Age: Adult – Page 32 – Disability Day of Mourning

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

Angela Rios

Photo: A middle-aged woman with brown hair, pale skin, brown eyes, and a round face. Name: Angela Rios.
Died: February 5, 2015.
Age at death: 55.
Cause of death: Blunt trauma.
Location: New Port Richey, Florida, USA.
Disability: Diabetes, resulting in two leg amputations and visual impairment.

Details:
Angela was killed by her son, who beat her to death with a tire iron. He also killed his niece, nine-year-old Jenica Randazzo.

Case status:
Jason Rios (Son), convicted of murder, sentenced to 39-50 years.

Source:
For killing his mother and niece, a half-century in prison for Pasco man
Agency: No signs Pasco girl faced danger before fatal attack

Liam Milne

Photo of Liam Milne and his mother Susana. Liam is a light-brown-skinned boy with curly black hair, wearing a baseball cap and pink shirt. His mother is a woman with brown hair and pale skin, wearing sunglasses and a straw hat. She has her arms around Liam. Name: Liam Milne.
Age at death: 11.
Disability: Fragile X.
Died: February 1, 2015.
Cause of death: Car crash.
Location: Sydney, Australia.

Details:
Liam and his brother Ben both had Fragile X, and their mother Susana was six months pregnant with another boy. Their father, who feared that the boys would not be able to cope with their disabilities, bundled his whole family into the car and crashed it into a tree at 90 miles an hour.

Only seven-year-old Ben survived the crash, though he was severely injured. Ben is now living with his aunt, who says he is doing well.

Case status:
Darren John Milne (Father), deceased.

Source:
Darren John Milne who killed his pregnant wife and son in a car crash had set up bombs
Double murder-suicide driver planted bombs in engine bay
Horror crash mum Susana Milne was pregnant with third child
NSW coroner criticises dead father after horror car crash

Lee Del Ratez

Photo of Lee Del Ratez, a man with dark hair and light tan skin. He is holding his hands in fists just below his chin, and wearing a black and blue T-shirt. Name: Lee W. Del Ratez.
Died: January 8, 2015.
Age at death: 40.
Cause of death: Neglect.
Location: North Adams, Massachusetts, USA.
Disability: Unspecified.

Details:
Lee died because of his siblings’ negligence when they did not take care of him properly.

Case status:
Heath Del Ratez (Brother), pleaded guilty to permitting abuse on a disabled person, sentenced to two years probation.
Jessica Kemp (Sister), charged with manslaughter by negligence and caretaker abuse of a disabled person.

Source:
North Adams pair charged with manslaughter in connection with death of disabled sibling
North Adams pair charged with manslaughter by negligence in death of disabled man
Lee W. Del Ratez, 40

Susan Winters

Name: Susan Winters.
Died: January 3, 2015.
Age at death: 48.
Cause of death: Poisoning.
Location: Boulder City, Nevada, USA.
Disability: Depression.

Details:
Susan’s death from poisoning with painkillers and antifreeze was initially thought to be a suicide. But her husband–a psychiatrist–admitted to poisoning her and trying to stage a suicide.

Susan was a lawyer, and later became a judge. She loved animals, Elvis, reading, and running marathons.

Case status:
Gregory Dennis (Husband), convicted of involuntary manslaughter; sentenced to 3-10 years.

Source:
Pandemic delays murder trial for Henderson psychologist
Murder or suicide? Unsealed documents reveal new evidence in doctor’s wife death
Did a Boulder City psychologist murder his wife, or was it a suicide?
Susan Winters case: coroner changes cause from suicide to undetermined