Age: Elder – Page 6 – Disability Day of Mourning

Teruko Fujiwara

Concrete bridge and white railing above water. A bunch of yellow flowers has been left at the curb. — Flowers left for Teruko Fujiwara at the scene of her death.

Name: Teruko Fujiwara.
Died: November 2, 2022.
Age at death: 79.
Cause of death: Drowning.
Location: Oiso, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan.
Disability: Unspecified; wheelchair user.

Details:
Ms. Fujiwara’s husband had been her caregiver for 40 years since she was injured and started using a wheelchair. The two were planning to enter an assisted-living facility, and Ms. Fujiwara was looking forward to it. But her husband did not want to accept help; he took her to the pier and pushed her out of her wheelchair and into the ocean, where she drowned. Police say he admitted to the murder, saying he was “worn out” from looking after her.

Ms. Fujiwara leaves behind two grown sons.

Case Status:
Hiroshi Fujiwara (Husband), convicted of murder, sentenced to 3 years.

Sources:
Obsession to care for disabled wife by himself led man to kill her
Husband, 82, gets 3 years in drowning death of paralyzed wife
81-year-old Japanese man arrested for murder after pushing wife’s wheelchair into sea
81-yr-old man in Japan arrested for allegedly killing wife he took care of for 40 yrs
Man accused of pushing wife in wheelchair into sea, killing her
Man, 81, pushes wheelchair-bound wife, 79, into the sea as he was ‘too tired of taking care of her’

Eda Karr

No Photo Name: Eda Lyn Karr.
Died: October 18, 2022.
Age at death: 63.
Cause of death: Unspecified neglect.
Location: Stevensville, Montana, USA.
Disability: Parkinson’s disease.

Details:
Eda’s son took his mother out of her nursing home, neglected her until she died, and then hid her body while he continued to collect her retirement checks.

Case Status:
Ronan Sterling-Shanahan, aka Justin Whitfield (Son), convicted of negligent homicide and tampering with evidence, sentenced to 30 years.

Sources:
Stevi man sentenced to 30 years in mother’s death

Bernadette, Lisa, and Matthew Steadman

Name: Bernadette A. Steadman.
Age at death: 92.
Disability: Chronic illness; wheelchair user.

Name: Lisa B. Steadman.
Age at death: 60.
Disability: Chronic illness.

Name: Matthew Steadman.
Age at death: 34.
Disability: Autism.

Died: October 15, 2022.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Elyria, Ohio, USA.

Details:
After a man called 911, saying he had killed his family and was going to kill himself, police responded to his address and found the whole family shot dead. Matthew, the youngest at 34, was autistic; his mother Lisa, 60, and grandmother Bernadette, had chronic illness. They had all been killed by their caregiver, who died by suicide before police arrived.

The family lived in a quiet mobile home park, well-liked by their neighbors, one of whom says she used to call Bernadette “Grandma”. The family had recently added a ramp to their home so that Bernadette and Lisa could maneuver in and out of the home more easily.

Case Status:
James Steadman (Son/Husband/Father), deceased.

Photo of an elderly woman with wispy white chin-length hair and pale skin.

Photo of a middle-aged woman with brown hair growing out into gray roots, wearing glasses; she has pale skin, and is smiling for the camera.

Portrait photo of a young man smiling for the camera; he has curly brown hair and is wearing glasses.

Sources:
‘I’m in shock’: Police release identities, details in the murder-suicide of Elyria family
Family of 4 found dead in Elyria home after apparent murder-suicide – cleveland.com
Elyria police identify victims of murder-suicide
Autism Memorial: Matthew Steadman

Mae Brown

No Photo Name: Mae Brown.
Died: October 15, 2022.
Age at death: 87.
Cause of death: Beating.
Location: Bronzeville, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
Disability: Disabled elder, wheelchair user.

Details:
Mae was found beaten to death in her apartment. Earlier the same day, police had been called to her apartment twice, first by her daughter who accused her of stealing her disability payments, and then by Mae, who told police her daughter would not leave her apartment. Police arrested Mae’s daughter, who had returned after being forced to leave and beat her mother to death.

Case Status:
Shearly Gaines (Daughter), pleaded guilty to first-degree murder, sentenced to 20 years and must serve 100% of that sentence.

Sources:
Woman pleads guilty to killing 87-year-old mother found dead in wheelchair in Bronzeville apartment
Woman pleads guilty to killing 87-year-old mother found dead in wheelchair in Bronzeville apartment
Death investigation: 87-year-old woman found dead in Bronzeville apartment ruled homicide, ME says
87-year-old woman beaten to death at senior living apartment building on South Side
‘It’s scary’: Woman, 87, found beaten to death in wheelchair at senior home complex, officials say
Woman Charged In Murder Of 87-Year-Old Woman In Douglas Apartment Complex
Garfield Park woman charged with murder of 87-year-old in Bronzeville senior complex
Woman charged with killing 87-year-old mother in CHA senior apartment on South Side
Bond denied for woman charged with killing 87-year-old mother on Chicago’s South Side
No bail for 69-year-old woman accused of murdering her 87-year-old mother at South Side senior apartments
Woman accused mom of stealing disability money before 87-year-old was found beaten to death: court

Michael Bruno

No Photo Name: Michael John Bruno.
Died: September 17, 2022.
Age at death: 74.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Boardman, Ohio, USA.
Disability: Depression, PTSD, frail elder.

Details:
Michael’s son fatally shot him as he lay in bed; he was angry that Michael had decided to sell his home.

He was a Vietnam veteran who had served in the Air Force.

Case Status:
Michael N. Bruno (Son), convicted of murder, sentenced to 18 years to life.

Sources:
Man who killed his father gets 18 to life
Man sentenced in shooting death of father in Boardman
Obituary for Michael John Bruno | Funeral Services by Gary Silvat
Former Sheriff’s Deputy sentenced to 18 years to life in shooting death of father

Stephen Kershaw

Name: Stephen Kershaw.
Died: September 16, 2022.
Age at death: 65.
Cause of death: Smothered.
Location: Bradford, England, UK.
Disability: Dementia.

Details:
Stephen lived with his stepson and his stepson’s girlfriend. The two regularly abused and harassed him for money. Stephen’s stepson eventually smothered him, and the pair tried to hide his body for a few days before they were found out.

Case Status:
Ian Mitchell (Stepson), pleaded guilty to murder and fraud, sentenced to 22 years to life.
Sarah Pearson (Stepson’s girlfriend), pleaded guilty to murder and fraud, sentenced to 19 years to life.

Sources:
Woman handed prison sentence after making confession to stranger on one night stand
Woman and her fiance who murdered his vulnerable stepfather, 65…

Ernest Sena Sr.

No Photo Name: Ernest Sena Sr.
Died: September 4, 2022.
Age at death: 62.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA.
Disability: Mobility impaired; one arm paralyzed.

Details:
Ernest’s son allegedly shot him in the chest while visiting him to help him shop for groceries. Police say Ernest’s son, after he was arrested, admitted that this wasn’t the first time he had pointed a gun at his father.

Case Status:
Ernest A. Sena, Jr. (Son), charged with murder.

Sources:
Man charged in shooting death of disabled father in South Valley
Man arrested for shooting his own father

Patricia Bitters

No Photo Name: Patricia Bitters.
Died: September 3, 2022.
Age at death: 84.
Cause of death: Blunt trauma.
Location: Forres, Scotland, UK.
Disability: Mobility impaired.

Details:
Patricia lived with her grandson for the last five years of her life because she had trouble getting around and needed help. One night, her grandson came home drunk and beat her severely. She was taken to the hospital, but lived only six days before dying from her injuries.

Patricia had 13 grandchildren and 8 great-grandchildren.

Case Status:
Scott McCulloch (Grandson), pleaded guilty to murder, sentenced to 15 years to life.

Sources:
Killer beat his own gran to death when he was supposed to be looking after her
‘Please stay with me while I die’: Granny’s plea to nurse after killer grandson ‘lost it’

Man pleads guilty to murder of his 84-year-old grandmother

Man sentenced to life in prison for murdering grandmother

Sick brute jailed for life after brutally murdering frail grandmother

Mary Kelting

Black and white photo of a smiling, light-skinned woman with her dark hair in a bob, held back by a hair band. Name: Mary Kathryn Kelting.
Died: September 1, 2022 (Declared dead; died approx. August 28-29).
Age at death: 73.
Cause of death: Pneumonia, malnutrition, heart disease.
Location: Davenport, Iowa, USA.
Disability: Stroke.

Details:
Mary died from neglect.

She enjoyed scrapbooking and painting ceramics. Her favorite movie was “Guardians of the Galaxy” and she loved Groot. She was a retired medical transcriber who had also worked as a dental hygienist and X-ray tech.

Case Status:
Jason B. Kelting (Son), charged with involuntary manslaughter, dependent abuse, and neglect or abandonment of a dependent person.

Sources:
Davenport man charged with neglecting bedridden mother causing death
Mary Kelting Obituary – Davenport, IA

70-year-old man

No Photo Name Unknown.
Died: September 1, 2022.
Age at death: 70.
Cause of death: Beaten.
Location: Ratmalana, Western Province, Sri Lanka.
Disability: Unspecified; bedridden.

Details:
This man’s son was arrested after having allegedly beaten him to death and injured his wife.

Case Status:
His son has been arrested.

Sources:
Son arrested for killing father in Ratmalana