Pending – Disability Day of Mourning

Jalen Goldsborough

Photo of a boy lying in bed, covered with a blanket. He has dark-brown eyes, brown skin, and dark hair. His hands are balled into fists. Name: Jalen Goldsborough.
Died: September 2, 2018.
Age at death: 13.
Cause of death: Neglect.
Location: Hopewell, Virginia, USA.
Disability: Shaken baby syndrome; required 24-hour care.

Details:
Jalen was abused by his father when he was a baby. He survived and his father went to prison, but Jalen was left with severe disabilities.

At 13, Jalen was found dead. His mother and her boyfriend were arrested.

Perpetrator: Amy FaJohn (Mother), charged with first-degree murder and child neglect; Anthony Saunders (Mother’s boyfriend), charged with child neglect.

Source:
2 charged in death of Hopewell 13-year-old
Murdered Hopewell teen was victim of severe abuse as infant
Mother charged with murder in death of severely disabled 13-year-old

Bonnie Hanks

Photo of a middle-aged woman with dyed red hair, wearing a black tank top and a gold cross necklace. Her skin is freckled, and she wears sunglasses. Name: Bonnie Hanks.
Died: August 28, 2018.
Age at death: 52.
Cause of death: Fatal abuse.
Location: Fort Pierce, Florida, USA.
Disability: Multiple sclerosis.

Details:
Bonnie was beaten to death by her boyfriend. He explained the bruises on her body by claiming that she fell down a lot because she had multiple sclerosis.

Bonnie cared about her appearance and never left home without first fixing her hair and doing her make-up. She liked having coffee with friends.

Perpetrator: Jeffrey Yankowski (Boyfriend), charged with first-degree murder.

Source: Bonnie Hanks, beaten to death in St. Lucie County, was a ‘good soul’

Ronald Blankenship

No Photo Name: Ronald Blankenship.
Died: August 20, 2018.
Age at death: 64.
Cause of death: Neglect.
Location: Monticello, Illinois, USA.
Disability: Unspecified; diabetes, mobility impaired.

Details:
Ronald lived with his sister and nephew, who were supposed to care for him. Instead, they left him neglected in filthy surroundings. Ronald died of severe, untreated bronchopneumonia.

When Ronald was found dead, police also found a young woman with Down syndrome, who had been adopted by one of Ronald’s relatives; she was taken into adult protective services. Three dogs and three cats, also neglected, were taken by animal control; one of the dogs was too sick to survive and had to be euthanized.

Perpetrator: Christie Brown (Sister), Mason Brown (Nephew), and Justin Tatman (Power of Attorney).

Source:
Bond set for three in neglect case | Piatt County Journal-Republican
3 arrested in connection with death of Monticello man

Mason Jordan

Name: Mason Jordan.
Died: August 20, 2018.
Age at death: 7.
Cause of death: Murder.
Location: Bend, Oregon, USA.
Disability: Cerebral palsy, hydrocephalus.

Details:
Mason’s mother shot him to death.

Mason liked reading, watercolor painting, music, and playing with toy cars. He was curious about everything. Despite medical problems that put him in the hospital on a regular basis, friends and neighbors remember him as a very happy child.

Perpetrator: Tashina Aleine Jordan (Mother); charged with aggravated murder.

Source:
Police: Bend mother kills special needs son, 7, before attempting suicide
2016-17
Single mother shoots her severely disabled 7-year-old son to death and attempts to kill herself by overdosing on pills
Correction: Disabled Child Shot story
Mother Accused Of Killing 7-Year-Old Disabled Son Before Attempting Suicide
Mother believed to have killed son expected to recover
Bend mother arraigned on aggravated murder charge in son’s shooting
Bend woman arraigned in alleged killing of son, 7
Mother indicted for murder in shooting death of son with severe disability

Ann DeLucia

Name: Ann DeLucia.
Died: August 8, 2018.
Age at death: 70.
Cause of death: Murder-suicide.
Location: Valhalla, New York, USA.
Disability: Stroke, mobility impaired.

Details:
Ann was in the hospital when her husband walked into her room, shot her, and then killed himself.

Perpetrator: Richard DeLucia (Husband).

Source:
Staff, patients: Somber atmosphere blankets Westchester Medical Center after shooting
Man upset by wife’s illness kills her, himself at hospital
What is mercy killing? Does Richard DeLucia’s murder-suicide qualify?

Mary White

Photo of Mary White, an elderly woman with chin-length white hair, fair skin and blue eyes. She is photographed in profile and has a thoughtful expression on her face. Name: Dr. Mary E. White.
Died: August 5, 2018.
Age at death: 92.
Cause of death: Murder.
Location: Bundanoon, New South Wales, Australia.
Disability: Vascular dementia.

Details:
Mary White’s daughter went to the aged care home where she lived and poisoned her with an overdose of medication.

Dr. White was a scientist who studied environment, biodiversity and climate change. She wrote books on environmental sciences and created the Australian Museum’s fossil collection. She also created the Falls Forest Retreat, a rainforest sanctuary in New South Wales.

Perpetrator: Barbara Eckersley (Daughter), charged with murder.

Source:
Dr Mary White – Paleobotanist
Woman, 92, ‘murdered by her daughter’ is an award-winning doctor
Woman, 67, charged with killing her 92-year-old mother in nursing home
Woman charged with murder over death of elderly mother
Former Canberra woman accused of killing her mother granted bail
Famed environmental scientist Mary White allegedly murdered by daughter
Dr Mary White’s daughter granted bail after being charged with her murder
Dr Mary White’s daughter charged with her murder
Nursing home murder: Woman charged with killing her elderly mother

Sharmila Devi

No Photo Name: Sharmila Devi.
Died: August 4, 2018.
Age at death: 36.
Cause of death: Murder.
Location: Loharu, Haryana, India.
Disability: Mobility impaired/bedbound, mentally impaired.

Details:
Sharmila’s brother slit her throat with a screwdriver. To police, he claimed that he had “liberated” her because “nobody took care of her”.

Perpetrator: Pawan Kumar (Brother), arrested.

Source:
Man slits bedridden sister’s throat with screwdriver in Haryana town

Stephanie Packman

No Photo Name: Stephanie Packman.
Died: August 1, 2018.
Age at death: 64.
Cause of death: Murder.
Location: Kemsley, Kent, England, UK.
Disability: Dementia.

Details:
Stephanie had dementia and was living in a care home. When her husband came to get her from the care home, staff became alarmed and called police. But they were too late; Stephanie’s husband had already cut her throat. He attempted suicide himself, but survived.

Stephanie’s husband claims that it had been a suicide pact, but we find this unlikely, since Stephanie was in residential care for Alzheimer’s and unlikely to be able to consent to such a thing. -Ed.

Perpetrator: Michael Packman (Husband), charged with murder.

Source:
Pensioner charged with murdering his wife over ‘failed suicide pact’
Wife killed in ‘failed suicide pact’ named
Sittingbourne man accused of murdering his wife needed hospital treatment too
Murder suspect remanded in custody after death of woman in Sittingbourne

Emma Bingaman

Name: Emma Rose Bingaman.
Died: July 30, 2018.
Age at death: 2.
Cause of death: Abuse.
Location: Mt. Morris, Michigan, USA.
Disability: Developmental delay, seizures; prematurity.

Details:
Emma was abused by her parents for most of her life. She died from a beating aged 2.

Perpetrator: George Bingaman (Father) and Destiny Bingaman (Mother), both charged with felony murder, first-degree child abuse, torture and two counts of child abuse in the presence of another child.

Source:
Toddler’s alleged abuse ‘one of the worst cases’ doctor ever saw
Officials investigating if others knew of alleged abuse that killed 2-year-old
Parents of Mt. Morris Township 3-year-old officially charged with murder
Flint-area parents charged in death of 2-year-old daughter
Charges announced against parents in 3-year-old girl’s death
Emma Rose Bingaman

Helen Smith

No Photo Name: Helen Smith.
Died: July 29, 2018.
Age at death: 81.
Cause of death: Murder.
Location: Chandler, Arizona, USA.
Disability: Dementia.

Details:
When Helen wet herself, her grandchild became angry and cut her throat. To the police, they claimed that they “wanted to put her out of her misery”.

Perpetrator: Brandon Smith (Grandchild), charged with first-degree murder.

Source:
Man Accused Of Murdering Grandmother Suffering From Dementia, Said He Did Not Want Her To Live In Pain
Suspect didn’t want grandma to ‘live like this anymore’ — and grabbed a knife, police say
Grandchild ‘slit dementia-stricken woman’s throat after she wet herself’
Man accused of slashing throat of grandmother who had dementia
Man Arrested for Killing Grandmother With Dementia: ‘He Did Not Want His Grandmother to Live Like This Anymore’
Grandchild Allegedly Slit Grandmother’s Throat After the 81-Year-Old, Who Had Dementia, Wet Herself
Man stabs his 81-year-old grandma to death because he was tired of caring for her