seemed to have lost her footing her Sudden Change in Behavior made many people wonder why this tragic situation happened the first signs of strange Behavior began in March

2015 and none of her friends and family could figure out what was going on one day Shenia left work early and picked up her children with five children in the family car she headed down an unknown Road leading away from their home at the time her husband Martin assumed that his wife had gone for a walk and to unwind in some Park this was quite typical of her daily routine however as the hours passed she never returned home very disturbed Martin decided to put out an APB for his wife at the wheel with five children

in the cabin Shenia headed east and traveled more than 74 miles separating Memphis from Corinth but she didn't know anyone here and she had no apparent reason to go there in particular she was later found in the emergency room of St Francis hospital but police never revealed how or why she ended up there shallow Cuts were found on her neck and one of her wrists if she was trying to take her own life her only Witnesses were her children but they were too young to realize what was happening Shenia was eventually returned home by authorities

but after that even more bizarre behavior began she told Martin that someone was threatening her and their family her husband was shocked as Shenia provided no details about who it might be or why and there were no prior instances of such threats also when Shenia was with family and friends she started complaining about her work and workload she claimed that she felt very bad about it soon she began to claim that some of her co-workers wanted to harm her despite these abnormalities Shenia showed no signs of abuse or violence toward her children or others the

long way for trial was not an easy one and it was severely delayed due to the numerous psychiatric evaluations the defendant had to undergo added to this came the coid pandemic which only added to the length of the trial longer than anyone expected in 2021 the non-jury trial finally began the defense focused its strategy on chania's mental illness argument the prosecutors acknowledged her said Mental Illness but they insisted that the defendant was still capable of understanding understanding the difference between right and wrong and was aware of the illegality of her actions finally a Shelby County

Criminal Court Judge James rejected the defense and in December 2021 Shenia Gardner was found guilty of all charges against her in February 2022 Shenia 34 appeared in court for sentencing with her husband Martin also in attendance Judge James sentenced her to life in prison for each count of murder as well as 15 years for each additional count of child abuse and neglect Shenia will only be able to apply for the possibility of parole after serving a total of 51 years in prison given the 5 years she spent in prison prior to sentencing Shenia will be

eligible for parole in approximately 46 years when she will be 80 years old after sentencing the prosecutor stated that he agreed with the decision because it was consistent with their desire to achieve Justice for Martin and his children in turn Martin expressed some relief upon learning that chenenia would never be able to harm any children again Sonia D's grandmother stood among people including neighbors family members and Law Enforcement Officers during an evening vigil at the apartment complex where the family lived in remembrance of the innocent victims Those Who Came to Say Goodbye held red and

white candles and prayed several times for The Souls of The Departed the Reverend pastor of the Baptist Church noted that the vigil was the beginning of a healing process for the entire Community because in the end the only thing in the hands of those present was a desire to support the surviving baby and his father and help them through this difficult moment drr did not attend the memorial ceremony on his behalf Sonia told the media that he was too overwhelmed with anger to show up for the ceremony the president and CEO of the children's hospital

where Shenia worked also expressed their condolences on behalf of everyone at the hospital Hospital Martin's colleagues set up a social media account to help him with funeral arrangements for his four children during the ceremony while saying a few words about his children and family Martin showed incredible fortitude and nobility in his words in his final speech he emphasized that his home was happy when his children and Shenia were there and that this is how it will remain in his memory forever thanks for watching guys that was Jack with you subscribe to the channel there are

many shocking stories ahead yeah