Remembering the Disabled Murdered by Caregivers
Age 5-11
Name: Mahalakshmi.
Died: October 17, 2020.
Age at death: 7.
Cause of death: Murder.
Location: Chatrapatti, Tamil Nadu, India.
Disability: Paralysis, unspecified; nonspeaking/mobility impaired.
Details:
Mahalakshmi’s father smothered her because having to take care of her made it difficult for him and his wife to go to work.
Perpetrator: V Paalanikumar (Father), accused of murder.
Source: TN man murders disabled daughter
Name: Dylan Freeman.
Died: August 16, 2020.
Age at death: 10.
Cause of death: Murder.
Location: Acton, west London, England, UK.
Disability: Cohen syndrome, autism.
Details:
Dylan’s mother killed him by drugging him and suffocating him.
Dylan’s father says, “Dylan was a beautiful, bright, inquisitive and artistic child who loved to travel, visit art galleries and swim.” He often took his son on vacation overseas.
Perpetrator: Olga Freeman (Mother), charged with murder.
Source:
Celebrity photographer’s autistic son was ‘suffocated with a sponge’
Celebrity photographer’s autistic son, 10, suffocated with sponge as mother ‘struggled’ to take care of him
Celeb photographer’s ex gave autistic son, 10, sleeping drug before ‘putting sponge in his mouth and tying it’
Woman in her 40s is arrested for murder after boy, 10, was found dead at house in west London
Celebrity photographer’s ex-wife charged with murder of 10yo son in London
Mother charged with murdering her autistic son, 10, is pictured arriving at court
Celeb snapper ‘can’t comprehend’ loss of son, 10, as mum charged with murder
Mum charged with murdering son, 10, she shared with celebrity photographer
Name: La’Marion Thomure.
Died: July 15, 2020.
Age at death: 4.
Cause of death: Murder.
Location: St. Louis, Illinois, USA.
Disability: Autism.
Details:
La’Marion was beaten to death by his mother’s boyfriend.
He was a “charming, handsome little boy [who] lightened up the whole room when he was in it. He’d make you smile even on your bad days. He loved being outdoors, playing with family.”
Perpetrator: Demetrius D. Stewart (Mother’s boyfriend), charged with first-degree murder.
Source:
Man accused of killing girlfriend’s autistic child
Man charged with fatally beating autistic boy in East St. Louis
Justice For Lamarion organized by Minnie Thomure
Name: Joshua Jackson “JJ” Vallow.
Died: June 10, 2020 (Body found; last seen September 23, 2019).
Age at death: 7.
Cause of death: Murder.
Location: Rexburg, Idaho, USA.
Disability: Autism.
Details:
JJ’s mother and stepfather killed him and his 17-year-old half-sister, Tylee Ryan. They tried to cover up the children’s deaths by claiming they were home-schooling or that the children were staying with relatives; but their grandparents became worried and asked for a welfare check and the children were declared missing. A storage locker was found, full of the siblings’ possessions. Finally their bodies were found on their stepfather’s property.
Perpetrator: Chad Guy Daybell (Stepfather), charged with two counts of destruction, alteration and concealment of evidence; Lori Vallow Daybell (Mother), charged with desertion and nonsupport of dependent children, resisting or obstructing officers, criminal solicitation to commit a crime, contempt of court and willful disobedience of court process or order.
Source:
Why did Lori Vallow murder her kids? A look into the terrible case
Deaths of Tylee Ryan and J. J. Vallow
Funeral for ‘Cult Mom’ Lori Vallow’s kids ‘can’t be held because charred and butchered remains not released’
Documents detail horrific manner JJ Vallow and Tylee Ryan were found in Chad Daybell’s yard
Brother of J.J. Vallow and Tylee Ryan Says He’s ‘Broken’ After Remains of Idaho Children Found
Doomsday Author, Wife Set for Trial for Murder of 2 Idaho ‘Zombie’ Children
Name: Kylie L. Mickens.
Died: June 8, 2020.
Age at death: 5.
Cause of death: Neglect.
Location: Buford, Georgia, USA.
Disability: 1p36 deletion syndrome.
Details:
Kylie died from malnutrition and dehydration due to medical neglect. Her disability made it difficult for her to swallow, but her parents did not take her to the doctor, and she starved to death weighing only 7 pounds.
Perpetrator: Jerrail Maurice Mickens (Father) and Porscha Danielle Mickens (Mother), both charged with felony murder and first-degree cruelty to children.
Source:
Girl, 5, who weighed seven pounds when died had a rare disorder
Georgia couple accused of starving daughter to death held without bond
Attorney denies murder allegations for clients, claims 5-year-old had short life expectancy from rare condition
Girl, 5, who weighed seven pounds when died had a rare disorder
Name: Esteban Lorenzo Harless.
Age at death: 4.
Name: Penelope Arcadia Harless.
Age at death: 3.
Name: Avielle Magdalena Harless.
Age at death: 1.
Name: Apollo Harless.
Age at death: 11 months.
Died: June 4, 2020.
Cause of death: Multiple murder-suicide.
Location: San Antonio, Texas, USA.
Disability: Special needs.
Details:
Esteban, Penelope, Avielle, and Apollo’s parents gassed them with carbon monoxide before committing suicide. They also killed the family’s two cats.
Perpetrator: Jared Esquibel Harless (Father) and Sheryll Ann Harless (Mother).
Source:
San Antonio Murder-Suicide: Army Officer’s Wife Helped Husband Kill Children with Special Needs
Police: Wife helped husband kill kids before double suicide
Army identifies Fort Sam Houston soldier found dead in apparent murder-suicide
Name Unknown.
Died: May 31, 2020.
Age at death: 6.
Cause of death: Murder-suicide.
Location: Orange, New Jersey, USA.
Disability: Unspecified special needs.
Details:
This little girl was killed by her mother in a murder-suicide. Neighbors said that she had said she was overwhelmed by caring for a special-needs child.
Perpetrator: Sushmiba Bardhan (Mother).
Source:
Sources: Mother, 6-year-old daughter dead in murder-suicide in West Orange
New Jersey Murder-Suicide: Mother Kills 6-Year-Old With Special Needs Before Shooting Self
Name: India Martin.
Died: May 26, 2020.
Age at death: 4.
Cause of death: Abuse.
Location: Rock Hill, South Carolina, USA.
Disability: Unspecified.
Details:
Born prematurely at 26 weeks and addicted to cocaine, India survived a difficult start in life only to be found dead in a dresser drawer, having been abused or neglected by her mother and her boyfriend.
Perpetrator: Jackleen Mullen (Mother) and her boyfriend Audrevious Williams, both charged with homicide by child abuse or neglect.
Source: Mom, boyfriend charged after disabled 4-year-old found dead in dresser drawer
Name: Willow Dunn.
Died: May 25, 2020.
Age at death: 4.
Cause of death: Neglect.
Location: Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
Disability: Down syndrome.
Details:
Willow’s father starved her to death. Her body was found covered in severe bedsores.
Perpetrator: Mark James Dunn (Father), charged with murder.
Source:
Heart-wrenching new detail on alleged murder of four-year-old Brisbane girl
Willow Dunn’s stepmum charged with killing disabled girl days after four-year-old’s dad accused of leaving her to starve
Girl who died in family home may have been dead inside for two days
More details emerge over death of Brisbane girl, four, as her dad is accused of murder
‘Senseless’ death of toddler Willow Dunn sparks outpouring of community grief
‘Big questions’ over what could have been done to save Willow
Willow Dunn’s father and stepmum hit with more child cruelty charges
Name: Alejandro Ripley.
Died: May 22, 2020.
Age at death: 9.
Cause of death: Murder.
Location: Miami, Florida, USA.
Disability: Autism.
Details:
Alejandro’s mother tried to kill him by pushing him into a canal; but some passers-by saw the boy fall in and rescued him. Later that day, she pushed him into a different canal; this time, no one saw, and Alejandro drowned. She tried to pass it off as a kidnapping, but when the police learned about the earlier murder attempt, she confessed to the lie.
Perpetrator: Patricia Ripley (Mother), charged with murder.
Source:
9-year-old boy with autism kidnapped in front of mom found dead in Miami
Non-verbal 9-year-old with autism found dead after abduction from Florida Home Depot, police say
Mother who reported abduction of 9-year-old son with autism now charged in his murder
Dead boy’s mother had attempted to kill him before, prosecutors say
Florida mom charged with the murder of son with autism
‘In a better place.’ Miami mother of drowned autistic boy admits leading him to canal, cops say
Mother Of SW Miami boy found dead charged with murder
Police Investigate Mother In Death Of SW 9-Year-Old Autistic Boy
Florida mom arrested on suspicion of killing 9-year-old son with autism after falsely reporting him kidnapped
After death of boy with autism, Miami special needs group sees rise in crisis calls
Neighbors saved autistic boy, 9, from canal an hour before ‘mom pushed him AGAIN to his death and faked kidnap’
‘He never made a sound’: Witness says she saw autistic boy fall into canal. Days later, his mother is arrested for felony murder. [Update]
Possible motive revealed in autistic boy’s murder, mother charged