Mx. Daxer – Page 158 – Disability Day of Mourning

Tomislav Svetina

No Photo Name: Tomislav Svetina.
Died: July 8, 2010.
Age at death: 74.
Cause of death: Traumatic injury.
Location: Doncaster, Victoria, Australia.
Disability: Frail elder; bowel cancer survivor, heart disease, gout, tremor.

Details:
Tomislav told a family friend that he was afraid of his son, so he kept a hatchet by his bed for protection. His son cut the power to the house, entered his father’s bedroom, grabbed the hatchet from his father, and killed him with it. Though Tomislav had been violent toward his wife in the past, the court determined that he posed no threat to his son in his frail state, and that killing him with the hatchet had been a disproportionate response.

Before retirement, Tomislav worked as an electrician.

Case Status:
Zlatko “Boris” Svetina, convicted of defensive homicide, sentenced to 7-11 years in prison.

Sources:
R v Svetina
Son jailed for killing dad with axe

Wendy Garland

No Photo Name: Wendy Garland.
Died: July 8, 2010.
Age at death: 33.
Cause of death: Pending autopsy.
Location: Jersey City, New Jersey, USA.
Disability: Down syndrome, cerebral palsy.

Details:
Wendy died when her family left her in a filthy room that, in midsummer, had heated up to 100 degrees. When they found her dead, they moved her out of her room, but when police saw where Wendy had been staying, they arrested her family. It was discovered that she had not seen a doctor in three years.

Case status:
Florence Garland (Mother), charged with neglect of an elderly or disabled person; died in 2017.
Helene Hutchinson (sister), charged with neglect of an elderly or disabled person.

Source:
Inspectors visit building where disabled Jersey City woman died
Family of disabled woman found dead in Jersey City appear in court
Disabled Woman Left in 100 Degree Room Dies; Mother, Sister Charged
Bed-ridden, disabled Jersey City woman found dead in 100-degree room, cops say; sister and mom charged
Death of disabled Jersey City woman who died in squalor requires more investigation: officials

Kairissa Mark

Photo of a young Chinese girl with tan skin and short black hair in a buzz cut; she is smiling, eyes squeezed shut; she is wearing a white T-shirt with black printing on it. Name: Kairissa XingJing Mark.
Died: July 1, 2010.
Age at death: 4.
Cause of death: Abuse.
Location: Mount Juliet, Tennessee, USA.
Disability: Intellectual disability, physical disability; recovering from malnutrition.

Details:
Kairissa’s parents beat her. She died because her mother threw her at a wall and left her to die.

Case status:
Deborah Mark (Adoptive mother), convicted of murder and child abuse, sentenced to life plus 80 years.
Steven Mark, pleaded guilty to abuse, sentenced to 10-32 years.

Source:
Pound Pup Legacy: Kairissa XingJing Mark
Another adoption tragedy taints Tennessee; woman accused of beating child to death

Diane Stewart

Photo of a middle-aged woman sitting at a desk; she has brown, curly hair and fair skin. Name: Diane Stewart.
Died: June 25, 2010.
Age at death: 47.
Cause of death: Suffocation.
Location: Bassingbourn, England, UK.
Disability: Epilepsy.

Details:
Diane’s husband killed her and claimed she had died of epilepsy. He was not suspected of murder until he also killed his non-disabled second wife, Helen Bailey, and was convicted of her murder. Diane’s body had been cremated, but luckily she had left her brain to medical research, and when it was examined, it showed signs of suffocation.

Case status:
Ian Stewart (Husband), convicted of murder, sentenced to 35 years to life.

Source:
Killer who murdered wife and fiancee has sentence reduced
Doctor explains how killer Ian Stewart nearly got away with murder
Ian Stewart: Man who killed author guilty of murdering wife
Diane Stewart: How a donated brain helped convict a double killer
Ian Stewart: Murder accused’s 999 call played to trial jury
Ian Stewart murder trial hears oxygen starvation evidence
Ian Stewart: Helen Bailey’s killer on trial over Diane Stewart’s murder
Boyfriend convicted of murdering Helen Bailey charged with new murder
Boyfriend convicted of murdering Helen Bailey charged with first wife’s murder
Man arrested on suspicion of murder over death of convicted killer’s wife
Killer of author Helen Bailey ‘held over death of first wife’
Police quiz man over death of his wife who died suddenly in 2010
Killer Of Author Helen Bailey ‘Arrested Over Death Of Wife In 2010’
Killer of children’s author Helen Bailey ‘quizzed over death of first wife’
Man who murdered children’s author, Helen Bailey, is charged with killing his wife six years earlier

Deondray Ashe

Photo of a toddler in a baby seat. He has large brown eyes, brown skin, and wispy black hair. He is wearing an orange shirt. Name: Deondray “Dooley” Ashe.
Died: June 14, 2010.
Age at death: 2.
Cause of death: Beating.
Location: Lakeland, Florida, USA.
Disability: Chronic bilateral subdural hematoma, cerebral palsy, developmental delays, tracheotomy.

Details:
Dooley’s stepfather beat him to death during potty training.

Case status:
Marcus Brown (Stepfather), pleaded guilty to manslaughter, sentenced to 12-and-a-half years.
Ina Brown, convicted of aggravated manslaughter, sentenced to 10 years.

Source:
Deondray Ashe Obituary (2010) Tampa Bay Times
Innocents Lost: In prison for manslaughter, a mom deals with regret, denial
Prosecutor Calls 2-Year-Old Deondray Ashe Beating ‘Horrifying’

Charles Poertner

Black and white photo of Charles Poertner, a boy with light skin and medium hair. Name: Charles Poertner.
Died: June 7, 2010.
Age at death: 7.
Cause of death: Dehydration.
Location: Newport News, Virginia, USA.
Disability: Cerebral palsy, developmental delay, epilepsy.

Details:
Charles’s mother starved him to death.

Case status:
Heather Poertner (mother), convicted of child neglect and murder; sentenced to 50 years.

Source:
Newport News mother pleads guilty in death of disabled son
Mother charged in death of son with cerebral palsy

Christopher Melton

Name: Christopher Melton.
Died: June 4, 2010.
Age at death: 18.
Cause of death: Carbon monoxide poisoning.
Location: Columbia, Maryland, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Christopher’s mother poisoned him and herself with carbon monoxide.

Case status:
Tracy Hawks (Mother), deceased.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Christopher Melton
Columbia, Maryland: Deaths of Tracy Hawks and Christopher Melton, mother and son, ruled murder-suicide
Deaths of mother and son remain a mystery
Columbia deaths of mom and son ruled murder-suicide

Rylan Rochester

Photo of Rylan Rochester, an infant. Name: Rylan Rochester.
Died: June 1, 2010.
Age at death: 6 months.
Cause of death: Smothered.
Location: Denver, Colorado, USA.
Disability: None, but Rylan’s mother believed he was autistic.

Details:
Rylan’s mother, convinced he was autistic, smothered him to death.

Case status:
Stephanie Rochester (Mother); ruled not guilty by reason of insanity.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Rylan Rochester

Leosha Barnett

Photo of Leosha Barnett, a young woman with brown skin and black hair pulled back from her face; she is smiling for the camera. Name: Leosha Barnett.
Died: May 21, 2010.
Age at death: 17.
Cause of death: Starvation.
Location: Forth Worth, Texas, USA.
Disability: Epilepsy, intellectual disability.

Details:
Leosha was starved to death by her mother and sister.

Case status:
Tasca Kuniko Johnson (Mother), injury to a disabled person, 15 years.
Kyreshi Lynn Tara Stevenson (sister), injury to a disabled person, 5 years.

Source:
Fort Worth girl’s starvation death prompts arrests of her sister, mother
Charges in ‘starvation’ of Texas teen

Payton Ettinger

Name: Payton Ettinger.
Died: May 17, 2010.
Age at death: 4.
Cause of death: Starvation.
Location: Greensburg, Indiana, USA.
Disability: Brain injury.

Details:
Payton was starved to death by his mother, who neglected him so badly that he weighed less at four years old than he did at one year old.

Case status:
Courtney Tressler (Mother), pleaded guilty to neglect of a dependent; sentenced to 10 years in jail.

Source:
Ind. mom charged with starving 4-year-old to death
Indiana mom charged with son’s death
Tressler Accused Of Starving Son, 4, To Death
10-year sentence in case involving neglect of dependent