Mx. Daxer – Page 138 – Disability Day of Mourning

Saharah Weatherspoon

Photo of Saharah Weatherspoon, a toddler girl sitting in a pink car seat. She has very curly black hair and brown skin. Name: Saharah Weatherspoon.
Died: January 1, 2014.
Age at death: 23 months.
Cause of death: Head injury.
Location: Ringgold, Georgia, USA.
Disability: Developmental delay.

Details:
When doctors noticed Saharah’s bruises in the months before her fatal head injury, Saharah’s foster mother said Saharah was falling down because of her developmental delay and asked for a helmet. Saharah died of severe head injuries; she had been beaten to death by her foster mother.

Case status:
Clara Louise Edwards (Foster mother), pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter, sentenced to 20 years.

Source:
Former Ringgold foster mom pleads guilty to killing baby, sentenced to 20 years
Defense wraps up its case with afternoon of testimony in Clara Edwards murder trial
Jury Reaches Verdict in Foster Child Death Case

Piotr Grabowski

Photo: Young man with pale skin and light-brown hair in a buzz cut. Name: Piotr Grabowski.
Died: Unspecified; killers sentenced in 2014 “after a lengthy trial”.
Age at death: 31.
Cause of death: Blunt trauma.
Location: Osztyn, Poland.
Disability: Unspecified; wheelchair user.

Details:
Piotr’s wife lured him into a park, where her two boyfriends were waiting to beat him to death.

Case status:
Joanna Grabowski (Wife); sentenced to 25 years.
Jacek Pawlak (Wife’s boyfriend), sentenced to life.
Lukasz Kaminski (Wife’s boyfriend), sentenced to life.

Source:
Wife rewarded two men who murdered her wheelchair-bound husband by having a threesome immediately after they killed him

Michael Jones

Name: Michael Shane Jones.
Died: January 1, 2014.
Age at death: 48.
Cause of death: Stabbed.
Location: Stockton, California, USA.
Disability: Diabetes, chronic pain, mobility impaired.

Details:
Michael’s roommate stabbed him to death. Together with Michael’s girlfriend, he dismembered and tried to burn the body. To police, they claimed that it had been a mercy killing.

Case status:
Bryan Scott Cook (Caregiver, roommate), convicted of second-degree murder, sentenced to 15 years to life
Valentina Paz (Girlfriend), pleaded guilty to accessory after the fact, sentenced to 2 years.

Source:
Suspect in dismemberment homicide to go to trial
Dismemberment called ‘sympathy killing’
Calif. couple accused of murder, dismemberment of roommate
Victim of bizarre Stockton killing identified
Man sentenced for murder, burning body in Groveland
Inmate suspected in stabbing death
Girlfriend of murdered man sentenced to two years in prison
Michael Shane Jones Allegedly Killed And Dismembered By California Roommates

Omaree Varela

Name: Omaree Varela.
Died: December 27, 2013.
Age at death: 9.
Cause of death: Blunt trauma, internal bleeding.
Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA.
Disability: ADHD, PTSD, mild developmental delay.

Details:
Omaree was kicked to death by his mother.

Six months before he died, Omaree called 911 for help; but the investigation came to nothing.

Case Status:
Synthia Varela-Casaus (Mother), convicted of murder, sentenced to 40 years.
Stephen Casaus (Stepfather), convicted of convicted of child abuse resulting in death, sentenced to 30 years; sentence overturned, still in prison in drug charges, but may have his sentence reduced to 10.5 years.

Sources:
Omaree Varela’s parents – All about their troubles with the law
Omaree Varela’s stepfather to be re-sentenced
Omaree death settlement cloaked in secrecy – Albuquerque Journal

Michael Sudkamp

Name: Michael Sudkamp.
Died: December 24, 2013.
Age at death: 53.
Cause of death: Blunt trauma.
Location: Kingman, Arizona, USA.
Disability: Multiple disabilities; “Health issues”.

Details:
Michael was beaten to death by his roommate.

Case status:
Robert John Adkins (Roommate and caregiver), convicted of second-degree murder and vulnerable adult abuse, sentenced to 20 years.

Source:
Kingman man gets 20-year sentence for killing roommate
Kingman caregiver arrested in death of patient

David Herrera Jr.

Photo of David Herrera Jr., a young man in a graduation cap and gown. Name: David Herrera Jr.
Died: December 19, 2013.
Age at death: 22.
Cause of death: Fire.
Location: San Antonio, Texas, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
David’s sister and her friend burned down the house with David and his father in it; they wanted the insurance money. David died; his father was seriously injured but recovered.

Case status:
Miranda Herrera (Sister), pleaded guilty to murder, sentenced to 50 years.
Sari Rodriguez, pleaded guilty to murder, sentenced to 60 years.

Source:
Autism Memorial: David Herrera, Jr.
San Antonio woman gets 50 year sentence for fatal house fire
Woman gets 100-year prison term for setting fire that killed brother, injured father

Mickey Liposchok

No Photo Name: Mickey Liposchok.
Died: December 17, 2013.
Age at death: 52.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Port Vue, Pennsylvania, USA.
Disability: Intellectual disability.

Details:
Mickey’s father shot him and then killed himself.

Case status:
Richard Liposchok (Father), deceased.

Source:
Father, disabled son found dead; friends call killing an ‘act of love’

Randle Barrow

Photo of a boy with dark skin and curly dark hair, sitting on a therapy ball. He is wearing a blue collared shirt and white pants. Name: Randle Barrow.
Died: December 14, 2013.
Age at death: 8.
Cause of death: Drowning.
Location: Huntsville, Alabama, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Randle’s mother took him to the Tennessee River, drowned him, and then went home and killed herself. She was said to be “overwhelmed by all the events in her life”.

His behavioral therapist describes Randle Barrow like this: “Randle made every kid in his classroom smile constantly. He was hilarious; the happiest kid. He would do anything for anybody. If he saw a child upset, he cried for that child. He understood.”

Case status:
Delicia Barrow (Mother), deceased.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Randle Barrow
Deaths of mom, autistic child believed to be murder-suicide
Police: Randle Barrow’s Mother Drowned Him in Tennessee River, Then Killed Herself
Friends Of Randle Barrow Say His Mother Was Devoted, Caring
Police say autistic child was murdered by his mother

Bertha Anderson and Lisa Nave

Portrait photos of Bertha Anderson and Lisa Nave. They are both light-skinned, light-haired women. Name: Bertha Maxine Anderson.
Age at death: 68.
Disability: “Breast cancer survivor, brain damage, trembling, panic attacks, hot flashes and cataracts”.
Location: Canyon Country, California, USA.

Name: Lisa Florence Nave.
Age at death: 58.
Disability: Heart disease; “Bedridden”; nursing home resident.
Location: North Hills, California, USA.

Died: December 11, 2013.
Cause of death: Gunshot.

Details:
Bertha’s husband shot her because she was sick. Then he drove to his sister Lisa’s nursing home and shot her, too. The police called them “mercy killings”.

Case status:
Lance Hoger Anderson (Husband, brother), found guilty of murder, sentenced to 100 years to life.

Source:
Canyon Country man found guilty of murders
Lance Anderson of Santa Clarita charged in double mercy killing of wife and sister
2nd woman shot in purported mercy killings identified
‘I hope… I can be forgiven’: Man gets 100 years for ‘mercy killings’ of wife, sister
Double-murder conviction holds for traumatic shock disorder vet who killed ailing wife, sister

John Clark

No Photo Name: John Wyatt Clark.
Died: November 29, 2013.
Age at death: 14 months.
Cause of death: Staph infection.
Location: Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Disability: Unknown; developmental delays.

Details:
Through his entire life, John’s parents never took him to the doctor, even though he was very small for his age and had obvious developmental delays. They also fed him an extreme diet that did not include all the nutrients he needed. When he was 14 months old, he died from malnutrition and a staph infection that overwhelmed his weakened body.

Case status:
Jennifer Clark (Mother), convicted of criminal negligence causing death and failure to provide the necessaries of life, sentenced to 32 months in prison.
Jeromie Clark (Father), convicted of criminal negligence causing death and failure to provide the necessaries of life, sentenced to 32 months in prison.

Source:
Religious Vegan Parents Convicted in Starvation Death of Son
Calgary parents found guilty in connection with death of 14-month-old son
Clark trial hears how gravely ill son was when sent to ICU