Category: Age: Child

Age 5-11

Ayahna Comb

Photo of a young girl with light-brown skin and dark hair and eyes.Name: Ayahna Comb.
Died: January 29, 2014.
Age at death: 9.
Cause of death: Malnutrition/dehydration.
Location: Houston, Texas, USA.
Disability: Cerebral palsy.

Details:
Ayana was fatally neglected by her mother. When she died, her mother wrapped her in blankets and put her 15-pound body in the crisper drawer of her refrigerator.

Case status:
Amber Keyes (Mother), pleaded guilty to injury to a child by omission, sentenced to 20-40 years.

Source:
Death of girl found wrapped in blankets in refrigerator ruled a homicide
Mother of girl, 9, found dead in refrigerator sentenced to 40 years

Damien Veraghen

Photo: A fair-skinned boy with short brown hair, smiling.Name: Damien Veraghen.
Died: January 20, 2014.
Age at death: 9.
Cause of death: Asphyxia.
Location: Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA.
Disability: Autism, epilepsy.

Details:
Damien was drugged and suffocated by his mother in a murder-suicide.

Damien liked playing catch, and loved sports in general. He played in the Miracle League of Green Bay. Every week, Damien played a game with friends in the league. He loved the baseball bats.

He also liked to run the vacuum cleaner at home; neighbors would hear the vacuum cleaner and know it was Damien.

Case status:
April Veraghen (Mother), deceased.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Damien Veraghen
April and Damien Veraghen, Obituary
Mother-son deaths at west-side apartment ruled murder, suicide
Friends remember victims of murder-suicide
Mother-son murder-suicide investigation closed

Omaree Varela

Photo of a solemn African-American boy with light-brown skin and short curly dark-brown hair, wearing a blue T-shirt that is a bit too big for him.Name: Omaree Varela.
Died: December 27, 2013.
Age at death: 9.
Cause of death: Blunt trauma, internal bleeding.
Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA.
Disability: ADHD, PTSD, mild developmental delay.

Details:
Omaree was kicked to death by his mother.

Six months before he died, Omaree called 911 for help; but the investigation came to nothing.

Case Status:
Synthia Varela-Casaus (Mother), convicted of murder, sentenced to 40 years.
Stephen Casaus (Stepfather), convicted of convicted of child abuse resulting in death, sentenced to 30 years; sentence overturned, still in prison in drug charges, but may have his sentence reduced to 10.5 years.

Sources:
Omaree Varela’s parents – All about their troubles with the law
Omaree Varela’s stepfather to be re-sentenced
Omaree death settlement cloaked in secrecy – Albuquerque Journal

Randle Barrow

Photo of a boy with dark skin and curly dark hair, sitting on a therapy ball. He is wearing a blue collared shirt and white pants.Name: Randle Barrow.
Died: December 14, 2013.
Age at death: 8.
Cause of death: Drowning.
Location: Huntsville, Alabama, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Randle’s mother took him to the Tennessee River, drowned him, and then went home and killed herself. She was said to be “overwhelmed by all the events in her life”.

His behavioral therapist describes Randle Barrow like this: “Randle made every kid in his classroom smile constantly. He was hilarious; the happiest kid. He would do anything for anybody. If he saw a child upset, he cried for that child. He understood.”

Case status:
Delicia Barrow (Mother), deceased.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Randle Barrow
Deaths of mom, autistic child believed to be murder-suicide
Police: Randle Barrow’s Mother Drowned Him in Tennessee River, Then Killed Herself
Friends Of Randle Barrow Say His Mother Was Devoted, Caring
Police say autistic child was murdered by his mother

Lucas Mascini

Bulletin board covered with children's drawings with Dutch text, memorializing Lucas and Rosa.
Classmates’ memorial drawings for Lucas and Rosa V.

Name: Lucas Mascini (also called Lucas V).
Died: October 2, 2013.
Age at death: 8.
Cause of death: Stabbed.
Location: Apeldoorn, Netherlands.
Disability: “Severely disabled”.

Details:
Lucas and his six-year-old sister Rosa were murdered by their mother. Police say she told them she had been delusional and had been having trouble caring for her children, “especially her disabled son”.

Case status:
Aurélie V. (Mother); convicted of murder, sentenced to 12 years in prison.

Source:
Aurèlie V., de moeder die haar twee kinderen vermoorde stond vandaag voor de rechter
Moeder bracht haar kinderen om tijdens ‘nachtmerrie’
Hof veroordeelt Apeldoornse moeder tot 12 jaar cel voor doden van haar twee kinderen
Mother claims she was delusional when she killed her kids
Moeder doodde haar twee kinderen ‘in een waan’

Jake Harkins

Photo of a boy with fair skin and sandy hair, wearing a white shirt.Name: Jake Harkins.
Died: September 6, 2013.
Age at death: 10.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Jake’s father shot him to death in a murder suicide.

Case status:
Jake Harkins Sr. (Father), deceased.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Jake Harkins
Domestic incident leaves two dead, 1 injured
Dad Kills Son, Self, Shoots Wife in “Gruesome” Murder-Suicide: Police
Memorial Dedicated at NE Phila. School to Autistic Boy Who Died

Hayley Bell

Photo of a sleeping fair-skinned toddler girl, draped in cloth.Name: Hayley Dea Bell.
Died: August 1, 2013.
Age at death: 8.
Cause of death: Pneumonia, malnutrition.
Location: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Disability: Developmental disability; tube-fed; epilepsy.

Details:
Hayley’s mother refused services and took her daughter out of school. Hayley died of starvation and pneumonia, weighing 12 kilograms (26 pounds).

Case status:
Elisha Bell (Mother), caregiver. No charges.

Source:
Starved, sick and unschooled: Did child protection fail Hayley?
Bell, Hayley Dea

Isaiah Buckner

School photo of Isaiah Buckner, a boy with fair skin and sandy hair, wearing very thick glasses and a striped shirt. His smile shows a gap between his front teeth.Name: Isaiah A. Buckner.
Died: July 10, 2013.
Age at death: 10.
Cause of death: Peritonitis from untreated internal injury.
Location: Athol, Massachusetts, USA.
Disability: Autistic, deaf, visually impaired.

Details:
Isaiah died soon after he was rushed to the hospital with abdominal trauma. His caregiver had kicked him in the stomach, severing his small intestine; then the injury was ignored for several days, killing him.

Isaiah attended Austine School for the Deaf. He was energetic and social and liked to give everyone hugs.

Case status:
Christopher Vinsant (Mother’s boyfriend), pled guilty to involuntary manslaughter, sentenced to 8-10 years.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Isaiah Buckner
Athol man pleads guilty in death of 10-year-old Isaiah Buckner
Man pleads guilty to manslaughter for Athol boy’s death in 2013
Man pleads guilty to manslaughter for Athol boy’s 2013 death
Investigative report details 110 child abuse and neglect deaths, with a third happening under eye of Mass. DCF
Isaiah Buckner | Out of the shadows

Terry Smith

Photo: A boy with brown hair and light-brown skin, smiling; he is wearing a blue striped shirt.Name: Terry “JuJu” Smith.
Died: July 5-6, 2013 (Exact day unknown).
Age at death: 11.
Cause of death: Head injury.
Location: Menifee, California, USA.
Disability: ADHD; possibly autistic.

Details:
Terry was killed by his half-brother.

Terry loved picnics. His favorite color was blue.

Case status:
Skylor Atilano (Half-brother), pled guilty to voluntary manslaughter, sentenced to 12 years; spent 5 years in a juvenile detention center before being released.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Terry “JuJu” Smith
Teen Gets 12-Year Sentence for Half Brother’s Murder
Brother imprisoned for Terry Smith’s 2013 death is released
Terry Smith Murder
Terry Smith Jr. – The strange, sad story of a murdered 11 year old boy in Menifee, California
Terry Smith’s Brother: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know

Levai Bonnar

Photo of a boy with tan skin and straight black hair, smiling for the camera, wearing a blue hoodie.Name: Levai Bonnar.
Died: May 21, 2013.
Age at death: 7.
Cause of death: Head injury.
Location: Sydney, Australia.
Disability: Intellectual disability.

Details:
Levai was beaten, starved, and humiliated by his parents. The abuse eventually proved fatal when Levai died of head injuries.

Levai’s killers nearly escaped justice by claiming the boy had died from falling off a pogo stick.

Case status:
Kayla James (Mother), convicted of manslaughter, sentenced to 10½ years.
Kodi James Maybir (Mother’s boyfriend), convicted of murder, sentenced to 31½ to 38 years.

Source:
Boy spent last months being abused: court
Life term urged for child killer Kodi Maybir
Christian hip-hop producer Kodi Maybir jailed for killing partner’s child