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Struthers woman sobs through plea hearing

  Shain Widdersheim Pleads

Crying and shaking from the time she entered the courtroom, Shain Widdersheim said “guilty” five times through her tears as she admitted to charges she allowed her ex-boyfriend to kill one son while his twin brothers watched.


By Joe Gorman




Her parents, Paul and Sara Foltz, and sister, Lilly Foltz, also shed tears Monday in the courtroom of Judge R. Scott Krichbaum of Mahoning County Common Pleas Court as they watched Widdersheim admit her guilt. They said, despite the family ties, Widdersheim deserves to be punished severely.

“She’s my daughter, and I love her,” Sara Foltz said. “But I know she did wrong.”

Widdersheim, of Creed Street in Struthers, entered guilty pleas to four counts of child endangering and one count of obstruction of justice for the death of her 14-year-old son, Teddy Foltz, in January.

The child-endangering pleas were two for Teddy and one each for the twins.

Prosecutors say her ex-boyfriend, Zaryl Bush, 42, also of Creed Street, beat and tortured Teddy and the twins over a period of at least two years, beatings that led to Teddy’s death.

Assistant Prosecutor Rebecca Doherty recommended a 10-year sentence. Sentencing will not take place until after a pre-sentence investigation.

Bush faces charges of murder and felonious assault for the attack on Teddy on Jan. 21 that led to his death Jan. 26, including six counts of child endangering, two counts of intimidating a witness and tampering with evidence.

Bush is alleged to have punched Teddy, made him stand outside until he was frostbitten, walk on hot coals, and slammed his head into walls several times. He is due in court for a pretrial hearing Wednesday. His trial is set to take place next Monday.

In court Monday, Doherty said the 11-year-old twins are in a safe place, and they had given investigators details of the crime. They were present during the attack that took the life of their older brother, Doherty said.

Doherty said an involuntary-manslaughter charge against Widdersheim was dropped as part of the plea. Doherty said Widdersheim was not present when Teddy was attacked Jan. 21. When Bush called her and told her the boy was unconscious, she returned home and made sure her son got medical attention, Doherty said.

She has cooperated since she was arrested, and Struthers police also were satisfied with her cooperation, Doherty said.

“Everything she said has been corroborated by the physical evidence and the boys,” Doherty said.

Doherty lauded the way Children Services has handled the case, but Widdersheim’s parents said they have not been allowed to see or speak to their grandchildren at CSB. They sent them birthday cards and Easter baskets but have received no return note, they said.

They said Widdersheim stopped all contact with her family after she began seeing Bush.

“It’s horrible,” Sara Foltz said. “I know they [twins] are going through a terrible time.”

Sara Foltz said she hopes Widdersheim’s plea means her grandsons will be spared testifying at trial.

“I’m happy she came to terms that she did something wrong,” Sara Foltz. “But it won’t bring my grandson back.”

She has visited her daughter at the county jail, but Widdersheim will not speak of the case, Sara Foltz said. Sara Foltz said she has filed a motion to try to get custody of the twins.

Lilly Foltz said she has not visited her sister and does not know when she will talk to her. She said she worries more about the twins.

“All I want is justice for my nephews,” Lilly Foltz said. “They deserve it.”


1Aware(222 comments)posted 1 year, 6 months ago

Again. Where was this child's father? No visitation? Why not? Her mother (Sara) needs to go away. The woman is also not right - her Facebook page indicates she is so full of herself and very strange. There is a note she wrote to her daughter which speaks to something very wrong. It's open to the public. I pray that those twins do not go into her care. She wants to 'sell' her story it is said. Those remaining children need a safe place away from those crazy people. That would be true justice for Teddy.

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21970mach1(1005 comments)posted 1 year, 6 months ago

Total piece of trash.

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3isaac45(297 comments)posted 1 year, 6 months ago

one of the worst stories we've ever heard here, and we've heard many unfortunately

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4gpyemm(11 comments)posted 1 year, 6 months ago

Doherty "lauded" children's services and the Struthers Police are satisfied with the "cooperation". Kid would be alive if either of those agencies wouldn't have turned their backs!

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5NoBS(2012 comments)posted 1 year, 6 months ago

Widdersheim is crying now, but where was her concern over the YEARS she willingly allowed her children to be beaten by an out-of-control bully? Was it that important for her to have a "man" that she was willing to sacrifice her own children? What a piece of filth.

And Bush - he should be chained to a big rock in the middle of Struthers, and the entire community should be given baseball bats and told to go show him what they think.

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6DwightK(1304 comments)posted 1 year, 6 months ago

Ladies, take note. Don't let men like this into your life. You can't fix them, you can't help them be better men and they can't offer you anything. It's not worth the price your children will pay.

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7ami(1 comment)posted 1 year, 6 months ago

My prayers go out to everyone involved. It is so easy to blame everyone but that doesn't change the situation. Please let this be an eye opening experience for everyone to take a moment to get involved. Make a difference!! Don't always assume someone else will do something and we don't have to. It is a Mothers job to protect her children, it is also a Man's Job to be there for the raising of his children as well!! This is not political as everyone makes it to be. This is a life that was lost, take the time to see what is around you and make a difference!!!! The one person's actions you can change is your own!!!

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8walter_sobchak(1982 comments)posted 1 year, 6 months ago

I agree with you 100%! I can never understand how a woman can let a man have this amount of control over them. She willingly put herself and her children into a horrible situation. At the first instance of abuse, she should have stabbed Bush to protect her children. A dog would at least protect her puppies better than this woman did. And, while I am not a death-penalty proponent, the world would be a better place without scum like Bush.

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9busyman(239 comments)posted 1 year, 6 months ago

Along with her plea bargining she should be forced to get sterized. This woman has now self respect for herself. Just take a look at how she looks, let alone to be able to raise anymore children.

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10redeye1(4711 comments)posted 1 year, 6 months ago

She can "cry me a river" , if I was the judge she would be getting a lot longer sentence then just 10 yrs. Let's see just how hard this judge will be

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11GoPens(397 comments)posted 1 year, 6 months ago

10 years is not enough for this trashy piece of filth.

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12downtown4me(1 comment)posted 1 year, 6 months ago

They should have to go through the same abuse that was brought upon the children.
And she's probably crying because now she doesn't have her boyfriend and sold him out.

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13steelwagon(284 comments)posted 1 year, 6 months ago

These crimes against innocent children will not stop until we start putting worthless scum like this to death and I don't mean 20 years after they're convicted.
She's every bit as guilty as her scumbag pos boyfriend.
She allowed him to beat and torture Teddy until he finally killed him.

And again today we see the same terrible crime against an innocent child in Bazetta Twp.
The live in pos boyfriend beat an innocent 4 year old boy to death.
The sorry pos mother tried to lie and cover for him until she had no choice but to tell the police she saw him punch her son in the stomach.

Stood there and watched !!!
Then lied for the s.o.b.
I'll say it again.....
Anyone who rapes,beats or harms a child deserves executed.
Until we as a society refuse to tolerate these crimes and sentences that allow these scumbags to live these terrible crimes against the most innocent will continue.

We have to face the fact that they're are very evil bastards out there who enjoy hurting and murdering children and we SHOULD NOT allow that evil to live among us !!

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