Age Categories – Page 115 – Disability Day of Mourning

Samantha Kelly

Photo of Samantha Kelly. She has fair skin and bright red shoulder-length hair, and is wearing sunglasses. Name: Samantha Kelly.
Died: January 22, 2016.
Age at death: 39.
Cause of death: Traumatic injury.
Location: Kangaroo Flat, Bendigo, Victoria, Australia.
Disability: Intellectual disability.

Details:
Samantha and her four children lived with three housemates. The housemates eventually banned her from the main house and made her live in a rear bungalow, while they kept her children in the main house. Seeing the danger, Samantha asked a social worker to help her move out, but she never managed to escape.

Her housemates first tried drugging her. When that didn’t work, they beat her to death with a hammer and buried her body; then they claimed she had run off with a man and tried to take custody of her children.

The children, aged six, five, four, and 11 months, are safe and living with Samantha’s brother.

Case status:
Peter James Arthur (Housemate), pleaded guilty to murder, sentenced to 18-22 years.
Christine Lyons (Housemate), convicted of murder and attempted murder, sentenced to 23-30 years.
Ronald Lyons (Housemate), convicted of attempted murder and assisting an offender, sentenced to 9-12 1/2 years.

Source:
Loner jailed over murder plot to steal kids
Bendigo man jailed for murdering woman with hammer over custody plot
‘Manipulated’ murder accused deeply regrets hammer killing of housemate
Vic accused killer wanted kids, court told
Vic murder accused said victim walked off
Christine was infertile and “desperately” wanted kids. So she masterminded a sick plan.
How a mother got trapped in squalid web of a woman who wanted to be ‘Ma’
Crown asks for life sentence as family grieves Samantha Kelly
‘I will never forgive you’: Murder victim’s family address killer who tried to take kids
Former Ballarat woman still denies she killed mum to gain custody of her kids
Woman jailed for 30 years for murdering mother to take her kids
Infertile woman planned murder of disabled neighbour to take custody of her four kids

Adilynn Moseman

Name: Adilynn Moseman
Died: January 21, 2016.
Age at death: 5.
Cause of death: Malnutrition, pneumonia.
Location: Terre Haute, Indiana, USA.
Disability: Mitochondrial disease, microcephaly, cerebral palsy, deafblind.

Details:
Adilynn died because her parents starved her to death. At five years old, the little girl weighed just under 17 pounds. She had six- and seven-year-old siblings who were forbidden to play with her. She died of malnutrition and pneumonia.

Case status:
Tiffany Daugherty (Mother), pleaded guilty to neglect and reckless homicide, sentenced to 15 years.
Brian Moseman (Father), pleaded guilty to neglect of a dependent resulting in death, given two 2 1/2-year suspended sentences, returned to prison after violating parole by drug possession.

Source:
Father in child-death case back in jail on probation, drug charges
Man sentenced to probation in connection to child starvation death arrested on meth charges
Indiana woman who starved daughter to death says 15-year sentence is ‘inappropriate’
Indiana court upholds mother’s 15-year term in neglect death
Despite early intervention, little girl died among neglect allegations
Vigo County couple arrested on neglect charges after death of 5-year-old girl who weighed 16 pounds
Vigo County Couple Face Charges After Five Year Old’s Death
Vigo Co. couple accused of starving 5-year-old daughter to death
Indiana couple charged with neglect in death of 5-year-old
One Parent Charged In Death Of Child Posts Bond
August trial date set in case of Terre Haute 5-year-old who died of starvation
Mother Accused In Daughter’s Death Now Faces More Charges
Vigo County mother in child-death case faces new charges
Trials moved for couple arrested in connection to death of 5-year-old
Indiana mom pleas in death of disabled 5-year-old daughter
Woman accused of neglecting her child to the point of death back in jail, accused of failing to report to probation…three times
Indiana mother sentenced to 15 years in the neglect death of her disabled five-year-old daughter
Man receives suspended sentence in daughter’s neglect death

Bertha Coombes

Name: Bertha Coombes.
Died: January 19, 2016.
Age at death: 83.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Petaluma, California, USA.
Disability: Mobility impairment; wheelchair user, after “a series of falls”.

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

Case status:
Harold Coombes (Husband), deceased.

Source:
Police determine east Petaluma deaths murder-suicide
Petaluma couple’s violent deaths a contrast with long, loving relationship

Phillip Maynard

Name: Phillip Ray Maynard.
Died: January 14, 2016.
Age at death: 71.
Cause of death: Starvation, dehydration, untended bedsores.
Location: Forest Park, Georgia, USA.
Disability: Unspecified; mobility impaired.

Details:
Phillip’s wife allegedly did not care for him; she often left him for two or three days at a time, even though he could not get out of bed on his own. Weakened by starvation, dehydration, and untreated bedsores, Phillip died.

Case status:
Cheryl Maynard (Wife), charged with elder neglect.

Source:
Clayton woman charged with elder neglect after bedridden husband dies
Phillip Ray Maynard (1944-2016) – Find A Grave.

Irene Carter

Black-and-white photo of Irene Carter, a woman with fair skin and dark curly hair, wearing pearl earrings. Name: Irene Carter.
Died: January 13, 2016.
Age at death: 78.
Cause of death: Traumatic injury.
Location: Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada.
Disability: Schizophrenia.

Details:
Irene loved gardening and kept an immaculate yard.

When Irene had a psychotic episode, her daughter took over power of attorney and gradually took away her freedom, selling her cars and taking her bank cards. When her daughter remortgaged her house and Irene protested, her daughter stabbed her, slammed her head against the floor, and threw her down the stairs, killing her.

Case status:
Lisa Freihaut (Adoptive daughter), pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, sentenced to 11 years to life.

Source:
Gambling addict who stabbed elderly mother to death in dispute over money pleads guilty to murder
Calgary woman who begged for information on her mom’s killing pleads guilty to her murder
Lisa Freihaut Charged With Stabbing Death Of Her Mother Irene Carter
CARTER Irene › Gone But Not Forgotten

Holly Lozon

Name: Holly A. Lozon.
Died: January 13, 2016.
Age at death: 57.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Rainville Township, Michigan, USA.
Disability: Paraplegic, from surgery to remove bone spurs.

Details:
Holly was shot dead by her husband in a murder-suicide. He also killed their dog.

Holly was an animal-lover who especially enjoyed horseback riding.

Case status:
Gerald Lozon (Husband), deceased.

Source:
Tragedy beset Monroe Co. couple found dead in home
Obituary: Holly A. Lozon

Dwight Ridley

Name: Dwight Carrington Ridley Sr.
Died: January 11, 2016.
Age at death: 59.
Cause of death: Stabbed.
Location: Carson, Virginia, USA.
Disability: Unspecified; wheelchair user.

Details:
Dwight was stabbed to death by his nephew over a property dispute about the family farm.

He was an Army veteran who had three children and twelve grandchildren.

Case status:
Daryl Ridley (Nephew), charged with second-degree murder, found incompetent to stand trial.

Source:
Mental Health and Murder: Why man with ’emotional demons’ walked free
Obituary for Dwight Carrington Ridley, Sr. – PETERSBURG, VA
Why man accused of killing uncle over family farm won’t stand trial
Stabbing victim arrives at hospital, later deemed homicide suspect in Dinwiddie County
Arrest made in fatal Dinwiddie homicide, stabbing

Harmony Carsey

Name: Harmony Carsey.
Died: January 8, 2016.
Age at death: 2.
Cause of death: Brain hemorrhage.
Location: New Straitsville, Ohio, USA.
Disability: Undiagnosed mental illness or developmental disability (Head-banging; atypical behavior).

Details:
Crystal’s autopsy report stated that she died of a brain hemorrhage, and that she was underweight and dehydrated. Her mother denied abusing her, and said instead that Harmony had “mental health problems” and hurt herself by banging her head.

Case status:
Crystal Reed (mother), pleaded no contest to involuntary manslaughter, sentenced to 9 years.

Source:
Ohio Toddler’s Tragic Death Need Not Be in Vain if Ohio Courts Seize the Opportunity to Hold Reckless Child Protection Agency Accountable for its Role in the Child’s Abuse and Murder
Mom gets nine-year sentence for daughter’s death
Family seeks answers in 2-year-old’s death

Baby Boy

No Photo Name Unknown.
Died: Undated; article published January 6, 2016.
Age at death: Newborn, less than 6 days old.
Cause of death: Burned alive, following Yanomami tradition.
Location: Caracaraí, Brazil.
Disability: “a malformation in his leg”.

Details:
Quote: When a 21-year-old indigenous woman gave birth to her fourth son in this small settlement in northern Brazil, she noticed that the newborn was suffering from a malformation in his leg. She knew what that meant, but still consulted with the leaders of her Yanomami tribe in a desperate hope for an exception.

It was not to be: the baby was burned alive as part of a ritual, and the ashes were used to prepare a sort of gruel that was offered to all members of the tribe. Though the mother shared her grief with her immediate family, she said she understood that this was the tradition.

Case status:
His mother and tribe were not prosecuted.

Source:
In Brazil, Activists Defend Infanticide Among Indigenous Tribes

Sophia Mahaffey

Photo of Sophia Mahaffey, a baby girl wearing a pink and gray checked dress and floppy pink hat. She is holding the hat on her head with one hand. Her wispy dark brown hair is short. She has fair skin. Name: Sophia Rose Mahaffey.
Died: January 5, 2016.
Age at death: 19 months.
Cause of death: Homicide.
Location: Cottonwood Heights, Utah, USA.
Disability: Cerebral palsy due to prematurity.

Details:
Sophia was allegedly beaten to death by her mother’s boyfriend.

Case status:
Jake Don Jensen (Mother’s boyfriend), charged with child abuse and child abuse homicide.

Source:
Cottonwood Heights man accused of abusing, killing wife’s infant daughter
Man charged in 2016 death of disabled 19-month-old girl – Story
Cottonwood Heights man charged with abusing and killing girlfriend’s daughter
Man Charged With Killing Disabled Toddler Before Marrying Her Mother
Utah man accused of abuse in 19-month-old girl’s death appears in court
Utah man, 29, is charged with killing girlfriend’s disabled daughter