Age: Baby – Disability Day of Mourning

7-day-old girl

No Photo Name Unknown.
Died: October 10, 2024.
Age at death: 7 days.
Cause of death: Asphyxiation.
Location: Cheongju-si, South Korea.
Disability: Congenital disorder of the arms.

Details:
In the hospital where she was born, and only a week after her birth, this baby girl was found dead from suffocation with her face down. Her parents said they had put her to bed face-up, but woken to discover her face-down. Since she was too young to have rolled over by herself, investigators were suspicious.

The baby’s parents were initially charged with manslaughter, but police say that evidence found on the parents’ phones proves that they had deliberately planned to kill the child, upgrading the charge to murder. They also say that the couple complained to their gynecologist that they should have had a prenatal diagnosis by ultrasound, and that the gynecologist responded by telling them where the care home had no CCTV cameras and offered to issue the infant’s death certificate.

Case Status:
Her parents and their gynecologist are all charged with murder.

Sources:
In connection with the mysterious death of a one-week-old disabled infant at a postpartum care center
Infants in postpartum care center died. Mother in her 30s arrested
Cheongju disabled child murder case
A biological mother in her 30s accused of killing a baby born with an arm disability has been arrested

Preetika Venkatesh

No Photo Name: Preetika Venkatesh.
Died: June 13, 2024.
Age at death: 3.
Cause of death: Strangled.
Location: Bengaluru, Karnataka, India.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
When Preetika was three years, ten months old, her mother brought her to the hospital, unresponsive, and Preetika was declared dead from strangulation. Police, who interviewed Preetika’s mother, said, “Upon questioning, the mother said she was worried about how her daughter would lead her life as she was autistic and hence, she decided to murder her.”

Preetika leaves behind her twin sister, who is also autistic, but with less pronounced autistic traits. Her death followed an incident in which Preetika’s sister was accepted to a preschool, but Preetika was rejected.

Case Status:
Ramya Venkatesh (Mother), charged with murder.

Sources:
Autism Memorial: Preetika Venkatesh
Bengaluru woman kills autistic daughter in fit of rage, arrested
Bengaluru mother kills young autistic daughter, surrenders
Bengaluru mother kills autistic child, surrenders before police
Mother Strangles Autistic Toddler to Death in Bengaluru, Held
Bengaluru Shocker: Woman Strangles Three-Year-Old Autistic Daughter to Death, Leaves Confession Note at Crime Scene; Arrested
Bengaluru Shocker: Fearing autism, woman murders 3-year-old speech-impaired daughter, rushes her to hospital later
Mother strangles speech-impaired toddler daughter to death in Bengaluru, surrenders
In Bengaluru, mom kills 3-year-old autistic girl

Baby Chauhan

Photo of a newborn baby, face scrunched up. She is grabbing the hand of an adult. She is wrapped in blankets. Her skin is light-brown. Name: Chauhan (Family name; given name unknown).
Died: March 27, 2024.
Age at death: 4 days.
Cause of death: Suffocation.
Location: Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, India.
Disability: Disabled in one leg.

Details:
Kajal Chauhan was recovering in the hospital after giving birth to her first baby daughter. The baby’s grandmother was displeased because the child had a disability in one leg, and because she had wanted a grandson. On the fourth day of her life, Kajal’s mother-in-law took the baby to sleep with her; but the next morning, when Kajal couldn’t find her baby daughter, she grew frightened. When she and her parents finally got the baby back, she was lifeless, and could not be revived. An autopsy revealed she had been strangled to death, and her grandmother confessed to the crime.

Case Status:
Premlata Chouhan (Grandmother), convicted of murder, sentenced to life.

Sources:
Woman Sentenced To Life For Killing Disabled Newborn Granddaughter In Gwalior
Woman kills handicap newborn inside the hospital in Gwalior
Grandmother strangled her 4-day-old granddaughter

David Hernandez

Name: David Jacques Hernandez.
Died: February 20, 2024.
Age at death: 3.
Cause of death: Cut to the neck.
Location: Lancaster, California, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
David was allegedly killed by his mother’s boyfriend.

Case Status:
Rena Naulls (Mother’s boyfriend), charged with murder and assault on a child causing death.

Sources:
Autism Memorial: David Hernandez
Father of 3-year-old boy killed in Lancaster speaks out: ‘I need answers for every question’
District Attorney Gascón Announces Charges Against a Man Who Allegedly Killed a Three-Year-Old Boy in Lancaster

18-month-old boy

No Photo Name Unknown.
Died: November 22, 2023.
Age at death: 18 months.
Cause of death: Malnutrition.
Location: Horton, Alabama, USA.
Disability: Multiple congenital conditions.

Details:
Since he was three months old, this child had been living with foster parents. He did well there until he was taken to a children’s hospital for tests, where he was diagnosed with “multiple congenital conditions”. His foster parents, who had been asked to take him to a follow-up appointment in a month’s time, did not appear for the appointment or return phone calls.

Two months later, they appeared at the hospital, carrying the child’s body. In those two months, he had lost a third of his body weight and ultimately died from malnutrition. His foster parents stand accused of deliberately denying him medical care and nourishment, resulting in his death from willful abuse.

Case Status:
Mason Grimes (Foster parent), charged with capital murder of a child under 15, intentional murder, felony murder, and aggravated child abuse.
Brooklyn Grimes (Foster parent), charged with capital murder of a child under 15, intentional murder, murder, and aggravated child abuse.

Sources:
Blount County foster parents charged with capital murder of emaciated 18-month-old: ‘This child deserved to be loved’
2 charged with abuse, murder of 18-month-old foster child in Blount County
Court documents reveal severe neglect and abuse led to child’s death under couple’s care

Ethan Ruiz

No Photo Name: Ethan Ortiz Ruiz.
Died: October 14, 2023.
Age at death: 3.
Cause of death: Drowning.
Location: Sanford, Florida, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Ethan went missing and was found later that day drowned in a pond; he was rushed to the hospital, but could not be resuscitated. At first this was thought to be an unforeseeable accident, since young children, especially those who are autistic, often love water and do not understand the danger of drowning. However, when police investigated, they found that Ethan’s parents had known that he was completely capable of leaving the house unsupervised. He had been lost three times before he died, and no precautions had been taken to prevent it from happening again. His parents were under the influence of marijuana when Ethan left the house for the final time.

Case Status:
Barbara Ruiz (Mother), charged with aggravated manslaughter.
Lester Ortiz (Father), charged with aggravated manslaughter.

Sources:
Autism Memorial: Ethan Ruiz
Toddler wanders from apartment and drowns in pond, Florida cops say. Parents charged
Police: Parents facing charges after 3-year-old found in Sanford pond dies
Florida Parents Arrested After 3-Year-Old Toddler with Autism Drowns in Pond
Autistic toddler drowns while weed-smoking parents were inside apartment

Baba Junior

Name: Baba Junior.
Died: September 5, 2023.
Age at death: 4 months.
Cause of death: Suffocation.
Location: Berekum, Bono, Ghana.
Disability: Suspected autism.

Details:
Suspecting that the little boy had autism, Baba’s father allegedly hired a fetish priest to suffocate the child. Baba’s parents went to the cemetery at night to bury the body. Neighbors who heard about the incident reported it to the police, who are now investigating.

Case Status:
Dj Poli (Father), wanted and at large.
Madam Paulina (Mother), arrested but later released.
Nana (Hired killer), status unspecified.

Sources:
Man allegedly pays fetish priest GHS800 to kill 4-month-old autistic son, buries him secretly
Man Allegedly Kills His 4-Month-Old Autistic Son
Man allegedly kills and secretly buries his 4-month-old son — Kasapa102.5FM
B/R: Level 200 Legon student allegedly kills four-month-old son for being autistic baby
Autism Memorial: Baba Junior

10-month-old girl

No Photo Name Unknown.
Died: August 21, 2023.
Age at death: 10 months.
Cause of death: Unspecified; homicide.
Location: Giyani, Limpopo, South Africa.
Disability: Unspecified.

Details:
This baby’s mother claimed that she had died of natural causes; but neighbors became suspicious, the child’s body was found buried in a shallow grave, and her mother was arrested for murder.

Case Status:
Her mother, charged with murder and obstruction of justice.

Sources:
Mother arrested after death of disabled baby
Heartless mother in the dock for murder of 10-month-old baby
Limpopo woman arrested for allegedly murdering her disabled daughter

3-year-old boy

No Photo Name Unknown.
Died: May 12, 2023.
Age at death: 3.
Cause of death: Bedsores; sepsis.
Location: Bartow, Florida, USA.
Disability: Hypoxic brain injury, ventilator-dependent.

Details:
Although this three-year-old’s parents had nursing assistance and a caregiver allowance to assist them in caring for him, they dismissed the nurses. Some months later, paramedics were called to the house to find the toddler dying from sepsis caused by extreme, untreated pressure sores. He was rushed to the hospital but could not be saved, and his parents were arrested.

Case Status:
Takesha Williams (Mother), charged with aggravated manslaughter.
Efrem Allen (Father), charged with aggravated manslaughter.

Sources:
Bartow Parents Left Disabled 3-Year-Old Child To Rot To Death: Sheriff
Emergency Doctors Say 3-Year-Old Bartow Boy Hadn’t Been Cared For In Months Before He Died
Florida Couple Charged With Manslaughter in Special Needs Child’s Death

Jermiyah Puskac

Photo of a boy with pale skin and short-cropped brown hair, wearing a bulky black jacket and holding up his hand to the camera. Name: Jermiyah Puskac.
Died: April 29, 2023.
Age at death: 17 months.
Cause of death: Head and neck trauma.
Location: Ocala, Florida, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Jermiyah’s mother allegedly caused a skull fracture and neck injury, and then did not call an ambulance until a day after the injury happened. Jermiyah spent two days in the hospital before he died. He had bruises and other injuries consistent with child abuse.

Case Status:
Puskac Summerfield (Mother), charged with murder.

Sources:
Marion County mother charged with murder in death of her 17-month-old son
Central Florida mother charged in infant’s death
Central Florida woman accused of killing her 17-month-old son, deputies say
‘I’ll just have another one’: Mother who gave shifting stories about toddler son’s death now facing murder charges
Autism Memorial: Jermiyah Puskac