Category: Age: Elder

Age 60+

Evelyn Bailey

Portrait photo of Evelyn Bailey, an elderly woman wearing a white suit jacket and a string of pearls. Her salt-and-pepper hair is permed and cut short. She has pale skin and is wearing large glasses and a flag lapel pin. She is smiling for the camera.Name: Evelyn Bailey.
Died: September 22, 2018.
Age at death: 93.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Erwin, Tennessee, USA.
Disability: Alzheimer’s disease.

Details:
Evelyn’s son-in-law shot her dead from behind; then he killed himself.

Before retiring, Evelyn worked as a shirt inspector in a garment factory. She liked flowers and sewing by hand. She had two children, six grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.

Case status:
Grady Hughes (Son-in-law), deceased.

Sources:
Unicoi County murder-suicide involved family members
Unicoi man kills mother-in-law, self
Evelyn Bailey

Mary Terry

No PhotoName: Mary Kathleen Black Terry.
Died: September 21, 2018.
Age at death: 79.
Cause of death: Shooting.
Location: Catonsville, Maryland, USA.
Disability: Unspecified; recent injury requiring wheelchair use.

Details:
Mary and her husband were living in a retirement community when she was injured and had to start using a wheelchair. Mary’s husband fatally shot her, then killed himself.

Case status:
Clifford Wilson Terry (Husband), deceased.

Source:
Police ID Elderly Couple In Murder-Suicide In Retirement Community
Police name Clifford and Mary Terry as couple in murder-suicide at Catonsville retirement home
UPDATE: Couple identified after retirement community murder suicide
Baltimore County police investigating suspected murder-suicide in parking lot of Catonsville retirement community

Ronald Blankenship

No PhotoName: Ronald Blankenship.
Died: August 20, 2018.
Age at death: 64.
Cause of death: Bronchopneumonia.
Location: Monticello, Illinois, USA.
Disability: Unspecified; diabetes, mobility impaired.

Details:
Ronald lived with his sister and nephew, who were supposed to care for him. He died of severe, untreated bronchopneumonia and was found in filthy surroundings.

When Ronald was found dead, police also found a young woman with Down syndrome, who had been adopted by one of Ronald’s relatives; she was taken into adult protective services. Three dogs and three cats, also neglected, were taken by animal control; two of the dogs, Cocker Spaniels named Chance and Puddy, were too sick to survive and had to be euthanized.

Case status:
Christie Brown (Sister), convicted of criminal abuse or neglect of a disabled person and aggravated cruelty to a companion animal.
Mason Brown (Nephew), convicted of criminal abuse or neglect of an elderly person, sentenced to 5 years in prison and 1 year on parole.
Justin Tatman (Power of Attorney), charged with criminal neglect, charges dropped.

Source:
Neglect charges on one defendant dropped
Monticello man found guilty of neglect after death of uncle
Bond set for three in neglect case | Piatt County Journal-Republican
3 arrested in connection with death of Monticello man

Ann DeLucia

Photo of Ann DeLucia, an elderly woman with pale skin and chin-length white hair, wearing a pair of round sunglasses.Name: Ann DeLucia.
Died: August 8, 2018.
Age at death: 70.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Valhalla, New York, USA.
Disability: Stroke, mobility impaired.

Details:
Ann was in the hospital when her husband walked into her room, shot her, and then killed himself.

Case status:
Richard DeLucia (Husband), deceased.

Source:
Staff, patients: Somber atmosphere blankets Westchester Medical Center after shooting
Man upset by wife’s illness kills her, himself at hospital
What is mercy killing? Does Richard DeLucia’s murder-suicide qualify?

Mildred Heid

Photo: An older woman with fair skin and deep wrinkles, her dark hair drawn back from her face, wearing a white and pink shirt. She has a large nose.Name: Mildred “Millie” Heid.
Died: August 7, 2018.
Age at death: 82.
Cause of death: Infected bedsores, malnutrition.
Location: Augusta, Georgia, USA.
Disability: Disabled elder.

Details:
Mildred died from neglect, weighing only 75 pounds. She had deep bedsores.

Case Status:
Charles Heid Jr. (Son), pleaded guilty to neglect of an elderly or disabled adult, sentenced to 15 years probation.
Judy Lynne Brassell (Son’s girlfriend), pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and neglect of an elderly or disabled adult, sentenced to 5 years prison and 25 years probation.

Sources:
Augusta man accused of murder in mother’s death pleads guilty to lesser charge
Cops: Augusta Couple Left Bed-Ridden Mom to Die in Horrible Conditions!

Mary White

Photo of Mary White, an elderly woman with chin-length white hair, fair skin and blue eyes. She is photographed in profile and has a thoughtful expression on her face.Name: Dr. Mary E. White.
Died: August 5, 2018.
Age at death: 92.
Cause of death: Barbiturate overdose.
Location: Bundanoon, New South Wales, Australia.
Disability: Vascular dementia.

Details:
Mary White’s daughter went to the aged care home where she lived and poisoned her with an overdose of medication.

Dr. White was a scientist who studied environment, biodiversity and climate change. She wrote books on environmental sciences and created the Australian Museum’s fossil collection. She also created the Falls Forest Retreat, a rainforest sanctuary in New South Wales. Dr. White was named a Member of the Order of Australia for her services to botany.

Case status:
Barbara Eckersley (Daughter), convicted of manslaughter, sentenced to a 2-year community corrections order.

Source:
NSW woman avoids jail after poisoning elderly disabled mother
Woman denies intending to kill elderly mother with lethal dose of drugs
Daughter accused of mother’s nursing home murder to face trial
Dr Mary White – Paleobotanist
Woman, 92, ‘murdered by her daughter’ is an award-winning doctor
Woman, 67, charged with killing her 92-year-old mother in nursing home
Woman charged with murder over death of elderly mother
Former Canberra woman accused of killing her mother granted bail
Famed environmental scientist Mary White allegedly murdered by daughter
Dr Mary White’s daughter granted bail after being charged with her murder
Dr Mary White’s daughter charged with her murder
Nursing home murder: Woman charged with killing her elderly mother
Murder charge defendant granted bail variation in Goulburn Local Court

Stephanie Packman

No PhotoName: Stephanie Packman.
Died: August 1, 2018.
Age at death: 64.
Cause of death: Throat cut.
Location: Kemsley, Kent, England, UK.
Disability: Dementia.

Details:
Stephanie had dementia and was living in a care home. When her husband came to get her from the care home, staff became alarmed and called police. But they were too late; Stephanie’s husband had already cut her throat. He attempted suicide himself, but survived.

Stephanie’s husband claims that it had been a suicide pact, but no evidence for this has emerged.

Case status:
Michael Packman (Husband), pleaded guilty to manslaughter by diminished responsibility, given a 2-year suspended sentence.

Source:
Pensioner charged with murdering his wife over ‘failed suicide pact’
Wife killed in ‘failed suicide pact’ named
Sittingbourne man accused of murdering his wife needed hospital treatment too
Murder suspect remanded in custody after death of woman in Sittingbourne
Pensioner who killed wife with dementia in failed suicide pact spared jail
‘Devoted’ husband who fatally cut dementia-stricken wife’s throat is spared jail

Helen Smith

No PhotoName: Helen Smith.
Died: July 29, 2018.
Age at death: 81.
Cause of death: Throat cut.
Location: Chandler, Arizona, USA.
Disability: Dementia.

Details:
When Helen wet herself, her grandchild allegedly became angry and cut her throat. Police report that they said that they “wanted to put her out of her misery”.

Case status:
Brandon Smith (Grandchild), convicted of second-degree murder, sentenced to 25 years.

Source:
Man Accused Of Murdering Grandmother Suffering From Dementia, Said He Did Not Want Her To Live In Pain
Suspect didn’t want grandma to ‘live like this anymore’ — and grabbed a knife, police say
Grandchild ‘slit dementia-stricken woman’s throat after she wet herself’
Man accused of slashing throat of grandmother who had dementia
Man Arrested for Killing Grandmother With Dementia: ‘He Did Not Want His Grandmother to Live Like This Anymore’
Grandchild Allegedly Slit Grandmother’s Throat After the 81-Year-Old, Who Had Dementia, Wet Herself
Man stabs his 81-year-old grandma to death because he was tired of caring for her

Ernest Starry

Photo of Ernest Starry, an elderly man wearing a peach dress shirt and suspenders. He has white hair, bushy eyebrows, and pale skin.Name: Ernest Starry.
Died: July 28, 2018.
Age at death: 85.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Robstown, Texas, USA.
Disability: Unspecified; elder nursing home resident.

Other victims: Roel Mireles (41), Thelma Montalvo (60), and Isaiah Starry (13).

Details:
Ernest Starry was the oldest of four people killed by his son in a shooting spree that took the lives of his wife Thelma, his stepson Roel, and his grandson Isaiah. After fatally shooting Ernest and his wife, who was visiting him at his nursing home, the killer committed suicide. His motive is still unknown.

Ernest owned a pawn shop.

Case status:
Richard Starry (Son), deceased.

Source:
5 members of same family dead in Texas shootings at home, nursing home in murder-suicide, police say
Teen Boy Among 5 Relatives Killed in Apparent Murder-Suicide That Ended in Nursing Home
Texas Nursing Home Shooting That Left 5 Dead Was Likely Murder-Suicide, Police Say
Family, friends, Scouts, police pay respects to Robstown shooting victims

Laurel Bentley-Bearham

Photo of an older lady wearing a striped sweater and glasses; her gray hair is cut short.Name: Laurel Doreen Bentley-Bearham.
Died: July 25, 2018.
Age at death: 91.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Terra Linda, San Rafael, California, USA.
Disability: Dementia, frail elder.

Details:
Laurel was shot by her husband in a murder-suicide.

Case status:
James Leonard Bearham (Husband), deceased.

Source:
Marin coroner IDs couple in murder-suicide
San Rafael police probe murder-suicide shooting in Terra Linda