Age Categories – Page 104 – Disability Day of Mourning

Maddalena Pavesi

Name: Maddalena Pavesi.
Died: August 22, 2016.
Age at death: 83.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Carpi, Italy.
Disability: Alzheimer’s disease.

Details:
Maddalena’s husband killed her. He told police he had done it because he could no longer cope with her Alzheimer’s disease.

Case status:
Pierino Corradini (Husband), convicted of voluntary murder, sentenced to 14 years.

Source:
83-year-old Italian man shoots wife dead because she had Alzheimer’s disease
Carpi, omicidio della disperazione. L’assassino pentito resta in carcere
Carpi: «Sta male», e spara alla moglie ammalata

Yonatan Aguilar

Name: Yonatan Daniel Aguilar.
Died: August 22, 2016.
Age at death: 11.
Cause of death: Starvation.
Location: Los Angeles, California, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
When Yonatan’s teachers reported that he was hungry, stealing food, and had come to school with a black eye, Yonatan’s mother decided to take him out of school. She told everyone she had sent him to Mexico to a special school. Instead, she allegedly locked him in the closet.

Police say that for three years before his death, Yonatan’s mother locked him up, abused him, and fed him very little; to keep him quiet, she sedated him with sleeping pills for so long that he developed pressure sores from not moving. Yonatan died of starvation, weighing 34 pounds.

Case status: Veronica Aguilar (Mother), convicted of child abuse and first-degree murder, sentenced to 25 years to life.

Source:
Mother who sedated her special-needs son, 11, kept him in closet until he died, sentenced
Autism Memorial: Yonatan Aguilar
Man didn’t realize wife ‘had hidden son,10, in closet for 3 years to starve him’
Preliminary Hearing Begins in Echo Park Boy’s Death
California mother accused in death of special-needs boy kept hidden in closet
Boy, 10, died after ‘he was locked in closet for years by mother’
L.A. mother accused of killing special-needs son described boy as ‘pure evil’ to detective
Calif. Mom Allegedly Starved Son, 11, and Locked Him in Closet for 3 Years Before Death
Echo Park mother accused of killing special-needs son described boy as ‘pure evil’ to detective
Mom charged with murder after special-needs son found dead in closet
Tortured life: Court documents show boy with autism locked in closet for 3 years prior to his death
Records obtained by Times reveal boy was kept in closets for three years before his death
Autistic Boy Kept In Closet And Sedated By Mother Before Passing Away
DCFS investigated reports of abuse of Echo Park boy later found dead in closet
Memorial service held for Echo Park boy found dead in closet
11-Year-Old Boy Found Dead in Echo Park Closet Weighed Only 34 Pounds; Public Memorial Held
Echo Park Mother Charged With Murder of 11-Year-Old Malnourished Son
Veronica Aguilar: L.A. Mom Starved 11-Year-Old Son To Death, Horrifying Murder Charge Says — Boy Stuffed In Closet
Malnourished boy found dead in Echo Park closet was subject of earlier child abuse reports, LAPD says
Boy, 11, found dead in Echo Park closet weighed just 34 pounds
Death Of A Boy In The Closet From Alleged Abuse: Siblings Knew About It But Kept Silent
11-year-old boy found dead in LA had been locked in a wardrobe for three years
Records Show Boy Stuffed In Closet By Mother For 3 Years Before His Death
Documents show mom concealed boy in closets for years before his death, LA Times reports
Little boy found dead in closet had been hidden, tortured there for years
Echo Park Boy Found Dead Was Kept Hidden, Sedated In Closets For Years
Evil mother kept son locked in a closet for three years before he died
Boy Found Dead In Echo Park Home Had Been Locked In Closet For 3 Years
This Mom Allegedly Locked Her Child In a Closet For 3 Years Before He Died
Boy Found Dead in Closet Was Sedated and Hidden for Years
Woman allegedly locked 11-year-old son in closets for three years before he died
California boy found dead in home was kept hidden in closet for years, court docs say
Tortured life: Court documents show boy with autism locked in closet for 3 years prior to his death

Mindy Speck

No Photo Name: Mindy Speck.
Died: August 22, 2016.
Age at death: 21.
Cause of death: Insulin overdose.
Location: Eastlake, Ohio, USA.
Disability: Autism, cerebral palsy, Type I diabetes.

Details:
When Mindy had a meltdown after having to spend a day in the hospital being treated for a urinary tract infection, Mindy’s mother gave her repeated doses of insulin until she collapsed from hypoglycemia. It wasn’t until the next day that Mindy’s mother called paramedics, and by then Mindy was dead.

Case status:
Sandra Speck (Mother), pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter, sentenced to 88 days in jail and 100 hours of community service.

Source:
Ohio woman confesses to killing disabled daughter
Prosecutor Says Woman Confessed To Killing Disabled Daughter
Eastlake woman admits giving diabetic daughter fatal overdose of insulin
Eastlake woman pleads guilty to killing autistic daughter with insulin overdose
Prosecutor: Woman gave autistic daughter lethal insulin dose
Woman Pleads Guilty for her Daughter’s Fatal Insulin Overdose
Mom pleads guilty to giving autistic daughter lethal insulin dose
Ohio mom charged with murder in 21-year-old daughter’s death
Eastlake woman charged with murder
Prosecutor: Mom confessed to killing disabled adult daughter
Mother Kills Disabled Daughter, Claims She Was ‘Overwhelmed’ By Responsibility
Eastlake woman charged in daughter’s death ‘feels horrible,’ attorney says
Eastlake woman who admitted giving daughter fatal overdose of insulin sentenced
Mom sentenced for killing daughter with special needs

Jean Constant

No Photo Name: Jean Constant.
Died: August 22, 2016.
Age at death: 87.
Cause of death: Smothered.
Location: St. Neots, England, UK.
Disability: Unspecified; care home resident.

Details:
After her health began to decline and Jean had to be hospitalized, Jean and her husband moved into a care home. Four months later, Jean’s husband allegedly killed her by smothering her.

Case status:
Brendan Constant (Husband), charged with murder, died before trial.

Source:
Brothers question murder charge in ‘suicide pact’ case
Cambridgeshire ‘murder’: Retired man, 87, quizzed over murder of his 86-year-old wife at their sheltered housing
Cambridgeshire woman is found dead and man seriously injured at their home
Eynesbury Poppyfields care home death: Murder arrest after body find
Man aged 87 arrested on suspicion of murder after woman found dead at Poppyfields care home in St Neots
Man arrested on suspicion of murder after wife dies at care home
More tests needed to find cause of death of Jean Constant, 86
Pensioner found dead at St Neots care home is named by police
Woman found dead and man injured at St Neots home

Barbara Getman

Name: Barbara Getman.
Died: August 17, 2016.
Age at death: 39.
Cause of death: Internal bleeding.
Location: Watertown, New York, USA.
Disability: Bipolar disorder, depression, borderline personality, PTSD.

Details:
Barbara liked camping and reading crime novels. She worked at a fish hatchery.

Barbara’s boyfriend beat her to death, hitting her so hard in the stomach that her liver ruptured.

Case status:
Gregory Noonan (Boyfriend), convicted of second-degree murder, sentenced to 25 years to life.

Source:
Noonan sentenced for 2016 slaying
Gregory Noonan found guilty of killing Barbara Getman
Jury Hears Noonan’s Recorded Statement To Police
Barbara Lee Getman
Watertown Man Charged in Housemate’s Killing

Ronald Bettig

Photo of Ronald Bettig, an elderly man with pale skin and white hair and beard, wearing glasses and a colorful shirt. Name: Ronald Valentine Bettig.
Died: August 17, 2016 (Body found); died August 12-14, 2016.
Age at death: 56.
Cause of death: Dehydration, fall injuries.
Location: Black Hawk Quarry, Central County, Pennsylvania, USA.
Disability: Depression/adjustment disorder, dementia.

Details:
Lonely and depressed after the death of his wife, Ronald took in a woman and her child as housemates. Thinking they would get money in his will, the woman and her boyfriend plotted to kill Ronald. They lured him to a quarry, where they pushed him over a 70-foot cliff. With all four limbs broken, Ronald may have lived for up to two days before dying of dehydration. The killers tried to pass it off as a suicide.

Case status:
George G. Ishler Jr., convicted of murder, sentenced to life without parole.
Danelle Geier, convicted of murder, sentenced to life without parole.

Source:
Was there a motive to kill a Penn State professor?
PSU professor struggled personally, professionally before death: Co-workers, acquaintances
Penn State professor Ronald Bettig allegedly pushed off cliff by Danelle Geier, George Ishler in Pennsylvania
Woman charged in death of PSU professor
State College, PA – Trial Begins for Two Accused of Murdering Penn State Professor –
Two found guilty in the 2016 murder of a Penn State professor
Verdict delivered in Penn State professor’s death
‘I can still hear the crunch today.’ George Ishler takes the stand

Gerald Sohn

Name: Gerald Sohn.
Died: August 14, 2016.
Age at death: 84.
Cause of death: Drowning.
Location: Jacksonville, Florida, USA.
Disability: Parkinson’s disease.

Details:
Gerald was drowned in a river, and his son is suspected of pushing him off the dock to his death.

He was an attorney for 50 years. He had a great deal of intellectual curiosity and always had a book with him.

Case status:
Gerry Sohn (Son), died before he was charged; case closed when he died.

Source:
JSO: Man in wheelchair who fell into river was murdered by son
Fraternity brother remembers man who fell into St. Johns River in wheelchair
Police identify drowning victim, 84, who fell off dock Sunday into St. Johns River
Crews responding to possible drowning in Mandarin
Gerald Sohn Obituary – JACKSONVILLE, FL
Case closed: Son killed millionaire father in 2016, himself in February

Ernestine Tindall

No Photo Name: Ernestine Tindall.
Died: August 13, 2016.
Age at death: 88.
Cause of death: Asphyxia.
Location: Perlethorpe, England, UK.
Disability: Vascular dementia.

Details:
Ernestine’s husband strangled her because he was afraid that they would be moved to separate nursing homes. He claimed she had asked him to kill her, but the judge stated that,”This is not a case of assisted suicide. This is killing as a perceived act of mercy.”

Case status:
Jack Tindall (Husband), pleaded guilty to manslaughter, given a 12-month suspended sentence.

Source:
World War II vet, 96, strangled his dementia-suffering wife to death and laid her on a bed of lilies
Husband spared jail for mercy killing of wife with dementia
96-year-old man gets suspended prison term for killing dementia-suffering wife

Margaret Sanford

No Photo
Name: Margaret Jean Sanford.
Died: August 12, 2016.
Age at death: 73.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Napoleon Township, Michigan, USA.
Disability: Terminal cancer.

Details:
Margaret’s husband shot her dead; several days later, during a police standoff triggered when Margaret was reported missing, he killed himself.

Case status:
Roger Sanford (Husband), deceased.

Source:
Neighbors react following apparent murder-suicide in Jackson County
Jackson sheriff idenitifes murder-suicide victim
Police investigating apparent murder-suicide after hours-long standoff with armed man
‘Unfortunately a woman had to lose her life,’ says sister of murder-suicide suspect
‘He wasn’t right,’ neighbor says of man suspected of killing himself, his wife
UPDATE: Two dead after murder-suicide in Jackson County

Benjamin Mitchell

No Photo Name: Benjamin Mitchell.
Died: August 10, 2016.
Age at death: 3 weeks.
Cause of death: Malnutrition.
Location: Sanford, Florida, USA.
Disability: Prematurity-related respiratory condition.

Details:
Benjamin and his twin brother were born prematurely; Benjamin had a lung condition that needed treatment, but his mother didn’t take him to the doctor or feed him enough. Benjamin died of starvation; his brother survived.

Case status:
Michelle Spinicchia (Mother), convicted of willful child abuse, sentenced to 2 years 6 months; spent 2 months in prison.

Source:
Seminole County mother arrested for death of malnourished twin son, deputies say
Baby’s mother arrested, accused of starving him to death
Sanford woman accused of neglecting child, causing his death
Inmate Release Detail