Mx. Daxer – Page 50 – Disability Day of Mourning

Deepak Kumar

No Photo Name: Deepak Kumar.
Died: June 18, 2020.
Age at death: 40.
Cause of death: Stabbed.
Location: Tohana, Haryana, India.
Disability: Wheelchair user.

Details:
When Deepak’s mother transferred ownership of a house to him, his brother became angry. He threatened to kill Deepak unless Deepak gave him the house. Several days later, he stabbed and killed his brother and threw his head in a nearby canal. During his trial, a horrified court described the crime as “extreme, grotesque, and heinous,” one of the rarest of the rare crimes that deserve the death penalty.

Case Status:
Ashok Kumar (Brother), convicted of murder and sentenced to death.

Sources:
Haryana Man Who Carried Disabled Brother’s Severed Head In A Bag Sentenced To Death
Extreme, grotesque: Court in death sentence to Haryana man who stabbed disabled brother 28 times for property
Haryana court sentences man to death for murder of disabled brother
Man given death penalty for killing disabled younger brother

Arthur Labinjo-Hughes

Name: Arthur Labinjo-Hughes.
Died: June 16, 2020.
Age at death: 6.
Cause of death: Traumatic brain injury.
Location: Solihull, West Midlands, England, UK.
Disability: Father told neighbors he was autistic or had ADHD.

Details:
Arthur died of a brain injury received while he was at home with his stepmother. His father and stepmother were arrested and charged with murder. Prosecutors say that Arthur was subjected to constant abuse; he was being denied food, made to sleep on the floor, exiled to the apartment hallway, and beaten. Two weeks before his death, a neighbor reports, Arthur’s father came to them and said that if the neighbors heard Arthur saying, “Please don’t kill me,” they should ignore him because Arthur “[had] issues; he suffers from ADHD or autism.”

Case Status:
Emma Tustin (Stepmother), convicted of murder, sentenced to 26 years to life in prison.
Thomas Hughes (Father), convicted of manslaughter, sentenced to 21 years.

Sources:
Murder of Arthur Labinjo-Hughes
Autism Memorial: Arthur Labinjo-Hughes
Dad accused of killing son told neighbour to ignore ‘please don’t kill me’ cries
Boy, 6, ‘murdered’ by parents cried ‘no one loves me’ as he begged for mercy
Family sent photos of Arthur Labinjo-Hughes’ injuries to police, court told
What happened to Arthur Labinjo-Hughes?
Sentencing Remarks

April Zavala

No Photo Name: April Heather Zavala.
Died: June 14, 2020.
Age at death: 24.
Cause of death: Strangled.
Location: Elko, Nevada, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
April’s mother strangled her because she wanted to dress herself instead of letting her mother dress her. She said that caring for April during the COVID pandemic had become too stressful. At the time of her death, April had not seen a doctor in several years.

Case status:
Judith I. Zavala (Mother), convicted of second-degree murder, sentenced to 10-25 years in prison.

Source:
Autism Memorial: April Zavala
Elko woman convicted of 2nd degree-murder in 24-year-old daughter’s death
Mom bound over to district court in daughter’s death
Mom says stress led to daughter’s strangulation

Emi Yamamoto

No Photo Name: Emi Yamamoto.
Died: June 13, 2020.
Age at death: 44.
Cause of death: Drowning.
Location: Yokkaichi, Mie Prefecture, Japan.
Disability: Unspecified.

Details:
Emi’s mother allegedly took her to a hotel and drowned her in the bathtub. Police say she told them she wanted to “ease [Emi’s] suffering”.

Case status:
Ryoko Yamamoto (Mother), arrested on suspicion of murder.

Source:
71-year-old woman arrested over murder of disabled daughter

Sherrell Martin

Name: Sherrell “Bud” Martin.
Died: June 13, 2020.
Age at death: 71.
Cause of death: Trauma.
Location: Wilmington, Illinois, USA.
Disability: Unspecified; used walker.

Details:
According to police, Bud and his ex-sister-law had been arguing for a few days–an argument she ended by beating him around the head with his own walker. Before he died a few hours later, Bud told police who had beaten him.

He was a retired machinist who liked fishing and playing cards.

Case status:
Donna Reynolds (Ex-sister-in-law), convicted of aggravated battery; sentenced to 3 years; released on parole after 1 year 3 months in custody.

Source:
Wilmington Woman Charged With Attacking Disabled Ex-Brother-In-Law Who Later Died
Disabled Man Dies After Attack, Wilmington Woman Arrested: WPD

Joshua Vallow

Name: Joshua Jackson “JJ” Vallow.
Died: June 10, 2020 (Body found; last seen September 23, 2019).
Age at death: 7.
Cause of death: Asphyxia.
Location: Rexburg, Idaho, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
For some time after their disappearances, JJ and his half-sister Tylee’s parents claimed they were home-schooling or that the children were staying with relatives; but their grandparents became worried and asked for a welfare check and the children were declared missing. A storage locker was found, full of the siblings’ possessions. Finally their bodies were found buried on their stepfather’s property. JJ’s grandparents believe that his mother and stepfather killed him and his 17-year-old half-sister, Tylee Ryan.

Case status:
Lori Vallow Daybell (Mother), convicted of first degree murder, desertion and nonsupport of dependent children, resisting or obstructing officers, criminal solicitation to commit a crime, contempt of court and willful disobedience of court process or order; sentenced to life without parole.
Chad Guy Daybell (Stepfather), convicted of first degree murder, concealing evidence, and fraud; sentenced to death.

Source:
Chad Daybell is sentenced to death in triple-murder case
‘Doomsday prophet’ sentenced to death for murder of wife and two children
Lori Vallow appeals conviction after being found guilty of murdering her 2 children
Lori Vallow Daybell appeals murder conviction over questions of mental competency
Lori Vallow Daybell gets multiple life sentences in murders of her 2 kids and romantic rival, speaks of ‘spirit world’ in court
Idaho mom Lori Vallow Daybell faces sentencing in deaths of 2 children and her romantic rival
Doomsday plot: Idaho jury convicts woman in murders of 2 children, romantic rival
Lori Vallow’s son JJ’s grisly cause of death revealed
Lori Vallow trial: pathologist found 7-year-old JJ had alcohol and a date rape drug in his body when he was killed
Lori Vallow looked up kids’ life insurance before children vanished
A look at who’s who in the murder trial of slain kids’ mom
Lori Vallow Daybell trial: ‘Doomsday cult mom’ loses bid to ban JJ and Tylee’s loved ones from court
Lori Vallow won’t face the death penalty, Idaho judge rules
‘Cult mom’ Lori Vallow blasted as unrecognizable by ‘murdered’ son’s grandma
Lori Vallow To Face Death Penalty If She’s Convicted Of Her Children’s Murders
Lori Vallow, Idaho mother charged with killing her children, pleads not guilty
Lori Valley back in jail after spending 10 months in mental hospital
Medical Examiner: Charles Vallow’s death ruled a homicide; Lori Vallow accused of conspiracy to commit murder
Autism Memorial: Joshua Vallow
Lori Vallow, Chad Daybell indicted on murder charges in deaths of kids
Grandparents seeking justice for J.J. and Tylee hope Daybells will face murder charges
A string of family deaths surround tragedy of Lori Vallow’s children
Medical examiner completes autopsy on Chad Daybell ex-wife
Why did Lori Vallow murder her kids? A look into the terrible case
Deaths of Tylee Ryan and J. J. Vallow
Funeral for ‘Cult Mom’ Lori Vallow’s kids ‘can’t be held because charred and butchered remains not released’
Documents detail horrific manner JJ Vallow and Tylee Ryan were found in Chad Daybell’s yard
Brother of J.J. Vallow and Tylee Ryan Says He’s ‘Broken’ After Remains of Idaho Children Found
Doomsday Author, Wife Set for Trial for Murder of 2 Idaho ‘Zombie’ Children

Kylie Mickens

Name: Kylie L. Mickens.
Died: June 8, 2020.
Age at death: 5.
Cause of death: Malnutrition.
Location: Buford, Georgia, USA.
Disability: 1p36 deletion syndrome.

Details:
Kylie died from malnutrition and dehydration due to medical neglect. Her disability made it difficult for her to swallow, but her parents removed the feeding tube she needed to eat in favor of trying to feed her by mouth; she gradually starved, weighing only 7 pounds at death.

Case status:
Jerrail Maurice Mickens (Father), charged with felony murder and first-degree cruelty to children; died before trial.
Porscha Danielle Mickens (Mother), pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, sentenced to 20 years probation.

Source:
Mother of 5 year-old who died at 8lbs sentenced to 20 years probation
Mother of 5-year-old took girl to countless doctors before death, attorney says
Mother of 5-year-old who died weighing 7 pounds gets probation
Girl, 5, who weighed seven pounds when died had a rare disorder
Georgia couple accused of starving daughter to death held without bond
Attorney denies murder allegations for clients, claims 5-year-old had short life expectancy from rare condition
Girl, 5, who weighed seven pounds when died had a rare disorder

Billy Hopson

No Photo Name: Billy R. Hopson.
Died: June 7, 2020.
Age at death: 94.
Cause of death: Suffocation.
Location: Lewiston, Idaho, USA.
Disability: Alzheimer’s disease.

Details:
Police say Billy’s son suffocated him because he “had no dignity left and he couldn’t watch him any longer.” Billy fought hard to survive, biting his son on the hand and making it impossible for the killer to pretend he had died in his sleep. The killer, hand bleeding and unnerved by Billy’s determination to survive, immediately confessed to his sister and was arrested.

Case status:
Mark L. Hopson (Son), pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and failure to report a death, sentenced to 7 1/2 to 25 years.

Source:
Lewiston man gets 7½ years in prison
Lewiston man pleads guilty in death of his father
Hopson told sister he smothered father
Lewiston man accused of killing his father will stand trial Feb. 1

Esteban, Penelope, Avielle, and Apollo Harless

No Photo Name: Esteban Lorenzo Harless.
Age at death: 4.

Name: Penelope Arcadia Harless.
Age at death: 3.

Name: Avielle Magdalena Harless.
Age at death: 1.

Name: Apollo Harless.
Age at death: 11 months.

Died: June 4, 2020.
Cause of death: Carbon monoxide poisoning.
Location: San Antonio, Texas, USA.
Disability: Special needs.

Details:
Esteban, Penelope, Avielle, and Apollo’s parents gassed them with carbon monoxide before committing suicide. They also killed the family’s two cats.

Case status:
Jared Esquibel Harless (Father), deceased.
Sheryll Ann Harless (Mother), deceased.

Source:
San Antonio Murder-Suicide: Army Officer’s Wife Helped Husband Kill Children with Special Needs
Police: Wife helped husband kill kids before double suicide
Army identifies Fort Sam Houston soldier found dead in apparent murder-suicide

28-year-old woman

No Photo
Name Unknown.
Died: June 3, 2020.
Age at death: 28.
Cause of death: Trauma.
Location: Smuts Ngonyama Informal Settlement, Butterworth, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa.
Disability: Unspecified.

Details:
While her caregiver was away, this 28-year-old woman’s brother allegedly killed her, leaving her under a blanket with “upper body injuries”. Medics were called but declared her dead at the scene.

Case status:
Her brother, age 24, charged with murder.

Source:
Disabled woman murdered in EC – brother arrested
Media Statement, South African Police Service, Office of the Provincial Commissioner Eastern Cape