Author: Mx. Daxer

Bertha McGill

Photo of Bertha McGill, a middle-aged African-American woman with her hair cut quite short. She is wearing a leopard-print shirt and dangle earrings.Name: Bertha Marie McGill.
Died: June 15, 2018.
Age at death: 68.
Cause of death: Smoke inhalation.
Location: Jasper, Texas, USA.
Disability: Unspecified; wheelchair user.

Details:
Bertha’s grandson set their house on fire with her inside.  She died from smoke inhalation days after the fire.

Bertha was a retired kindergarten and elementary school teacher.

Case status:
Cedric Ramon McGill, Jr. (Grandson), pleaded guilty to arson and murder, sentenced to 20-40 years.

Source:
McGill pleads guilty and is sentenced for 2018 house fire that killed his grandmother
McGill pleads guilty and is sentenced for 2018 house fire that killed his grandmother
Jasper man charged with capital murder after grandmother dies following house fire
Grandson charged with arson in fire that severely injured Bertha McGill
Cedric McGill now charged with capital murder in house fire death of grandmother – KJAS.COM: Local News
Jasper woman injured in house fire dies; arson investigation still ongoing

Sharon McCleary

Sepia portrait photo of Sharon McCleary as a young woman. She has fair skin and hair cut in a bob; she is wearing old-fashioned glasses and a black sleeveless top.Name: Sharon Lynn McCleary.
Died: June 13, 2018.
Age at death: 63.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Trenton, Ohio, USA.
Disability: Blind.

Details:
Sharon lived with her daughter and her daughter’s boyfriend, and another daughter was visiting. Her daughter’s boyfriend was under investigation for the murder of Maegan Motter (age 27, unrelated) when police came to knock on her door. The man took her and her daughters hostage. A standoff between him and SWAT ensued; he was eventually persuaded to release Sharon’s daughters. However, he fatally shot Sharon, and when the police tried to get in he attempted suicide and was arrested.

Sharon was a religious woman who loved game shows.

Case status:
James Edward Geran (Daughter’s boyfriend), convicted of murder, sentenced to life without parole.

Source:
Double murder charge for man accused of killing girlfriend’s mom
Sheriff: Double murder suspect in standoff will face several charges
Sharon Lynn McCLEARY’s Obituary on Dayton Daily News
Court docs: Middletown man told girlfriend about first homicide
‘I do not want this monster to get out’: Families emotional as Middletown man sentenced to life for killing 2 women
Middletown murder victim’s sister: ‘She couldn’t defend herself if she wanted to’
Life in prison for man who murdered two women in Butler County
She was blind and couldn’t feed herself. Her daughter’s boyfriend shot her in the head.

Chloe Hobbs

Photo of Chloe Hobbs, a girl with fair skin and strawberry-blonde hair in a boy cut. She is holding a tablet PC and gazing at the camera withe a slight smile on her face.Name: Chloe Renee Hobbs.
Died: June 9, 2018.
Age at death: 11.
Cause of death: Methamphetamine overdose.
Location: Elkhart, Indiana, USA.
Disability: Autism, pica.

Details:
Chloe had one sister, who was a year younger than her and also autistic. Chloe had pica, which meant she tended to eat things that weren’t food and needed to be watched so that she wouldn’t eat anything dangerous.

Her father took her and her sister along with her when he went to stay at a house where he and his girlfriend were doing some maintenance work while the owner was away. The house was extremely cluttered and dangerous, but the girls were left unattended there. Her father’s girlfriend had also brought along her methamphetamine stash, which she left where Chloe could get to it.

Chloe found the meth, ingested it, and got very sick. She spent the night vomiting, but no one called for help until Chloe stopped breathing the next morning. She could not be revived.

At autopsy, it was found that Chloe, in addition to the methamphetamine poisoning, had a bowel obstruction caused by her having eaten wood, plastic, pennies, and other items while unsupervised.

Case status:
Brandon Hobbs (Father), pleaded guilty to neglect of a dependent, sentenced to 3 years.
Erica Reschke (Father’s girlfriend), charged with neglect of a dependent resulting in death, sentenced to 13 years in prison and 3 years probation.

Source:
Michigan woman sentenced for death of child with special needs
Three-year prison sentence handed down in death of child who had meth in her system
Elkhart County prosecutor says girl, 10, ingested meth before death
2 charged after child dies with high levels of meth in her system
Michigan couple charged in autistic girl’s death
Court document: Meth contributed to autistic child’s death
Obituary of Chloe Hobbs | Brown Funeral Home & Cremation Services

Gwenn Michelin

No PhotoName: Gwenn Michelin.
Died: June 8, 2018.
Age at death: 22.
Cause of death: Head injury, drowning.
Location: Vivoin, France.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Gwenn, his mother, her partner, and his little brother were camping when his mother’s partner got drunk and got angry at him. Gwenn was badly beaten and thrown into the water even though his assailant knew he couldn’t swim. His family, terrified because of Gwenn’s stepfather’s history of violence and domestic abuse, didn’t feel free to come forward and tell the authorities what had happened to Gwenn until after the killer had been arrested.

Case Status:
Rémy Pichot (Mother’s partner), convicted of murder of a vulnerable person, sentenced to 30 years.

Sources:
Sarthe – Meurtre d’un jeune autiste à Vivoin : le beau-père condamné à 30 ans de réclusion criminelle – France Bleu
Un Sarthois jugé aux assises pour le meurtre de son beau-fils, un autiste de 22 ans, en 2018 – France Bleu
Il déboule au camping et tue son beau-fils infirme
Procès du meurtre de Vivoin : placé face à ses contradictions, l’accusé se mure dans le silence – France Bleu
Sarthe. Mis en examen pour avoir tué son beau-fils autiste
Sarthe. Mis en examen pour avoir tué son beau-fils autiste
Exclusif. Vivoin : mis en examen pour le meurtre de son beau-fils autiste
Sarthe. Trente ans de réclusion criminelle pour le meurtre d’un jeune autiste

Mae-Kim Lem

No PhotoName: Mae-Kim Lem.
Died: June 5, 2018.
Age at death: 76.
Cause of death: Choking.
Location: Shau Kei Wan, Hong Kong, China.
Disability: Stroke (Mobility impaired, visually impaired), thyroid disorder, arthritis.

Details:
Lem’s husband killed her by choking her to death. He claimed he had been worried who would care for her if he died.

Case status:
Wong Kok-man (Husband), pleaded guilty to manslaughter, sentenced to 2 years in jail; due to be released after about 1 month with credit for time served.

Source:
‘A tragic case’: Judge frees elderly man who killed disabled wife due to fear no one would care for her if he died
殺癱妻 官輕判八旬翁卑微希望：幫吓我哋就少好多悲劇
【法外開恩】黃國萬悲情殺妻 求情信揭欲輕生 留命為控雙老哀歌

Melvin Maki

Photo of a smiling older man in a black suit and tie; he has light skin and short white hair.Name: Melvin N. Maki.
Died: June 4, 2018.
Age at death: 77.
Cause of death: Blunt head trauma.
Location: Rock Creek, Oregon, USA.
Disability: Dementia.

Details:
Melvin was hospitalized after his son beat him with a shovel; he lived three months before dying of his injuries.

Melvin worked for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and NOAA, and loved spending time out on the ocean.

Case Status:
Shaun Edwin Maki (Son), convicted of murder, assault, criminal mistreatment, and unlawful use of a weapon.

Sources:
Oregon man found guilty of murder in brutal beating of elderly father who died months late
Man found guilty of killing his 77-year-old father
Melvin N. Maki Obituary 2018

Mary Gregory

Photo: An older woman in a teal blazer and pearl necklace, smiling for the camera. Her wispy white hair is culed and cut short; she is wearing glasses. Her fair skin is deeply wrinkled.Name: Mary Gregory.
Died: June 1, 2018.
Age at death: 94.
Cause of death: Fire.
Location: Heysham, Lancashire, England, UK.
Disability: Dementia.

Details:
Mary died of injuries sustained in a house fire. As she was a heavy smoker, it was initially thought to be an accidental death. However, a year later, her grandson’s counselor contacted police and reported that her grandson had told them that he had disabled the fire alarm and started the fire. Police searched his computer and found that he had made several suspicious Internet searches, including one for “feeling guilty for putting a loved one out of their misery”. It turned out that he had set the fire by holding a lighter to Mary’s curtains.

Case Status:
Tiernan Darnton (Step-grandson), convicted of murder, sentenced to 15 years to life.

Sources:
Heysham fire: Truth or dare student guilty of grandmother murder
Student Who ‘Confessed To Killing 94-Year-Old Woman’ In Game Of Truth Or Dare Jailed For Life
Student ‘admitted killing woman, 94, in fire during game of Truth or Dare’
Teen accused of murder ‘confessed to killing nan’ in game of Truth or Dare
Man charged with Heysham grandmother’s house fire murder

Denise Rosser

Photo of a young woman with curly blonde hair and fair skin, wearing a white blouse.Name: Michelle “Denise” Rosser.
Died: May 29, 2018.
Age at death: 38.
Cause of death: Fractures and internal injuries.
Location: Bedlinog, Wales, UK.
Disability: Blind in one eye.

Details:
Denise was beaten to death by her boyfriend.

Case status:
Simon Winstone (Partner), convicted of murder, sentenced to 18 years to life.

Source:
Police ‘did nothing wrong’ in case of murdered domestic abuse victim
Blind woman found beaten to death after telling friends ‘I’m living in fear’
Woman allegedly murdered was blinded in attack nine years ago
Dead woman’s friction burns ‘from sex’
Boyfriend claims murder victim’s injuries were carpet burns from sex

Sumitra

No PhotoName: Sumitra.
Died: May 29, 2018.
Age at death: 7.
Cause of death: Head trauma.
Location: Vajra Karur, Andhra Pradesh, India.
Disability: Physical disability.

Details:
Sumitra’s father was frustrated over her and her brother’s disabilities. He came home drunk, demanded she stand and walk, and when she could not do so, allegedly beat her to death.

Case status:
Yerriswamy (Father), arrested on a complaint of murder.

Source:
Father beat physically-disabled daughter to death – Times of India
Anantapur: Drunk father beats physically challenged daughter to death

Joshua Alonzo

Photo of a teenage boy in a power chair, wearing a blue shirt and tie. He is smiling broadly. His dark hair is cut short.Name: Joshua Alonzo.
Died: May 27, 2018.
Age at death: 21.
Cause of death: Malnutrition/dehydration.
Location: San Antonio, Texas, USA.
Disability: Schizencephaly, cerebral palsy.

Details:
At 18, Joshua got too old to go to his pediatrician, but instead of finding a new doctor, his mother allegedly denied him medical care for the last three years of his life. He couldn’t eat on his own, and needed to be fed.

Joshua died of malnutrition and dehydration. Though he had always been small, weighing 51 pounds at age 18, when he died he weighed only 38.

Case status:
Alma Munoz (Mother), charged with causing serious bodily injury to a disabled person.

Source:
Mom collected benefits as disabled son, 21, died weighing 38 pounds, Texas cops say
Texas mom charged when disabled adult son dies after three years without medical care
Obituary for Joshua Alonzo – San Antonio, TX
San Antonio mother arrested after disabled son dies of malnutrition, dehydration