January 2016 – Disability Day of Mourning

Ameri Martin

Name: Ameri M. Martin.
Died: January 30, 2016.
Age at death: 10.
Cause of death: Drowning.
Location: Cottage Hills, Illinois, USA.
Disability: Brain injury from shaken baby syndrome.

Details:
Ameri’s family allegedly left him in the bathtub alone, even though they knew he could not sit up on his own. He drowned.

Case status:
Triston T. Boyd, charged with endangering the life or health of a child.
Elegria J. Smith, charged with endangering the life or health of a child.
Vanda D. Gates-Ross (Grandmother), charged with endangering the life or health of a child.

Source:
Three from Cottage Hills charged in 2016 death of disabled boy left in bathtub
Three charged in 2016 drowning of disabled 10-year-old in a bathtub
Today it’s 2 months since Ameri my Angel passed… – Vanda Gates-ross

Eunice Phiri

No Photo Name: Eunice Phiri.
Died: January 28, 2016.
Age at death: 53.
Cause of death: Blood loss.
Location: Kasungu National Park, Malawi.
Disability: Albinism.

Details:
Eunice’s brother lured her and her 8-year-old son, who also has albinism, out of her home and into a nearby national park. There, they killed her by cutting off her arms. Her 8-year-old son escaped and found his way back home.

Case status:
Msasauko Phiri (Brother), and two others, under investigation.

Source:
Woman with albinism killed in Malawi: no isolated incident
Albino woman murdered in Kasungu: Malawi Police hunt for killers
Malawi: Ritual murders of people with albinism must end

Digby Dowdle

Name: Digby Dowdle.
Died: January 23, 2016.
Age at death: 26.
Cause of death: Poisoning, asphyxiation.
Location: Wadalba, New South Wales, Australia.
Disability: TBI due to car accident.

Details:
Digby’s mother sedated him and then suffocated him with a plastic bag.

Digby was often seen walking his greyhound Lucy.

Case Status:
Susan Marie Dowdle (Mother), convicted of manslaughter, sentenced to 2 years; released on time served.

Sources:
CENTRAL COAST MOTHER WHO KILLED SON RELEASED FROM PRISON | NBN News
In loving Memory Of my friend Digby Dowdle 1989 – 2016
’Kind’ mum charged with son’s murder
Digby Dowdle (26) Allegedly suffocated by his mother
R v Susan Dowdle

Samantha Kelly

Photo of Samantha Kelly. She has fair skin and bright red shoulder-length hair, and is wearing sunglasses. Name: Samantha Kelly.
Died: January 22, 2016.
Age at death: 39.
Cause of death: Traumatic injury.
Location: Kangaroo Flat, Bendigo, Victoria, Australia.
Disability: Intellectual disability.

Details:
Samantha and her four children lived with three housemates. The housemates eventually banned her from the main house and made her live in a rear bungalow, while they kept her children in the main house. Seeing the danger, Samantha asked a social worker to help her move out, but she never managed to escape.

Her housemates first tried drugging her. When that didn’t work, they beat her to death with a hammer and buried her body; then they claimed she had run off with a man and tried to take custody of her children.

The children, aged six, five, four, and 11 months, are safe and living with Samantha’s brother.

Case status:
Peter James Arthur (Housemate), pleaded guilty to murder, sentenced to 18-22 years.
Christine Lyons (Housemate), convicted of murder and attempted murder, sentenced to 23-30 years.
Ronald Lyons (Housemate), convicted of attempted murder and assisting an offender, sentenced to 9-12 1/2 years.

Source:
Loner jailed over murder plot to steal kids
Bendigo man jailed for murdering woman with hammer over custody plot
‘Manipulated’ murder accused deeply regrets hammer killing of housemate
Vic accused killer wanted kids, court told
Vic murder accused said victim walked off
Christine was infertile and “desperately” wanted kids. So she masterminded a sick plan.
How a mother got trapped in squalid web of a woman who wanted to be ‘Ma’
Crown asks for life sentence as family grieves Samantha Kelly
‘I will never forgive you’: Murder victim’s family address killer who tried to take kids
Former Ballarat woman still denies she killed mum to gain custody of her kids
Woman jailed for 30 years for murdering mother to take her kids
Infertile woman planned murder of disabled neighbour to take custody of her four kids

Adilynn Moseman

Name: Adilynn Moseman
Died: January 21, 2016.
Age at death: 5.
Cause of death: Malnutrition, pneumonia.
Location: Terre Haute, Indiana, USA.
Disability: Mitochondrial disease, microcephaly, cerebral palsy, deafblind.

Details:
Adilynn died because her parents starved her to death. At five years old, the little girl weighed just under 17 pounds. She had six- and seven-year-old siblings who were forbidden to play with her. She died of malnutrition and pneumonia.

Case status:
Tiffany Daugherty (Mother), pleaded guilty to neglect and reckless homicide, sentenced to 15 years.
Brian Moseman (Father), pleaded guilty to neglect of a dependent resulting in death, given two 2 1/2-year suspended sentences, returned to prison after violating parole by drug possession.

Source:
Father in child-death case back in jail on probation, drug charges
Man sentenced to probation in connection to child starvation death arrested on meth charges
Indiana woman who starved daughter to death says 15-year sentence is ‘inappropriate’
Indiana court upholds mother’s 15-year term in neglect death
Despite early intervention, little girl died among neglect allegations
Vigo County couple arrested on neglect charges after death of 5-year-old girl who weighed 16 pounds
Vigo County Couple Face Charges After Five Year Old’s Death
Vigo Co. couple accused of starving 5-year-old daughter to death
Indiana couple charged with neglect in death of 5-year-old
One Parent Charged In Death Of Child Posts Bond
August trial date set in case of Terre Haute 5-year-old who died of starvation
Mother Accused In Daughter’s Death Now Faces More Charges
Vigo County mother in child-death case faces new charges
Trials moved for couple arrested in connection to death of 5-year-old
Indiana mom pleas in death of disabled 5-year-old daughter
Woman accused of neglecting her child to the point of death back in jail, accused of failing to report to probation…three times
Indiana mother sentenced to 15 years in the neglect death of her disabled five-year-old daughter
Man receives suspended sentence in daughter’s neglect death

Bertha Coombes

Name: Bertha Coombes.
Died: January 19, 2016.
Age at death: 83.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Petaluma, California, USA.
Disability: Mobility impairment; wheelchair user, after “a series of falls”.

Details:
Bertha was shot dead by her husband in a murder-suicide.

Case status:
Harold Coombes (Husband), deceased.

Source:
Police determine east Petaluma deaths murder-suicide
Petaluma couple’s violent deaths a contrast with long, loving relationship

Phillip Maynard

Name: Phillip Ray Maynard.
Died: January 14, 2016.
Age at death: 71.
Cause of death: Starvation, dehydration, untended bedsores.
Location: Forest Park, Georgia, USA.
Disability: Unspecified; mobility impaired.

Details:
Phillip’s wife allegedly did not care for him; she often left him for two or three days at a time, even though he could not get out of bed on his own. Weakened by starvation, dehydration, and untreated bedsores, Phillip died.

Case status:
Cheryl Maynard (Wife), charged with elder neglect.

Source:
Clayton woman charged with elder neglect after bedridden husband dies
Phillip Ray Maynard (1944-2016) – Find A Grave.

Irene Carter

Black-and-white photo of Irene Carter, a woman with fair skin and dark curly hair, wearing pearl earrings. Name: Irene Carter.
Died: January 13, 2016.
Age at death: 78.
Cause of death: Traumatic injury.
Location: Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada.
Disability: Schizophrenia.

Details:
Irene loved gardening and kept an immaculate yard.

When Irene had a psychotic episode, her daughter took over power of attorney and gradually took away her freedom, selling her cars and taking her bank cards. When her daughter remortgaged her house and Irene protested, her daughter stabbed her, slammed her head against the floor, and threw her down the stairs, killing her.

Case status:
Lisa Freihaut (Adoptive daughter), pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, sentenced to 11 years to life.

Source:
Gambling addict who stabbed elderly mother to death in dispute over money pleads guilty to murder
Calgary woman who begged for information on her mom’s killing pleads guilty to her murder
Lisa Freihaut Charged With Stabbing Death Of Her Mother Irene Carter
CARTER Irene › Gone But Not Forgotten

Holly Lozon

Name: Holly A. Lozon.
Died: January 13, 2016.
Age at death: 57.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Rainville Township, Michigan, USA.
Disability: Paraplegic, from surgery to remove bone spurs.

Details:
Holly was shot dead by her husband in a murder-suicide. He also killed their dog.

Holly was an animal-lover who especially enjoyed horseback riding.

Case status:
Gerald Lozon (Husband), deceased.

Source:
Tragedy beset Monroe Co. couple found dead in home
Obituary: Holly A. Lozon

Dwight Ridley

Name: Dwight Carrington Ridley Sr.
Died: January 11, 2016.
Age at death: 59.
Cause of death: Stabbed.
Location: Carson, Virginia, USA.
Disability: Unspecified; wheelchair user.

Details:
Dwight was stabbed to death by his nephew over a property dispute about the family farm.

He was an Army veteran who had three children and twelve grandchildren.

Case status:
Daryl Ridley (Nephew), charged with second-degree murder, found incompetent to stand trial.

Source:
Mental Health and Murder: Why man with ’emotional demons’ walked free
Obituary for Dwight Carrington Ridley, Sr. – PETERSBURG, VA
Why man accused of killing uncle over family farm won’t stand trial
Stabbing victim arrives at hospital, later deemed homicide suspect in Dinwiddie County
Arrest made in fatal Dinwiddie homicide, stabbing