Category: Age: Baby

Age 0-4

Dante Mullinix

Photo of Dante Mullinix, a small boy with a mop of curly blond hair, wearing an orange polo shirt and looking at the camera.Name: Dante Mullinix.
Died: September 15, 2018.
Age at death: 2.
Cause of death: Head injury, strangulation.
Location: Hershey, Pennsylvania, USA.
Disability: Developmental disability, nonverbal, autism.

Details:
Dante was a happy baby. He had a developmental delay, and had difficulty chewing and swallowing. He could say a few words, like “ew” and “yeah”. He was being evaluated for autism.

His aunt called him “Monkey Man” because he had a favorite blanket with a monkey on it which he carried everywhere. Before he went to sleep, he rubbed his face against his blanket.

Dante’s mother left him with her friend; shortly thereafter, Dante was brought to the hospital, unresponsive, with bruises, a compressed neck, and a brain injury, and died a few days later. The babysitter was charged with murder, but acquitted; Dante’s mother, who admitted to not seeking medical care for him, was sentenced to 5 years probation.

Case status:
Leah Mullinix (Mother), pleaded guilty to child endangerment, sentenced to 5 years probation.
Tyree Bowie (Mother’s friend), charged with first- and third-degree murder; acquitted.

Source:
Mother won’t serve jail time for neglecting Dante Mullinix before his death
Autism Memorial: Dante Mullinix
Police charge aunt for sharing documents about abused nephew’s death: ‘I’m exposing the truth’
‘This poor kid was doomed from the beginning:’ The tragic life and death of Dante Mullinix

Abel Leveque-Flett

Photo of a toddler boy with pale skin and shaggy black hair, wearing a blue striped tank top; he has two fingers in his mouth.Name: Abel Joseph Leveque-Flett.
Died: August 23, 2018.
Age at death: 3.
Cause of death: Undetermined; after severe abuse.
Location: Little Grand Rapids, Manitoba, Canada.
Disability: Epilepsy, developmental disability, mobility impairment.

Details:
Abel was dead on arrival to a nursing station. He had seven broken bones, severe bruising, and burns. An autopsy was inconclusive because it could not be determined whether he had died from his disability or from the abuse he had endured, but his caregivers were both convicted of “failing to provide the necessaries of life”.

Case Status:
Houston Bushie (Temporary guardian), pleaded guilty to failing to provide the necessaries of life, sentenced to 3 years.
Alayna Flett (Family member, temporary guardian), pleaded guilty to failing to provide the necessaries of life.

Sources:
Guardian sentenced to 3 years for death of toddler who had ‘profoundly disturbing’ injuries
Mar 2021: First Nation demands justice in boy’s death
Manitoba’s families minister calls for review of boy’s death after caregivers charged
Temporary guardians charged in connection with death of 3-year-old in Little Grand Rapids, Man.

Emma Bingaman

Photo of a baby with pale skin and wispy, light-blonde hair, wearing pajamas with a zipper up the front. She has a puzzled, slightly worried expression on her face.Name: Emma Rose Bingaman.
Died: July 30, 2018.
Age at death: 2.
Cause of death: Blunt trauma.
Location: Mt. Morris, Michigan, USA.
Disability: Developmental delay, seizures; prematurity.

Details:
Emma was abused by her parents for most of her life. She died from a beating aged 2, weighing less than ten pounds.

Case status:
George Bingaman (Father), convicted of felony murder, first-degree child abuse, torture and two counts of child abuse in the presence of another child; sentenced to 10-30 years.
Destiny Bingaman (Mother), convicted of felony murder, first-degree child abuse, torture and two counts of child abuse in the presence of another child; sentenced to 13 1/2 to 30 years.

Source:
Two mid-Michigan parents sentenced in death of 3-year-old
Toddler’s alleged abuse ‘one of the worst cases’ doctor ever saw
Officials investigating if others knew of alleged abuse that killed 2-year-old
Parents of Mt. Morris Township 3-year-old officially charged with murder
Flint-area parents charged in death of 2-year-old daughter
Charges announced against parents in 3-year-old girl’s death
Emma Rose Bingaman
Parents heading to trial in death of 3-year-old
Parents bound over in beating death of 2-year-old daughter

Comfort Thompson-Pene

No PhotoName: Comfort Jay Thompson-Pene.
Died: July 24, 2018.
Age at death: 18 months.
Cause of death: Blunt head trauma.
Location: Tirau, North Island, New Zealand.
Disability: Birth defect.

Details:
Comfort died from head trauma after long-term child abuse and neglect.

She had spent her first few months of her life in the hospital.

Case Status:
Southern Thompson (Mother), convicted of murder, child abuse, injury with intent, and failing to seek medical care; sentenced to 17 years to life.

Sources:
Named: Woman who abused, neglected and bashed her child to death
Mum who abused, neglected then murdered her own daughter can now be named
Southern Thompson Name Suppression Lift A Reminder Of NZ’s Atrocious Child Abuse Statistics

9-month-old baby

No PhotoName Unknown.
Died: May 18, 2018.
Age at death: 9 months.
Cause of death: Unspecified homicide.
Location: Kalwa, Thane, India.
Disability: Unspecified.

Details:
This 9-month-old baby’s mother allegedly murdered them and threw their body into the creek.

Case status:
Yashoda Cheddar (Mother), charged with murder.

Source:
Woman arrested for murder of disabled child

Nathan Quezada

Photo of a baby boy wearing a striped shirt. He has dark brown eyes, light skin, and wispy brown hair.Name: Nathaniel C. Quezada Fernandez.
Died: March 8, 2018.
Age at death: 21 months.
Cause of death: Broken spine.
Location: San Angelo, Texas, USA.
Disability: Ostopenia, developmental delay in motor and language skills.

Details:
Nathan died from a broken spine due to blunt trauma from an assault; his death was ruled a homicide. When he died, he was at home with his stepfather.

Case status:
Andrew Fernandez (Stepfather), charged with capital murder.
Lesley Renay Moreno Fernandez (Mother), charged with capital murder.

Source:
Several homicide investigations gripped San Angelo in 2018
Stepfather talks about San Angelo boy’s injuries after final autopsy released
Tragic Toddler Death Caused by Blunt Trauma
West Side Toddler Autopsy Confirms Homicide
View Nathaniel Fernandez’s Obituary on gosanangelo.com and share memories
Nathaniel C. Quezada Fernandez’s Memorial | San Angelo, Texas
Parents of San Angelo toddler who died of trauma arrested, charged with capital murder
San Angelo man accused of killing toddler will face death penalty

Zoe Whitford

Photo: A toddler girl, sitting, in a white dress with blue flowers. She has shoulder-length blond hair and fair skin.Name: Zoe Whitford.
Died: February 10, 2018.
Age at death: 3.
Cause of death: Suffocation.
Location: Dublin, Ireland.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
When Zoe attended a Montessori school, the principal noticed that her behavior was different and told her mother that she ought to have an assessment. At the assessment, she was given a diagnosis of borderline-to-mild autism, but her mother was convinced that she had severe autism with pathological demand avoidance. She thought Zoe would never get the right services and it would ruin her other child’s life.

Her mother suffocated her with a Minnie Mouse pillow; she died three days later in the hospital.

Case status:
Her mother, charged with murder, found not guilty by reason of insanity, committed to mental hospital.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Zoe Whitford
Irish mum charged with murder of her three-year-old daughter
Mother who smothered autistic daughter committed to Central Mental Hospital after bed made available
Woman who smothered her daughter was suffering from severe depression with psychotic features, court hears
Woman found not guilty of murder by reason of insanity
Mother smothered girl (3) after autism diagnosis, court told
Mother smothered toddler daughter with Minnie Mouse pillow as she called out for her father, court told
Mother accused of child’s murder was ‘overwhelmed’
Mother who admits suffocating her three-year-old daughter was ‘obsessed’ over autism, court hears
Mother not guilty of murder by reason of insanity
Mother who admits suffocating girl (3) ‘obsessed’ over autism, court told
Mother accused of child’s murder ‘obsessed’ over autism

Mariah Woods

Photo of Mariah Woods, a toddler girl with fair skin and blonde hair in two ponytails. She is wearing a pink formal dress and has a big pink gift ribbon glued to her hair; she is pretending to feed a baby doll.Name: Mariah Kay Woods.
Died: December 2, 2017.
Age at death: 3.
Cause of death: Chloroform poisoning.
Location: Jacksonville, North Carolina, USA.
Disability: Mobility impaired; wore leg braces.

Details:
When Mariah disappeared from her bed, her community searched for her for six days before her body was found. Authorities suspect that she was kidnapped, probably sexually assaulted, and murdered by her mother’s boyfriend.

Case status:
Earl Kimrey (Mother’s boyfriend), charged with first-degree murder and felony child abuse inflicting serious bodily injury.

Source:
Date set in 3-year-old Mariah Woods murder trial
Earl Kimrey arrested in case of missing 3-year-old Mariah Woods
Where is Mariah Woods? FBI joins hunt for missing 3-year-old North Carolina girl
Officials say body of 3-year-old Mariah Woods recovered in Pender County
Warrants explain charges against Kimrey in Mariah Woods case
Toddler Mariah Woods’ Body Found at the Bottom of a Creek!
Explosive documents detail 3-year-old Mariah Woods alleged sex abuse before tot found dead in creek, CLAIMS mommy knew
Child’s remains found in creek probably those of 3-year-old who vanished in the night, feds say

Mason Blum

No PhotoName: Mason Blum.
Died: November 1, 2017.
Age at death: 2.
Cause of death: Neglect.
Location: Pen Argyl, Pennsylvania, USA.
Disability: Mobility impaired, nonverbal.

Details:
Mason’s mother put him in the bathtub with the water running, and left him there while she got high. He drowned.

Case status:
Michelle Wallace (Mother), pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter, sentenced to 5-10 years.

Source:
Slate Belt mom admits she was on drugs, allowed 2-year-old special needs child to drown in tub.
Drugged mom pleads guilty in drowning death of disabled 2-year-old
Baby died of drowning and Slate Belt case labeled homicide
Toddler’s death in mother’s bath tub a homicide, coroner rules
Police charge Pen Argyl mom with manslaughter; toddler found in tub
Slate Belt woman charged in her disabled 2-year-old’s death in tub
Autopsy complete in death of 2-year-old Pen Argyl boy
Slate Belt mom admits she was on drugs, allowed 2-year-old special needs child to drown in tub.

Sherin Mathews

Photo of Sherin Mathews, a young girl with tan skin and chin-length brown hair, wearing a dress with pink polka-dots on it.Name: Sherin Mathews.
Died: October 22, 2017 (Body found); died October 7, 2017.
Age at death: 3.
Cause of death: Choked.
Location: Dallas, Texas, USA.
Disability: Developmental disability, failure to thrive.

Details:
Sherin’s adoptive father claimed she had been adopted from India with developmental delays, malnutrition, and an “eating disorder”. When he brought her to the hospital with broken bones, he claimed that she had brittle bones from being malnourished at the orphanage.

Her adoptive father was trying to force her to drink milk at 3 a.m., and choked her to death doing it. He then dumped her body and pretended she had gone missing, before eventually confessing to the killing. The autopsy confirmed that Sherin’s cause of death was “homicidal violence”.

Later, the orphanage came forward and reported that Sherin had not had trouble eating. Her “eating disorder” may have been a fabrication to cover up her murder. She was merely small for her age, a condition called “failure to thrive” which is common in children with difficult backgrounds. The broken bones she had suffered months before her death had nothing to do with malnutrition and everything to do with child abuse.

Case status:
Wesley Mathews (Adoptive father), pleaded guilty to injury to a child by omission, sentenced to 30 years to life.

Source:
Wesley Mathews, Accused of Killing Girl, 3, Pleads Guilty to Lesser Charge
Sherin Mathews death: Foster dad pleads guilty to lesser charge
Man gets life sentence in 3-year-old daughter’s death
Capital murder trial set to begin for ‘dad’ who claimed he locked slain tot outside at 3 a.m. for not drinking her milk
Sherin Mathews abandoned in India before alley abandonment that may have led to death
A father reported his 3-year-old missing. Then he told police he’d watched her die.
Texas dad admits disposing of child’s body, affidavit says
Father of Sherin Mathews says he watched as his 3 year old child choked on milk and died
‘Sherin Mathews didn’t have developmental disability’; foster father on suicide watch in jail
Mother Of Girl Who Allegedly Died Drinking Milk Arrested For Leaving Her Alone And Going Out To Dinner
Sherin Mathews Was Being Abused Months Before Her Death, Pediatrician Told Child Protective Services
Autopsy Reveals 3-Year-Old Sherin Mathews Died from ‘Homicidal Violence’
Sherin Mathews Update: Slain AMBER Alert toddler died from ‘homicidal violence’
Sherin Mathews died from ‘homicidal violence,’ autopsy finds
U.S. Adoption Agency Banned from India Following Death of Toddler Sherin
Father charged with murder in death of 3-year-old Indian girl
Texas father charged with murder in death of Indian orphan
Father Charged in Murder of 3-Year-Old Adopted Orphan Sherin Mathews
TX dad charged with capital murder in death of 3-year-old
Who Is Wesley Mathews? Sherin Mathews’ Father Charged With Missing Texas Toddler’s Murder
BREAKING: Death Penalty for Sherin Mathews’ Father? Wesley Mathews Indicted on Capital Murder Charge
Wesley Mathews charged with CAPITAL MURDER in death of adopted toddler, Sherin Mathews
Texas father charged with murder in death of Indian orphan
Sherin Mathews case: Father who claimed girl choked on milk charged with murder
Texas father charged with murder in death of daughter adopted from Indian orphanage
Wesley Mathews Allegedly Used ‘Deadly Weapon’ to Kill Daughter Sherin Mathews
New Texas Law Inspired by Three-year-old Toddler Sherin Mathews’ Death
Bond reduced for Richardson man accused in death of his adopted daughter
In Sherin Mathews’ Death Case, Foster Parents To Be Tried Separately