Age: Elder – Page 13 – Disability Day of Mourning

Manu Savaliya

No Photo Name: Manu Savaliya.
Died: January 27, 2021.
Age at death: 75.
Cause of death: Mauled by a leopard.
Location: Amrutpur, Gujarat, India.
Disability: Blind, intellectual disability.

Details:
Manu’s family allegedly chained him to his bed because he had fallen into a well when unattended, because he had bitten people, and because he “bothered the neighbors”. One night, Manu’s family had gone to a wedding, and the one relative left behind went with their domestic helper to go water their fields in the early morning. Manu, a strong man even at the age of 75, was attacked and killed by a leopard, unable to escape or fight back because of the chain.

Case status:
Police are investigating a complaint of wrongful confinement against Manu’s family.

Source:
Gujarat: Chained at farm for attacking villagers, 75-year-old blind man killed, eaten by leopard
Blind man chained to bed killed by leopard in Gujarat (Caution: graphic image of body)
Leopard mauls to death 75-year-old chained by family in Gujarat’s Amreli

Joanne Wheeler

Photo of an older lady. Name: Joanne Marcella Wheeler.
Died: January 11, 2021.
Age at death: 87.
Cause of death: Shooting.
Location: Medford, Oregon, USA.
Disability: Unspecified chronic illness; frail elder.

Details:
Joanne was shot to death.

Police say her husband told them that he had shot her because he believed that due to her health problems, she would be “better off dead than alive”.

Joanne enjoyed acrylic, oil, and watercolor painting. Her granchildren called her “Booma”.

Case status:
James Edward Wheeler (Husband), charged with second-degree murder; died before trial.

Source:
Obituary for Joanne M. Wheeler
Elderly Medford man accused of killing his wife dies before trial
88-year-old Southern Oregon man accused of killing wife
88-year-old Medford man arraigned on murder charge

Saburo Sato

No Photo Name: Saburo Sato.
Died: December 30, 2020.
Age at death: 73.
Cause of death: Injuries from assault.
Location: Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan.
Disability: Dementia.

Details:
Mr. Sato’s son is accused of beating him in the head and stomach; police say he admitted to the charge, saying he had “lost patience” with his father due to his dementia. When Mr. Sato lost consciousness, his son called emergency services, but he was declared dead at the hospital.

Case status:
Seiichi Sato (Son), arrested on suspicion of murder.

Source:
Man, 44, accused of fatally assaulting senile father in Yokohama
Man arrested over murder of 73-year-old father

William and Eric Smithson

No Photo Name:William Harvey Smithson.
Age at death: 78.
Disability: Chronic illness/frail elder.

Name: Eric Russell Smithson.
Age at death: 54.
Disability: Unspecified special needs.

Died: November 24, 2020.
Cause of death: Shooting.
Location: Clermont, Florida, USA.

Details:
William and his son Eric lived with his wife. Authorities concluded that William’s wife shot and killed her husband and son, then killed herself.

Case status:
Joyce Lorraine Smithson (wife/mother), died by suicide.

Source:
Florida woman accused of killing husband, son with special needs in double murder-suicide
Deputies: Woman killed her husband, son with special needs before killing herself
Elderly Woman Murdered Her Ill Husband and Special Needs Son Before Dying by Suicide: Deputies
Incident 11-24-2020 Florida Clermont 2-1

Thomas Gruidl

No Photo Name: Thomas Gruidl.
Died: November 20, 2020.
Age at death: 73.
Cause of death: Blunt force trauma.
Location: Wilmington, North Carolina, USA.
Disability: Cancer, wheelchair user.

Details:
Thomas’s son beat him to death with a baseball bat as he lay in bed.

Case status:
Flynn Thomas Gruidl (Son), charged with first-degree murder, fraud, and defrauding the elderly; pleaded guilty to second degree murder, sentenced to 23-28 years in prison.

Source:
New Hanover man pleads guilty in connection with father’s death
Man accused of killing father stole $134K from parents’ bank account, warrants allege
‘There’s blood everywhere’: 911 caller describes finding man allegedly beaten to death by son
Man charged with murder in father’s death

Charles Chandler

Name: Charles James Chandler.
Died: November 7, 2020.
Age at death: 80.
Cause of death: Diabetes complications.
Location: Toledo, Ohio, USA.
Disability: Diabetes.

Details:
While in the care of his children, Charles died from complications of diabetes because he had not been given insulin for two months. He died in hospice care, and his children were arrested and charged.

Charles was a devout Christian and a deacon at his church. He sang baritone in a quartet and loved sweets.

Case Status:
Charles Chandler Jr. (Son), charged with reckless homicide and knowingly failing to provide for a functionally impaired person.
Tina Chandler (Daughter), charged with reckless homicide and knowingly failing to provide for a functionally impaired person.
Christopher Chandler (Son), charged with knowingly failing to provide for a functionally impaired person.

Source:
Siblings on trial, accused of playing role in father’s death
Charles James Chandler – View Obituary & Service Information
Tenn. brother, sister charged with killing disabled mother
3 siblings indicted on charges relating to homicide of elderly father

Vincent Avellino

Name: Vincent C. Avellino.
Died: November 2, 2020.
Age at death: 83.
Cause of death: Infection.
Location: Ranshaw, Pennsylvania, USA.
Disability: Dementia.

Details:
Vincent died because he developed a massive pressure sore that ultimately killed him; reportedly, he had been left in place in his chair for over a month. His wife, with whom he lived, was trained as a home health aide. Home health aides like Vincent’s wife are are trained in bedsore prevention and taught how dangerous it is not to move a patient for extended periods of time.

Vincent was a retired factory worker who loved the outdoors. He liked hunting, fishing, crabbing, mushroom and berry picking, and grew a garden. He was a good baker and wine maker. He liked antiques and going to yard sales, and collected coins. He loved long car rides and milkshakes. He had nine grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Case status:
Debora Avelino (Wife), charged with involuntary manslaughter and neglect.

Source:
Vincent Avellino Obituary (2020)
Woman charged with neglect and involuntary manslaughter for husband’s death
Pa. wife charged with causing death of husband with dementia

Nicholas Colatrella

No Photo Name: Nicholas Colatrella.
Died: October 30, 2020.
Age at death: 83.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Chestnuthill Township, Pennsylvania, USA.
Disability: Suspected dementia.

Details:
Nicholas had been acting erratically, and his son suspected he might have dementia. Instead of taking his father to the doctor, he shot his father dead.

A devout Catholic, Nicholas was a retired truck driver and Korean war veteran.

Case status:
Rick Colatrella (Son), convicted of criminal homicide, sentenced to 15-40 years in prison.

Source:
Man sentenced for 2020 killing of father in Monroe County
Nicholas Joseph Colatrella Obituary – Visitation & Funeral Information
Troopers: Son killed father over dementia fears
Son charged in father’s homicide

Callie Branch

Name: Callie Branch.
Died: October 17, 2020.
Age at death: 73.
Cause of death: Stabbed.
Location: Memphis, Tennessee, USA.
Disability: Partial paralysis after stroke.

Details:
Callie’s daughter allegedly stabbed her to death. Police say Callie’s daughter told them that Callie threatened to call the police, so her daughter stabbed her.

Before she retired, Callie owned a beauty shop.

Case Status:
Crystal Branch (Daughter), charged with first-degree murder.

Source:
Woman indicted for stabbing elderly mother
Woman indicted for murder in stabbing death of 73-year-old disabled mother
Police: Woman found smoking cigarette after stabbing 73-year-old mother

Homer Piatt

Name: Homer “Dave” Piatt.
Died: October 15, 2020.
Age at death: 72.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Las Crucez, Ohio, USA.
Disability: Chronic illness, mobility impaired.

Details:
Dave’s wife shot him. Three days later, she went to the police and explained she had killed him to “ease his suffering”.

He was the former Postmaster of Haydenville, a nearby town.

Case Status:
Gayle L. Piatt (Wife), pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter; sentenced to 11 to 16-1/2 years in prison.

Source:
Haydenville woman sentenced for husband’s death
Obituary for Homer David “Dave” Piatt at Cardaras Funeral Home – Logan