Age Categories – Page 102 – Disability Day of Mourning

Mark Mellor

Photo of Mark Mellor, a young man wearing a gray suit and tie. He has fair skin with ruddy cheeks and short brown hair; he is smiling at the camera. Name: Mark Mellor.
Died: October 16, 2016.
Age at death: 31.
Cause of death: Stabbed.
Location: Carlock, Illinois, USA.
Disability: Depression.

Details:
Mark was stabbed to death by his wife because he threw a drink at the wall of the cabin while they were camping. She blamed his depression for their “stressful marriage”.

Mark was a nature lover who enjoyed hunting, fishing, and camping; he was at home surviving in the wilderness. He worked for the county animal control department.

Case status:
Sarah Mellor (Wife), pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, sentenced to 8 years.

Source:
Bloomington woman gets 8 years in stabbing death of husband
Judge: ‘Sorry will not bring him back’
Mark Mellor

Aaliyah Taylor

Photo of a teenage girl with short curly black hair and brown skin, wearing a quizzical expression. Name: Aaliyah Taylor.
Died: October 15, 2016.
Age at death: 14.
Cause of death: Respiratory failure due to drug toxicity.
Location: Spring, Texas, USA.
Disability: Microcephaly, multiple sclerosis, autism and seizures.

Details:
Aaliyah was abused by her father and caregivers. He repeatedly used a stun gun on her, and they drugged her with blood pressure medication that she hadn’t been prescribed. The medication caused her to stop breathing and die.

Case status:
Anthony Jackson (Father), convicted of first-degree injury to a child, sentenced to 65 years, with parole possible after 8.5 years.
Keyonna Gunner (Home health worker), convicted of injury to a child, sentenced to 90 days in jail and 7 years probation.
Tommieretta Gunner (Home health worker), convicted of injury to a child, sentenced to 8 years in prison.
Marreissa Jones (Home health worker), charged with first-degree injury to a child.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Aaliyah Taylor
Three charged in death of special-needs teen
Houston Officials: Special needs teen who died last year was abused
Teaxs Digest: Special-needs teen who died was abused, officials say
Special needs teen who died last year was abused, 3 suspects arrested
Girl, 14, with special needs dies after given blood pressure medication, autopsy shows
Special needs teen who died last year was abused
Three adults use stun gun on special needs teen for months before delivering deadly dose of unprescribed meds: Cops
Fourth suspect arrested in disturbing abuse, death of special needs teenager
MCSO: Fourth suspect arrested in special needs teen’s death
Police charged three in the death of a special needs girl, but believe a 4th took part

Masako Hirahara

No Photo Name: Masako Hirahara.
Died: October 8, 2016.
Age at death: 84.
Cause of death: Blunt head trauma.
Location: Tachikawa City, Japan.
Disability: A “foot ailment”.

Details:
Ms. Hirahara was bludgeoned to death by her husband, who then committed suicide.

Case status:
Fujiya Hirahara (Husband), deceased.

Source:
Tokyo cops: Murder-suicide suspected at Tachikawa residence
Couple in their 80s found dead in apparent murder-suicide

Sirajubai

No Photo Name: Sirajubai “Vaijanti”.
Died: October 8, 2016.
Age at death: 35.
Cause of death: Burned.
Location: Wadgaon-Gujar, Nagpur, Maharashtra, India.
Disability: Chronic illness.

Details:
Sirajubai’s body was found in a well; she had been burned to death. Police arrested her boyfriend, who had reportedly “become tired of her chronic illness”.

She was the mother of three daughters and a son, and stepmother to two sons and a daughter.

Case status:
Hariprasad Yadav (Boyfriend), arrested.

Source:
Irked by her chronic illness, man kills paramour

Adam Snyder

No Photo Name: Adam J. Snyder.
Died: October 5, 2016.
Age at death: 8.
Cause of death: Head injury, starvation, pneumonia.
Location: Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.
Disability: Unspecified special needs.

Details:
Adam died from a head injury, made worse by pneumonia and malnutrition. His adoptive parents are suspected of having starved Adam for the last month of his life.

Case Status:
Katherine Snyder (Adoptive mother), charged with aggravated murder, murder, felonious assault, and endangering children.
John Snyder (Adoptive mother), charged with aggravated murder, murder, felonious assault, and endangering children.

Sources:
Trial begins for Springfield Twp. couple accused of killing boy they adopted from China
Ohio Couple Arrested Near Canadian Border For Adopted Son’s 2016 Murder, Child Abuse
Mom and Dad Face Murder Charges in 8-Year-Old’s Death After Failed Civil Suit Claimed Ohio Coroner ‘Damaged and Sullied’ Their Reputations
Questions remain as Ohio couple faces murder charges 6 years after 8-yr-old special needs son’s death | MEAWW
Horror details emerge as couple ‘starved son before bludgeoning him to death’
Parents indicted for adopted child’s 2016 death; 5 other kids found severely malnourished, abused
Parents charged with murder 5 years after death of 8-year-old
Police Arrest Couple Wanted for Murder of Child in Ohio

Lanitola Epenisa

Name: Lanitola Epenisa, also called Viliami Li.
Died: October 2, 2016.
Age at death: Elder.
Cause of death: Sepsis from untended pressure sores.
Location: Kolomotu’a, Tongatapu, Tonga.
Disability: Stroke.

Details:
Disabled after a stroke, Lanitola was neglected by his wife, with whom he lived. A witness reported seeing him grow gradually more unkempt and dirty. A cousin told the court that he found Lanitola alone in the house with nothing to eat, and brought him food. Lanitola died from blood poisoning due to untended pressure sores, and was found dead, “fused to his chair,” by medics.

Case Status:
Malia Unalotokipea Li (Wife), convicted of manslaughter, sentenced to 5 years 7 months.

Source:
Wife jailed for more than five years after leaving man to die in his own waste
Malia Li found guilty of leaving disabled husband to die in his own waste
Man’s pressure sores developed ‘very recently’ before he died, surgeon says
Auckland man found dead in chair not given regular medication, Crown alleges
Man’s wife denied him shower hours before he died in his own waste, court hears
Disabled man who died in his own waste had been unbathed and hungry, visitors say
Manslaughter trial: Māngere-Ōtāhuhu local board member said alleged victim smelt like urine

Muhammad Wahab

No Photo Name: Muhammad Azwan Wahab.
Died: October 2, 2016.
Age at death: 26.
Cause of death: Homicide.
Location: Baling, Malaysia.
Disability: Paralyzed.

Details:
Muhammad and his aunt, 54-year-old Rokiah Abdullah, were killed, and his brother has been arrested for the double murder.

Case status:
Azman Wahab (Brother), charged with murder.

Source:
Man accused of killing disabled brother, aunt in Baling denied bail
Lelaki Didakwa Bunuh Adik, Ibu Saudara – Semasa

Erica Parsons

Photo of Erica Parsons, a young girl with pale skin and dark-brown shoulder-length hair. Her nose is red. Name: Erica Parsons.
Died: Died December 19, 2011; reported missing July 30, 2013; body found September 27, 2016.
Age at death: 13.
Cause of death: Homicide.
Location: Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA.
Disability: Learning disability, deaf from birth.

Details:
Erica was physically and emotionally abused by her adoptive parents. They locked her in a closet, hit her, and deliberately broke her fingers.

Sometime in 2011, she disappeared. Witnesses said she was “having trouble breathing” shortly beforehand. She was not reported missing for two years.

Until Erica’s body was found, her parents could only be convicted for fraud, since they had cashed Erica’s disability checks in the years between her disappearance and its reporting.

Five years after her likely death, Erica’s adoptive father led police to her body. Her bones revealed that she had been malnourished, and had suffered many fractures from abuse. Authorities could not find an exact cause of death, but determined she had died from “homicidal violence”, probably from being strangled or from injury from beatings.

Case status:
Sandy Parsons (Adoptive father), convicted of fraud, murder, obstruction of justice, and concealment of death, sentenced to 33 years to life.
Casey Parsons (Adoptive mother), convicted of fraud, murder, obstruction of justice, and concealment of death, sentenced to life without parole.

Source:
Erica Parsons’ adoptive dad to serve minimum of 33 years for murder, abuse, obstruction
Judge rips Parsonses for Erica’s life, death
Sheriff: Erica Parsons likely dead before reported missing
Girl missing since 2011 was tortured repeatedly before death, warrant says
Chesterfield ‘adoptive father tortured disabled daughter before discarding her body’
NC girl who lived in a house of horror died any of several torturous ways, autopsy finds
Erica Parsons Update: Autopsy Reveals Details About Missing Girl’s Life And Death
Autopsy reveals girl died brutal death, adoptive parents likely to face charges
Autopsy reveals girl died brutal death, had many broken bones
Erica Parsons was 12 or 13 when her parents killed her and cut up the body, cops say
Erica Parsons’ adoptive parents charged in girl’s death, dismemberment
Hidden Torture: Murder Victim Erica Parsons Homeschooled
Erica Parsons’ Parents To Face Death Penalty In Murder Trial

Shobhana Kunnath

Name: Shobhana Kunnath.
Died: September 26, 2016.
Age at death: 55.
Cause of death: Neglect.
Location: Edappal, Malappuram, Kerala, India.
Disability: Mentally disabled.

Details:
Shobhana and her daughter Shruthi, who both had a mental disorder, were living in a house by themselves. Their family lived nearby and were wealthy but apparently made no effort to ensure their welfare. Unable to care for themselves, Shobhana and Shruthi went hungry. After a week of starvation, Shobhana died and Shruthi was found weak from hunger.

Case status:
Her family is under investigation.
The Human Rights Commission has registered a case.

Source:
Mentally challenged woman starves to death
Woman found starved to death at Edappal
Mentally disabled woman starves to death in Edappal
Mentally unstable woman found dead
Did mental illness and social neglect cause these two Kerala families to starve?

Beverly Nickerson

Photo of Beverly Nickerson, an elderly woman with shaggy gray hair and pale skin, wearing a nightshirt and sitting on the edge of a bed, eating from a plate on a bedside table. The photo has caught her in the middle of licking her lips. Name: Beverly Ann Nickerson.
Died: September 24, 2016.
Age at death: 74.
Cause of death: Drug overdose, blunt trauma.
Location: Spring Hill, Florida, USA.
Disability: Dementia.

Details:
Beverly’s son abused and eventually killed her by beating her and overdosing her on her medication.

She had four grandchildren and a great-grandchild.

Case status:
Albert Henry Nickerson (Son), found guilty of aggravated Manslaughter of an elderly person and neglect of an elderly person, sentenced to 25 years.

Source:
SON OF SAM: Spring Hill Man Sentenced to 25-Years in Prison for Killing His Elderly Mother; Beat, Drugged, Stole from While In Cognitive Decline
Beverly Ann NICKERSON Obituary (2016) Tampa Bay Times
Spring Hill Man Sentenced to 25-Years in Prison for Killing his Mother
Man Faces First Degree Murder Charge in Death of his Own Mother
Deputies: Spring Hill Man Murdered Mother
Son charged with murdering elderly 74-year-old mother in Hernando County