Remembering the Disabled Murdered by Caregivers
Age 60+
Name: Devassia Kumbukkal.
Died: May 12, 2024.
Age at death: 76.
Cause of death: Head injury.
Location: Udayagiri, Andhra Pradesh, India.
Disability: Unspecified.
Details:
After a family argument, Devassia’s nephew allegedly attacked him with an axe and a heavy stone, causing fatal head injury.
Case Status:
Shinemon (Nephew), charged with murder.
Name: Kathrikutty.
Died: May 3, 2024.
Age at death: 82.
Cause of death: Throat cut.
Location: Muvattupuzha, Kerala, India.
Disability: Unspecified; bedridden.
Details:
Kathrikutty died from having her throat cut. Authorities say that her husband was angry that she was bedridden and needed care, so he attacked her with a knife and killed her.
She was the mother of five children.
Case Status:
Joseph (Husband), charged with murder.
Sources:
Elderly man slits bedridden wife’s throat, arrested
Frustated man murders his octogenarian, bedridden wife in Kerala
Murder: Elderly Man Kills Bedridden Wife by Slitting Her Throat
Invalid elderly woman murdered by husband in Muvattupuzha
Name: Edward Cheng Kin-wong.
Died: March 27, 2024.
Age at death: 84.
Cause of death: Suffocation.
Location: Kowloon, Hong Kong, China.
Disability: Dementia, muscular dystrophy.
Details:
Mr. Cheng’s domestic help entered his bedroom to find him dead on his bed, and his wife hurt, apparently having tried to take her own life. Mr. Cheng had his nose and mouth covered with tape. Police suspect that his wife, worried about her ability to care for him, had smothered him.
Case Status:
Cheng Ying-lee (Wife), charged with murder.
Sources:
Hong Kong woman, 71, charged with murder after husband, 84, found dead in bed
Hong Kong woman, 71, charged with murder after dementia-suffering husband, 84, found dead in bed
Elderly woman charged with husband’s murder in Kowloon City tragedy to appear in court on 30th March
Elderly couple in grim murder-suicide case
April court date for woman charged with murder of husband, 84, in Hong Kong
Name: Paula Lombardo.
Died: March 15, 2024.
Age at death: 69.
Cause of death: Smothered.
Location: Clearfield, Pennsylvania, USA.
Disability: Parkinson’s disease.
Details:
Paula’s son reported her dead; emergency responders found her dead on her bed, and her son reportedly asked police when he could claim life insurance money. An autopsy concluded that she had died from asphyxia, likely strangulation.
Case Status:
David Michael Lombardo (Son), charged with criminal homicide, aggravated assault, strangulation, tampering with evidence, abuse of a corpse, and recklessly endangering another person.
Sources:
Clearfield Man Headed to County Court for Mother’s Alleged Murder
Paula Lombardo Obituary (2024) – Clearfield, PA – Gant Daily
Clearfield man accused of smothering his disabled mother
Man kills mom and asks police when he can collect life insurance, Pennsylvania cops say
Clearfield Man Jailed for Mother’s Alleged Murder
Name: William Thomas Anderson Jr.
Died: February 22, 2024.
Age at death: 83.
Cause of death: Blunt trauma.
Location: Wilmington, North Carolina, USA.
Disability: Dementia.
Details:
William was found dead in his front yard, having been fatally beaten. His son was arrested and charged with his murder.
Case Status:
Marshall Anderson (Son), charged with first-degree murder.
Sources:
Obituary for William Thomas Anderson, Jr. at Valley Chapel
Wilmington man charged with murder in connection with father’s death
Man accused of murder in his father’s death in New Hanover County
Name: Christiana Blake.
Died: February 21, 2024.
Age at death: 77.
Cause of death: Sepsis, pneumonia; pressure sores.
Location: Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, USA.
Disability: Stroke; mobility impaired, nonspeaking.
Details:
Christiana’s daughter allegedly left her home alone repeatedly for long periods of time and neglected her care. Untended pressure sores in Christiana’s legs progressed to the point of requiring amputation, but she went without medical help for several more months until the state finally took over guardianship of Christiana. But it was too late; she was too sick to survive. Christiana died in the hospital from widespread infection.
Case Status:
Yeawah Sanu (Daughter), charged with criminal homicide and neglect of a care-dependent person.
Minkailu Sanu (Son-in-law), wanted on suspicion of homicide and neglect.
Sources:
Harrisburg woman charged with homicide, neglect of care-dependent person after death of her mother
Disabled woman’s legs went black from neglect, disease before she died in homicide: police
Name: James Gaylor.
Died: February 10, 2024.
Age at death: 70.
Cause of death: Stabbed.
Location: Washington DC, USA.
Disability: Back injury; used cane.
Details:
According to police, James’s daughter stopped them on the street and said she’d stabbed her father. When they investigated, they found James fatally wounded; before he died, police say he told them that his daughter had attacked him. He had been stabbed 17 times.
James was a building engineer and drywall painter. Though he had no children of his own, he was a doting grandfather to his stepsons’ children.
Case Status:
Brittany Gaylor (Daughter), charged with second-degree murder.
Sources:
DC woman accused of killing disabled father
DC woman charged with murder of father, who reported her to police last week
Daughter Charged with Second-Degree Murder for Fatal Stabbing of Disabled Father
Name: Janette Becraft.
Died: February 8, 2024.
Age at death: 85.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Portland, Oregon, USA.
Disability: Dementia.
Details:
Police responded to Janette’s home and, after a standoff with her husband, found her shot dead inside. They arrested her husband.
Janette took pleasure in owning and driving her 1968 Mustang. Spending time with the ladies from the Red Hat Society was a joy for her. She also loved to travel and play games; Scrabble was one of her favorites.
Case Status:
William Albert “Billy Jack” Haynes Jr. (Husband), charged with murder.
Sources:
Former WWE Wrestler Billy Jack Haynes Charged With Wife’s Murder
Former WWE Wrestler in Custody Over Wife’s Murder
Former WWF wrestler arrested in wife’s murder
Mercy Killings and CTE | WWF Star Billy Jack Haynes’ Alleged Murder Of His 85-Year-Old Wife With Dementia Leads To Deeper Questions
Former W.W.F. Wrestler Arrested in Wife’s Murder
Name: Lalitha.
Died: January 13, 2024.
Age at death: 60.
Cause of death: Strangled.
Location: Alappuzha, Kerala, India.
Disability: Diabetes, double leg amputee.
Details:
After Lalitha told her son off for drinking too much, he allegedly strangled her to death. Police say he was “fed up with taking care of his bedridden mother”.
Case Status:
Bineesh (Son), charged with murder.
Sources:
Alcoholic man strangles bedridden mother to death in Alappuzha
Alappuzha man strangles bed-ridden mother to death for questioning drinking habit
Name: Arthur Kenneth Stanton.
Died: December 28, 2023.
Age at death: 63.
Cause of death: Negligent care.
Location: Watkinsville, Georgia, USA.
Disability: Unspecified/care-dependent.
Details:
Arthur was found in poor condition in his home, where he had been left in filth, uncared-for. He was taken to the hospital, but died the next day.
Case Status:
Daivid Allen Stanton (Son), charged with felony murder, reckless conduct, and neglect of a disabled or elderly person.
Sandra Dee Bass (Housemate), charged with neglect of a disabled or elderly person.
Sources:
Second suspect charged in Oconee Co death
Son arrested in connection to death of father found in ‘extreme medical distress,’ Ga. deputies say
Oconee County man arrested for neglect, murder of 63-year-old father
Man arrested for the murder of his father