Remembering the Disabled Murdered by Caregivers
Age 30-59
Name: Gail Terrell.
Died: November 13, 1988.
Age at death: 32.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Smyrna, Georgia, USA.
Disability: Epilepsy, cerebral palsy.
Details:
Gail’s mother shot her.
Case status:
Barbara Monroe (Mother); offered to plead guilty to voluntary manslaughter and was ordered to serve 5 years of a 20-year sentence.
Source:
Mother wants year of home confinement in slaying plea
Name: Olla Mae Waller.
Died: August 23, 1987.
Age at death: 54.
Cause of death: Strangled.
Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA.
Disability: Multiple sclerosis.
Details:
Olla was strangled by her husband, who also killed her daughter Lucinda Joan Zupan, age 30, and her grandson Brandon Zupan, age 7, before killing himself. Apparently, he also intended to kill Lucinda’s estranged husband, having tried to lure him to their house; but the man went to work instead and survived. Police believe the killer was stressed by Lucinda’s marital problems, and by being the primary caregiver for Olla Mae, who used a wheelchair.
Case Status:
Henry “Hank” Waller (Husband), deceased.
Sources:
Olla Mae Lemons Waller
Four Dead in Murder-Suicide In Colorado Springs
Killer Triggers by Joe Kenda: New Excerpt
Killings of three or more people pepper Colorado Springs history
Name: Esta Iona Weathers Millwee.
Died: September 8, 1986.
Age at death: 52.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Riverside County, California, USA.
Disability: Stroke, hemiplegia.
Details:
Esta’s son came home drunk and argued with her husband. After her husband left, her son shot Esta.
Case Status:
Donald Millwee (Son), convicted of murder, sentenced to death, died in prison.
Source:
Donald Millwee, Condemned California Inmate Who Killed Disabled Mother, Dies Of Natural Causes
California inmate dies while on death row for killing mother
Esta Iona Weathers Millwee (1933-1986) – Find A Grave
Name: Linda Sue Helton.
Died: January 6, 1986.
Age at death: 45.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Precott, Arkansas, USA.
Disability: Intellectual disability.
Details:
Linda was allegedly shot by her mother, who called it a “mercy killing”.
Case status:
Esther Helton (Mother); charged with murder.
Source:
Woman Charged In Death Of Mentally Retarded Daughter
Name: Anita Spearman.
Died: November 16, 1985.
Age at death: 48.
Cause of death: Blunt force injury.
Location: Palm Beach, Florida, USA.
Disability: Breast cancer.
Details:
Anita’s husband was tired of being married to a woman who had cancer. He was worried she wouldn’t look good in a bathing suit, so he hired a hit man to kill her. The man bludgeoned her to death as she lay recovering from a recent mastectomy.
Case status:
Robert Spearman (Husband), convicted of murder, sentenced to life plus 20 years.
Sean Doutre (Hit man), convicted of first-degree murder, sentenced to life plus 30 years.
Richard Savage (Hit man’s boss), convicted of second-degree murder and conspiracy, sentenced to 40 years.
Source:
Want Ads in Soldier of Fortune Magazine Led a Blundering Gang of Alleged Killers to Their Victims
Savage Found Guilty 3rd Man Convicted In Spearman Death
Spearman Found Guilty
Spearman Suspect Convicted
Murder Charges Detailed Witness: Spearman Said Death A Mercy Act
Motions Heard In Murder-for-hire Trial
‘Gun for Hire’ Had Many Clients : Bumbling Gang of Killers Left Trail of Death, Terror
Name: Paula Eloise Riffe.
Died: December 17, 1984.
Age at death: 42.
Cause of death: Homicide.
Location: Fort Worth, Tarrant County, Texas, USA.
Disability: Unspecified.
Details:
Paula’s father killed her in a murder-suicide because he didn’t know what would happen to her after he died.
Case status:
Paul Riffe (Father), deceased.
Source:
Paula Eloise Riffe
Misplaced Mercy