Age: Adult – Page 31 – Disability Day of Mourning

Lorrie Rolen

Name: Lorrie Ann Rolen.
Died: June 7, 2015.
Age at death: 53.
Cause of death: Head injury.
Location: Fittstown, Oklahoma, USA.
Disability: COPD; wheelchair user.

Details:
Lorrie’s death was declared a homicide, and her husband was charged with first-degree murder. The jury acquitted him because they decided that it could not be proved that her head injury had not come from a fall.

Case status:
Frinchey Dwain Rolen (Husband), charged with first-degree murder; acquitted; died May 9, 2021.

Source:
Husband on trial for Fittstown woman’s murder
Fittstown man arrested in connection with wife’s 2015 death
Oklahoma man arrested for wife’s murder two years after her death
Pontotoc County man arrested for wife’s murder
Authorities investigating woman’s death at home near Fittstown
Obituary for Frinchey Dewayne Rolen | Amy Stittsworth Funeral Service and Cremation Directors

Abigail Cozad

Photo of Abigail Cozad. She is a young woman with fair skin and long straight brown hair; she has a pair of glasses pushed up on top of her head. Name: Abigail Cozad.
Died: June 1, 2015.
Age at death: 31.
Cause of death: Blunt force head and neck injury.
Location: Kusa, Colorado, USA.
Disability: TBI from car accident.

Details:
Abigail was beaten to death by her boyfriend.

Abigail loved pottery, photography, and painting, and wanted to be an interior designer or graphic designer.

Case status:
Emiliano Urioste (Boyfriend), convicted of first-degree murder and robbery, sentenced to life without parole.

Source:
Man gets life in prison for motel murder
Obituary for Abigail Ann Cozad at Kibbey-Fishburn Funeral Home & Crematory

Thembisile Dlamini

No Photo Name: Thembisile Dlamini.
Died: May 23, 2015.
Age at death: 58.
Cause of death: Gunshot, fire.
Location: Amatikwe, Inanda, South Africa.
Disability: Diabetes, leg amputee, blind.

Details:
Thembisile was the caregiver for three of her grandchildren as well as three foster children.

Her granddaughter’s ex, had kidnapped one of the children, and her granddaughter called the police. When he found out, he attacked the family at their home. Two other women managed to escape out of the windows, but Thembisile could not escape, so she began yelling for help. Her grandson-in-law shot her in the mouth to silence her, then set the house on fire.

Thembisile’s family survived the incident, though they had to live with a neighbor for a year to get back on their feet.

Case status:
Bheki Khumalo (Grandson-in-law), sentenced to 20 years for murder and 10 years for arson.

Source:
KZN man given 30 year jail term for killing blind ‘defenseless’ elderly woman
Justice for blind, diabetic, amputee KZN gran who was shot in mouth by grandson-in-law

George Philip Carter

No Photo Name: George Philip Carter.
Died: May 15, 2015.
Age at death: 59.
Cause of death: Sepsis.
Location: Spanaway, Washington, USA.
Disability: Autism, developmental disability.

Details:
Philip’s caregiver neglected him; he died of infected bedsores because instead of taking him to a doctor, his caregiver stuffed the bedsores with paper towels.

Case status:
Larry John Lee (Unlicensed caregiver), convicted of second-degree murder, sentenced to 18 years.

Source:
Caregiver charged with murder in neglect of vulnerable adult
Caretaker sentenced to 18 years for ‘murder by neglect’
Jury finds Spanaway man guilty in death of adult he cared for
Autism Memorial: George Philip Carter

Martin Duram

Photo of Martin Duram. He is a light-skinned man with dark hair and mustache, wearing a silver suit and tie. Name: Martin Duram.
Died: May 13, 2015.
Age at death: 46.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Sand Lake, Michigan, USA.
Disability: TBI.

Details:
Martin was found in his bed, shot five times, with his wife, who was barely alive and had a single gunshot wound, nearby. On a table was a suicide letter written by his wife.

After taking in Martin’s African gray parrot, Bud, Martin’s family heard the parrot mimicking the sounds of an intense argument, and then of Martin asking somebody not to shoot. With the parrot raising suspicion, an investigation was conducted and Martin’s wife was convicted of murder.

Case status:
Glenna Duram (Wife), convicted of murder, sentenced to life without parole.

Source:
Woman Gets Life Sentence For Murder Witnessed By Pet Parrot
Wife sentenced to life in husband’s murder
Winged murder witness: ‘Don’t f—ing shoot’
Parrot Witnessed Michigan Man’s Murder, Parents Believe
8 months after husband was fatally shot and wife injured, police still trying to solve puzzle
Death of Sand Lake area man investigated as homicide, wife remains hospitalized
Jury Convicts Woman of Husband’s Murder After Pet Parrot Recalls Voice Screaming ‘Don’t Shoot’
Parrot Witnesses Murder, Michigan Woman Convicted

Jody Hernandez

Photo of Jody Hernandez. She has fair skin and long wavy dark-brown hair. Name: Jody Hernandez.
Died: May 11, 2015.
Age at death: 31.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: San Antonio, Texas, USA.
Disability: Chronic illness, including Crohn’s disease; depression.

Details:
Jody was shot and killed by her husband, who said that it had been an assisted suicide and that Jody had wanted to die. His lawyer arranged a plea bargain when it was found that Jody had, on a crowdfunding web page, detailed her illness. Though she didn’t express any desire to commit suicide on the web page, it corroborated her husband’s story that she had been ill. The judge accepted the plea bargain and Jody’s husband walked free on probation.

Jody’s goal for her crowdfunding page was to get enough money to go back to school and get her master’s degree to become a nurse-practitioner.

Case status:
Daniel Hernandez (Husband), pleaded guilty to assisted suicide, sentenced to 5 years probation and a $1500 fine.

Source:
DA reveals reason to drop murder charge in assisted suicide case
Man gets five years probation for killing his wife
Jody Hernandez | Help Jody with her illnesses, return home, sort out family problems and return to school
Woman allegedly shot by husband may have detailed illnesses…
Woman fatally shot by husband identified

Umesh

No Photo
Name: Umesh.
Died: May 1, 2015.
Age at death: 35.
Cause of death: Traumatic injury.
Location: Amatekoppa, Shikaripur, India.
Disability: Physical disability.

Details:
Police first categorized Umesh’s death as a hit-and-run, but they received tips that Umesh’s brother had taken out three life insurance policies on him and killed him to collect the money. They now suspect that Umesh’s brother rented a mini-truck, drove him out to the outskirts of a village, and ran him over.

Case status:
Kumar (Brother), arrested, charged with murder.

Source:
Man held on charge of murdering disabled brother

Mark Green

Name: Mark Anthony Green.
Died: March 19, 2015.
Age at death: 56.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Knoxville, Maryland, USA.
Disability: Intellectual disability.

Details:
Mark was shot by his father in a double homicide-suicide. Mark’s mother, 86-year-old Mary Green, was the other victim.

Mark was an avid cyclist who could usually be found riding his bicycle around the neighborhood.

Case status:
Johnnie Green (Father), deceased.

Source:
3 dead after Knoxville, Md. double murder-suicide
Mark Anthony Green

Wendy Blackstone

Photo of Wendy Blackstone, a middle-aged woman with fair skin and shoulder-length light-brown hair cut in a bob, wearing a blue sweater; she is leaning down towards her large gray-and-brown dog. Name: Wendy Blackstone.
Died: March 16, 2015.
Age at death: 49.
Cause of death: Smoke inhalation.
Location: Studio City, California, USA.
Disability: Deaf, visually impaired.

Details:
Wendy was found in her garage in what seemed to be set up to look like a double suicide with her sister. She and two of her three dogs were found dead of smoke inhalation in a burning garage. Upon investigation, the suicide note that Wendy was supposed to have written was in her sister’s handwriting. Eventually it became clear that her sister had killed Wendy because she was frustrated at having to care for her; she had forged the suicide note, and then lit the fire herself.

Case status:
Jill Blackstone (Sister); pleaded no contest to voluntary manslaughter, sentenced to 8 years.

Source:
TV ProducerJill Blackstone Sentenced To 8 Years For Death Of Her Sister
Producer Jill Blackstone arrives in a wheelchair for court appearance
TV Producer To Be Tried For Disabled Sister’s Murder
Contents of ‘suicide’ notes revealed as judge orders ex-‘Jerry Springer’ producer to answer murder, animal cruelty charges – NY Daily News
TV Producer Ordered to Stand Trial for Allegedly Killing Disabled Sister
Hollywood producer suspected of murdering her sister in failed suicide pact was drowning in $1.4million debt, owed her sibling $122,000, is about to lose her home and filed for bankruptcy
TV producer arrested in death of deaf sister in California
Ex-Jerry Springer producer ‘killed deaf sister out of frustration’
TV producer denies murder and animal cruelty charges in deaf sister’s death, attorney says
TV Producer’s Arraignment Postponed in Sister’s Mysterious 2015 Death
TV producer won’t enter plea in sister’s Studio City death for another week
Former ‘Jerry Springer’ producer charged with killing deaf, blind sister in 2015

Lori Decker

Name: Lori Decker.
Died: March 7, 2015.
Age at death: 45.
Cause of death: Malnutrition.
Location: Quincy, Illinois, USA.
Disability: Brain injury from diabetic crisis.

Details:
Lori’s husband neglected her and did not feed her enough; she starved to death.

Lori worked as a housekeeper.

Case status:
Derek Decker (Husband), pleaded guilty to neglect of disabled person, sentenced to 2 1/2 years.

Source:
Quincy man sent to prison in spousal neglect case
Lori Lynn Long Decker