Mx. Daxer – Page 73 – Disability Day of Mourning

Zha-Nae Wilkerson

Name: Zha-Nae Wilkerson, aka Zah-Nae, aka Zah-Nae Rothgeb.
Died: January 3, 2019.
Age at death: 9.
Cause of death: Drowning.
Location: Warwick, Rhode Island, USA.
Disability: Cerebral palsy.

Details:
Zha-Nae lay neglected in a filthy house while her mother left her fifteen-year-old brother, also disabled, to care for her. She was denied her wheelchair because the house was either not accessible or simply too cluttered for the chair to fit, and had to crawl down the hall. She was found face-down in the bathtub, having died from drowning, and her mother was arrested and charged with manslaughter. Later she was also charged with neglecting Zha-Nae’s seven siblings.

Case status:
Michelle Rothgeb (Adoptive mother), pleaded no contest to manslaughter and 8 counts of cruelty or neglect to a child; sentenced to 18 years in prison and 15 years suspended.

Source:
Rothgeb Sentenced to 18 Years For 9-Year-Old’s Death
Woman whose adoptive special needs daughter dies in bathtub changes plea
New charges filed against Warwick woman accused of manslaughter in death of 9-year-old
Warwick woman pleads not guilty in adopted girl’s death
9-year-old RI child’s death due to ‘inaction’ by DCYF, report notes
Child Advocate’s Office to release report on death of Warwick child
Mom charged with manslaughter in death of 9-year-old Warwick girl
Warwick woman charged with manslaughter in death of adoptive daughter
DCYF Director: Neglect, deficiencies contributed to 9-year-old’s death
Warwick girl whose death is under investigation had cerebral palsy, according to uncle
Police arrest guardian in death of 9-year-old Warwick girl
Guardian arrested in death of Warwick girl
DCYF: Child, 9, dies; Police investigating
Mother held on bail at arraignment in death of 9-year-old Warwick girl
Handicapped 9-Year-Old Dies In Filthy Home, Mother Jailed
DCYF head to address questions surrounding death of 9-year-old girl in Warwick
Disabled girl died after mom made 8 adopted kids fend for themselves to beat flu
Mother of 8 adopted children with special needs arrested after one dies
DCYF making changes in light of 9-year-old’s death in Warwick
A year before death of 9-year-old girl in Warwick, DCYF social workers raised red flag
Warning signs missed in home where Warwick girl died
Biological family has ‘questions and concerns’ for DCYF after child’s death
Death of girl prompts changes to RI child welfare agency

John Likeness

Photo of John Likeness, a heavyset man with muttonchops, wearing glasses and a camo baseball cap. Name: John Matthew Likeness.
Died: December 30, 2018.
Age at death: 54.
Cause of death: Sharp-force trauma.
Location: Menomonie, Wisconsin, USA.
Disability: Mobility impaired; disabled veteran.

Details:
John’s roommate killed him by shooting him with a crossbow and cutting him with a knife. His roommate claimed that he felt sorry for him and wanted to “put him out of his misery”.

John was an Army veteran who had served in the military for 10 years. He enjoyed traveling by train, accompanied by his dog Sienna.

Case status:
Richard Seehaver (Roommate), pleaded no contest to second-degree intentional homicide; sentenced to 25-40 years.

Source:
Charge: Western Wisconsin roommate kills disabled Army vet with arrow to the chest
Charges: Wisconsin man kills roommate with crossbow, butcher knife
1 dead, 1 arrested after man dies in Menomonie

Baby Boy

No Photo Name Unknown.
Died: December 21, 2018.
Age at death: 29 days.
Cause of death: Asphyxiation.
Location: Neelasandra, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India.
Disability: Unknown congenital defect.

Details:
This little boy was born one of a pair of twins. He was weak at birth and had to spend ten days in the hospital after birth, and needed continued medical attention after he came home.

With the baby’s mother feeding his twin in another room and his father out buying medicine, the baby’s grandmother allegedly strangled and smothered the baby to death.

Case status:
Vijayalakshmi (Grandmother), arrested.

Source:
Days after month-old infant found dead in Bengaluru, grandmom arrested for murder
Grandmother held for infant’s murder

Frank Novak

No Photo Name: Frank Novak.
Died: December 20, 2018.
Age at death: 92.
Cause of death: Blunt trauma.
Location: Hempfield, Pennsylvania, USA.
Disability: Early dementia.

Details:
After he argued with his son about a missing cell phone, Frank’s son beat him to death with the wooden armrest from a dining room chair; then he set the house on fire.

Frank was a World War II Navy veteran who worked at American Window Glass. He had three grandchildren.

Case status:
Douglas Novak (Son), pleaded guilty but mentally ill to third-degree murder, sentenced to 10-30 years in prison.

Source:
Man beat his dad, 92, to death because he thought he was a vampire
Hempfield man pleads guilty but mentally ill in elderly father’s beating death
Frank Novak – Thursday, December 20th, 2018

Delanie Manning

No Photo Name: Delanie Manning.
Died: December 19, 2018.
Age at death: 68.
Cause of death: Neglect.
Location: Lincoln, Nebraska, USA.
Disability: Chronic illness; bedbound.

Details:
In the six months she had had to stay in bed, Delanie was only moved three times. She developed severe pressure sores and lost more than a third of her body weight. When she died from neglect, she weighed 90 pounds and had a broken femur and multiple pressure sores.

Case status:
Serviano Ruiz (Husband), convicted of abuse of a vulnerable adult, sentenced to 2 years; died while incarcerated.

Source:
Man charged with neglect in death of bedridden wife
Lincoln man charged with abuse after bedridden wife found with skin peeling, bone exposed
Nebraska Man Charged With Abuse After Bedridden Wife Dies

Sheila Small

No Photo
Name: Sheila Small.
Died: December 18, 2018.
Age at death: 73.
Cause of death: Blunt trauma.
Location: West Bowling, Bradford, Yorkshire, England, UK.
Disability: Dementia.

Details:
Sheila was bludgeoned to death by her husband, who hit her with a rolling pin, a bottle, and a walking stick before she died from her injuries. At autopsy, she was found to have partly-healed fractures, indicating chronic physical abuse.

Case status:
Edward Small (Husband), convicted of murder, sentenced to 14 years to life in prison.

Source:
Man jailed for killing wife with rolling pin
Edward Small, of Raymond Drive, on trial accused of murdering his wife
Great-grandad beat dementia-suffering wife to death with rolling pin
Great-grandfather, 76, jailed for life for beating wife of 50 years to death with rolling pin

Yulia Nezhikhovskaya

No Photo Name: Yulia Nezhikhovskaya.
Died: December 17, 2018.
Age at death: 32.
Cause of death: Drug and alcohol poisoning.
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
Disability: Quadriplegic; cerebral palsy.

Details:
Yulia’s mother called emergency services to report that her daughter was not breathing. Yulia died; toxicology results showed she had been poisoned with a combination of Valium, sleeping pills, muscle relaxants, and alcohol.

Case status:
Yelena Nezhikhovskaya (Mother), charged with third-degree murder and drug delivery resulting in death.

Source:
Woman accused of killing quadriplegic daughter can be released on house arrest, judge rules
Philadelphia woman accused of killing adult quadriplegic daughter
Philadelphia mother charged in murder of quadriplegic daughter
Mother Charged With Killing 32-Year-Old Quadriplegic Daughter At Home
Philadelphia woman charged with killing quadriplegic daughter inside home

Steven Hinrichsen

Name: Steven Hinrichsen
Died: December 15, 2018.
Age at death: 63.
Cause of death: Stabbing.
Location: Morphett Vale, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
Disability: Used wheelchair and walking frame after surgery.

Details:
Steven was found stabbed to death, with high levels of prescription pain medication in his body sufficient to sedate him and render him helpless. It is believed Steven’s wife, her boyfriend, and a friend thought Steven was “an inconvenience” and planned to kill him. Text messages show that Steven was assaulted by his wife’s boyfriend multiple times before his murder.

Case Status:
Tanya Hinrichsen (Wife), found guilty of murder, sentenced to 22 years to life; conviction set aside and retrial ordered.
Gavin Scott Skinner (Wife’s boyfriend), found guilty of murder, sentenced to 24 years to life.
Robert John Thrupp (Friend), found guilty of manslaughter, sentenced to at least 7 years.

Source:
SA woman granted retrial over alleged involvement in husband’s murder
Love triangle murder details revealed as wife and lover jailed for killing wheelchair-bound husband
Wife and lover jailed for two decades over stabbing murder of husband
Trio jailed over love-triangle killing
Daughter’s ‘shock and sadness’ at learning of father’s murder while she was giving birth
Hinrichsen, Skinner, Thrupp murder trial: ‘Desperate’ lovers allegedly conspired to kill husband
Three charged over murder of grandfather
Murder victim stabbed to death by wife’s lover and smashed photo left on his body, court told
Court hears there’s a lack of evidence in Steven Hinrichsen murder trial
Jury finds woman and alleged lover guilty of murdering Steven Hinrichsen at Morphett Vale

Kayla Mirsky

No Photo Name: Kayla Mirsky.
Died: December 12, 2018.
Age at death: 19.
Cause of death: Hypothermia.
Location: Scottsville, Virginia, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Kayla’s mother regularly made her stand in the corner for hours as a punishment. She did this so often that Kayla learned to sleep standing up. But one night, Kayla was unable to stand any longer, so her mother put her outside in the cold. In the morning, Kayla was dead from hypothermia.

Kayla leaves behind 17-year-old and 14-year-old siblings.

Case status:
Suzanne Ruth Mirsky (Mother), pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and two counts of child abuse; sentenced to 16 years.

Source:
Scottsville woman sentenced in death of autistic daughter – Fluvanna Review
Scottsville woman to serve 16 years in prison for death of daughter
Fluvanna Co. Sheriff’s Office makes arrest in connection with 2018 murder
Autism Memorial: Kayla Mirsky

Rebecca Ballenger

No Photo Name: Rebecca Ballenger.
Died: December 11, 2018.
Age at death: 70.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Clinton, Mississippi, USA.
Disability: Stroke.

Details:
Rebecca’s husband allegedly went to the nursing home where she was staying after her stroke and shot her multiple times.

Case status:
Thomas Ballenger (Husband), charged with murder.

Source:
Police have arrested an elderly man in connection with death at Clinton nursing home.
“She didn’t want to live like this”: Bond denied for elderly man accused of killing ill wife of 40 years in nursing home
The quiet acceptance of ‘mercy killings’ in the US: Even in states where euthanasia is illegal, courts are often turning a blind eye
Elderly Mississippi man murders wife who had stroke, police say