Age: Child – Page 11 – Disability Day of Mourning

Jordynn Barrera

Name: Jordynn Barrera.
Died: January 31, 2020.
Age at death: 7.
Cause of death: Neglect.
Location: Bay City, Texas, USA.
Disability: Down syndrome, cerebral palsy.

Details:
Jordynn was found dead in her bed when police were called for a welfare check to her mother’s house. Her mother had left her and her younger siblings, ages 5 and 3 months, alone to go to a bar, and Jordynn died from neglect. Her mother was arrested, and her two younger siblings were taken into foster care.

Case status:
Lauren Kay Dean (Mother), pleaded guilty to murder and child endangerment; sentenced to life and a concurrent 20 year term.

Source:
Texas mother pleads guilty to the murder and abandonment of disabled, bedridden daughter
Mom Who Left Bedridden Daughter Alone Gets Life Sentence for Murder
Texas mother gets life after bedridden seven-year-old daughter died home alone while she went out to bar
Bedridden girl, 7, found dead after her mom left the house to go partying
What did Lauren Kay Dean do? Texas mom pleads guilty to murder of bedridden daughter
Mother arrested after bedridden daughter, 7, found dead in home
Mother arrested after 7-year-old daughter found dead inside home. She joked about poisoning someone hours earlier: Police
Lauren Kay Dean: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know
How you can help grieving family of 7-year-old found dead

Thomas Valva

Name: Thomas Valva.
Died: January 17, 2020.
Age at death: 8.
Cause of death: Hypothermia.
Location: Long Island, New York, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Thomas lived with his father and his father’s fiancee. He and his brother were starved and made to sleep in the unheated garage. One freezing night, Thomas died, and medical examiners determined he had died from hypothermia.

Thomas was a friendly, well-liked second-grader who enjoyed playing outside. When he was two, he spoke his first words–“Ball” and “go”–while playing with a therapist, rolling a ball back and forth. He also liked puzzles.

Case status:
Michael Valva (Father), convicted of second-degree murder and child endangerment, sentenced to 25 years to life.
Angelina Pollana (Father’s girlfriend), convicted of second-degree murder and child endangerment, sentenced to 25 years to life.

Source:
‘Pure Evil’: Angela Pollina Found Guilty In Death Of Thomas Valva, 8
Stepmom Guilty of Murder in 8-Year-Old Long Island Boy’s Freezing Death
Thomas Valva: Ex-Cop’s Former Fiancée GUILTY in Death of His 8-Year-Old Son
Angela Pollina gets 25 years for murder in hypothermia death of 8-year-old autistic boy Thomas Valva
Thomas Valva Froze In Icy Garage ‘For The Sin Of Being Autistic’: ADA
Murder trial of woman accused in 8-year-old Thomas Valva’s hypothermia death begins
Ex-cop Michael Valva, found guilty of killing son with autism, sentenced
‘Truly sorry’: ex-NYPD cop Michael Valva WEEPS after 25-year sentence for killing autistic son Thomas Valva
Ex-cop Michael Valva gets maximum sentence for murder of son, 8, in freezing LI garage
Former New York Police Officer Convicted in Freezing Death of Son
Educators Testify In Trial Of Ex-NYPD Cop Accused Of Son’s Freezing Death: ‘He Told Me His Heart Was Pounding’
Thomas Valva: Detective Says Autopsy Results Changed Case from Non-criminal to Murder for Cop Dad Accused of Killing Autistic Son
Court Denies Immunity To Child Protection Workers Who Allowed An NYPD Officer To Abuse His Son To Death
Judge rules parts of $200M Thomas Valva death lawsuit can go forward
Thomas Valva’s Mother Can Press $200M Wrongful Death Suit
Autism Memorial: Thomas Valva
NYPD Officer Michael Valva, charged with murder after his autistic son froze to death in garage, quits police force
Thomas Valva’s brother details brutal life with NYPD cop dad accused of murder
A Dozen Calls to Child Abuse Hotline Did Not Save 8-Year-Old Boy
House of Horrors Boy ‘Made the Ultimate Sacrifice’
NYPD officer and fiancée charged with murder of cop’s 8-year-old autistic son who froze to death in garage
NYPD Dad Charged In Frigid-Garage Death Of Boy, 8: Cops
NYPD cop Michael Valva abused son Thomas Valva for years before his death, mom claims
‘I’m Not Surprised,’ Nanny Says Of 8-Year-Old’s Horrific Death
Child services ignored complaints about cop before his son died
NYPD officer Michael Valva, fiancée charged with murder in death of cop’s 8-year-old son
Father, His Fiancée Face Murder Charges In Death Of 8-Year-Old Long Island Boy
NYPD Cop & Fiancee Accused of Killing 8-Year-Old Boy

Mohd Amjad

No Photo
Name: Mohd Amjad.
Died: December 22, 2019.
Age at death: 8.
Cause of death: Traumatic injury.
Location: Hyderabad, Telangana, India.
Disability: Physical disability.

Details:
Mohd was brought to the hospital and declared dead on arrival. His injuries prompted the police to arrest his mother and her partner, who allegedly beat him to death for “bothering” them.

Case status:
Sultana Begum (Mother), charged with murder.
Ismail (Mother’s partner), charged with murder.

Source:
Woman, partner beat handicapped child to death in Cyberabad

Sotaro Ogata

No Photo Name: Sotaro Ogata.
Died: November 14, 2019.
Age at death: 5.
Cause of death: Asphyxia.
Location: Bukit Timah, Singapore.
Disability: Autism, ADHD.

Details:
Sotaro was strangled by his mother, who then killed herself.

His family had moved to Singapore from Japan. His father, a businessman, had been away on a business trip when Sotaro was murdered. Sotaro’s brother, Haruto, survived unharmed.

Case status:
Nami Ogata (Mother), deceased.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Sotaro Ogata
Depressed mum sought help before killing autistic son and herself
Bukit Timah double deaths: Japanese woman with depression strangled son, 5, & stabbed herself to death
Woman found dead near Bukit Batok Nature Park suffered from major depressive disorder before killing young son: Coroner

Harmony Montgomery

Name: Harmony Montgomery.
Died: October 1, 2019 (Missing).
Age at death: 5.
Cause of death: Missing, presumed dead.
Location: Manchester, New Hampshire, USA.
Disability: Blind in one eye.

Details:
Harmony went missing in late 2019, though her disappearance wasn’t reported until 2021. After an investigation lasting another year, police arrested her father, who is accused of hitting Harmony repeatedly in the head and killing her.

Case Status:
Adam Montgomery (Father), charged with murder, falsifying evidence, witness tampering, and abuse of a corpse; currently in prison for 15-30 years on gun charges.
Kayla Montgomery (Stepmother), pleaded guilty to two felony counts of perjury, sentenced to 3.5 to 7 years.

Sources:
What to know about the Harmony Montgomery murder case in New Hampshire
Harmony Montgomery murder case: What to know on the eve of trial
Harmony Montgomery’s father stands trial for five-year-old’s murder
Mass. considers ‘Harmony Commission’ to examine custody process
Harmony Montgomery case: Cops probe new location for possible clues after father Adam charged with murder
New Report Focuses on Concerns for Child Safety
Missing New Hampshire girl Harmony Montgomery was murdered: state AG
Missing Harmony Montgomery: Dad accused of giving partially blind daughter black eye in 2019, other abuse
Father of Harmony Montgomery, girl who disappeared in 2019, is charged with murder in her death
Missing NH girl’s father arrested on murder charge
Harmony Montgomery’s father is charged with murder

Gael Baumea

Name: Gael Francisco Baumea.
Died: September 26, 2019.
Age at death: 6.
Cause of death: Drowned.
Location: Pascua Yaqui, Arizona, USA.
Disability: Unspecified special needs.

Details:
Gael and his mother were members of the Yaqui tribe, though his father was not.

His father, attempting to “perform an exorcism”, allegedly killed the boy by forcing his head under hot water, burning or drowning him. Police say he told them he “saw something evil” inside the boy.

Case status:
Pablo Martinez (Father), charged with first-degree murder.

Source:
Gael Baumea Obituary – Tucson, AZ
Arizona man killed a 6-year-old boy trying to ‘cast the demon out,’ police say
Arizona man charged after 6-year-old son dies during attempted exorcism
Authorities: Tucson man killed son while trying to exorcise demon
Man kills son to ‘cast out demon’
Dad from hell killed six-year-old son by pouring hot water down throat to ‘exorcise demons’

Conner Snyder

Name: Conner Seth Snyder.
Died: September 26, 2019.
Age at death: 8.
Cause of death: Hanging.
Location: Albany, Pennsylvania, USA.
Disability: Speech delay, learning disabilities, poor dexterity.

Other Victim: Brinley Louise Snyder, age 4, Conner’s sister (non-disabled).

Child's watercolor painting of brightly colored flowers in a blue vase. — Artwork by Conner Snyder.

Details:
Conner liked video games and building forts.

Conner’s mother hanged him and his sister Brinley from a dog lead in their basement. She told police it was a suicide, claiming that Conner had been bullied at school because of his disability, and had killed himself and his little sister; but police established that Conner didn’t have the dexterity necessary to use the dog lead to hang himself, and his mother had been researching hanging online.

Case status:
Lisa Rachelle Snyder (Mother), found guilty of two counts of first-degree murder, endangering the welfare of a child and evidence tampering; sentenced to life without parole.

Source:
How to (Not) Get Away with Murder
Defense paints Lisa Snyder as former victim of abuse, mental illness, as murder trial gets underway
Judge rejects plea for Pennsylvania woman charged with killing 2 children found hanging in basement
Lisa Snyder, accused of hanging her 2 children in Berks County, may have a plea deal
Judge signals he won’t allow dog sex charges in trial of Berks mom Lisa Snyder, accused of hanging her children
Pennsylvania mom murdered children found hanging, authorities say
Mom charged with murder in hanging deaths of 2 children in Berks County
Mother charged in ‘horrific’ deaths of children found hanging from dog lead in Pennsylvania basement
Pennsylvania mom Lisa Rachelle Snyder charged with murdering her children Conner and Brinley

Jakie Toole

Photo of Jakie Toole, a smiling child in a white tank top. He has short dark brown hair and brown skin. A filter has been applied that adds yellow butterflies around his head. Name: Jakie Toole.
Died: September 11, 2019 (Body found), last seen April 2019.
Age at death: 5.
Cause of death: Blunt trauma.
Location: Meridian, Mississippi, USA.
Disability: Unspecified special needs; mobility and communication impairment.

Details:
Jakie’s mother left him with a family friend to serve as a caregiver. His body was found in a garbage bag in her basement, and an autopsy showed he had died of trauma from a beating. The caregiver had led police to the body and told them she had burned him in a bathtub and beaten him for crying.

Case status:
Celeste Louise Smith (Caregiver), convicted of murder, sentenced to life.

Source:
Missing child’s caretaker charged with capital murder after body found in basement of Meridian home
Capital murder charge filed in Meridian basement body discovery case
Meridian woman charged with capital murder following discovery of a child’s remains
Body of special needs child found in garbage bag was beaten and burned, autopsy confirms
Autopsy: Body of special needs child found in garbage bag was beaten and burned
Body of child found in basement: Autopsy shows beating; chief says he was also burned
Mother of special needs child who was killed, found in bag, faces neglect charges
Mother charged with child neglect in case of missing special needs child

Skylea Carmack

Photo of a girl with light, freckled skin, brown hair pulled back, smiling for the camera. Name: Skylea Carmack.
Died: September 4, 2019.
Age at death: 10.
Cause of death: Asphyxia.
Location: Gas City, Indiana, USA.
Disability: Developmental disability, possibly autism.

Details:
Skylea’s stepmother strangled her, then reported her missing, saying she had vanished from her home. Police issued a Silver Alert, announcing that Skylea had a history of running away to her mother’s home and might have an autism awareness blanket with her. Skylea’s body was found behind her home several days later.

Skylea was one of six siblings.

Case status:
Amanda Carmack (Stepmother), convicted of murder, neglect of a dependent, strangulation, and domestic battery; sentenced to life without parole.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Skylea Carmack
Jury recommends life without parole for Indiana woman convicted of killing 10-year-old stepdaughter
BREAKING: Missing 10-year-old girl found strangled in shed behind home [Police]
Skylea Carmack: Autopsy confirms girl found dead in shed was strangled as stepmom remains jailed for her
Court docs: Stepmom killed Gas City girl over charm bracelet. Abuse, confinement marked her last hours.

Malachi Lawson

Name: Malachi Lawson.
Died: August 4, 2019.
Age at death: 4.
Cause of death: Burns.
Location: Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
Disability: Walked with a limp; possibly autism

Details:
Malachi’s mother and stepmother initially reported him missing. Police say that, when questioned, they admitted they had burned him by making him sit in a bathtub full of hot water after he had a potty-training accident. Malachi’s body was found in a dumpster.

Malachi loved Paw Patrol and Mickey Mouse. He liked dancing and his favorite color was blue. He had been taken into foster care, but returned to his mother and her partner.

Case status:
Alicia Lawson (Mother), pleaded guilty to neglect resulting in death, sentenced to life with all but 30 years suspended and 5 years probation.
Shatilka Lawson (Stepmother), found guilty of neglect resulting in the death of a minor, first-degree child abuse, reckless endangerment, tampering with evidence and false statement; sentenced to 30 years in prison and 5 years probation.

Source:
Alicia Lawson Pleads Guilty In Death Of 4-Year-Old Son Malachi Lawson
Missing Baltimore 4-Year-Old Found Dead in a Dumpster: Police
‘Remembering Our Superhero’ | 4-Year-Old Malachi Lawson Laid To Rest Tuesday
Family says goodbye to 4-year old Baltimore boy with songs, praise and a comic book in a tearful service
Autism Memorial: Malachi Lawson