Age Categories – Page 116 – Disability Day of Mourning

Mark Fulgham

Photo of Mark Fulgham, an African-American man. He has a short mustache and beard, and is wearing a red baseball cap sideways. Name: Mark Fulgham.
Died: December 31, 2015.
Age at death: 36.
Cause of death: Sepsis.
Location: Concord, California, USA.
Disability: Paraplegic.

Details:
Mark’s wife neglected him until he was dying of malnutrition, dehydration, and infection from untreated bedsores. By the time she finally called for an ambulance, Mark was in such bad shape that he died after a day at the hospital.

Mark’s two children, a 19-year-old autistic boy and an 11-year-old, survived and were rescued from their uninhabitable apartment when Mark was taken to the hospital. The apartment was “red-tagged” by authorities, marking it as too dangerous to for anyone but professionals to enter.

Mark’s wife was charged with neglect of a dependent and child abuse in addition to murder, so it is likely that Mark’s children were also in danger. Mark’s death may have saved the lives of his children by bringing their situation to the attention of authorities.

Case status:
Dormanicia Lawson (Wife), charged with murder, neglect of a dependent, and child abuse; convicted of child abuse and neglect of a dependent; hung jury on murder charge; pleaded guilty to abuse, sentenced to 2-4 years in jail.

Source:
Wife faces charges after paraplegic husband’s ‘horrific’ death
‘Maggots Eating His Body’: Woman Charged in Death of Paraplegic Husband
Murder Charges For Concord Woman Accused Of Neglecting Paraplegic Husband
Wikipedia: Color-tagging
Concord husband neglect case: Jury appears split on murder charge
Concord: Jury hangs on murder charge for woman whose husband rotted to death
Paralysed husband is eaten alive by maggots and rots to death
California Woman Lets Paralyzed Husband Get Eaten Alive By Maggots

Nada Bodholdt

Name: Nada Colleen Bodholdt.
Died: December 31, 2015.
Age at death: 92.
Cause of death: Asphyxia.
Location: Bend, Oregon, USA.
Disability: Congestive heart failure.

Details:
Nada’s granddaughter went to her nursing home, put a pillow over her face, and smothered her. Nada’s family thought she had died a natural death–until her killer confessed the murder to a counselor and was arrested.

Nada Bodholdt was a professional violinist who played her first solo concerto at age 15; during World War 2, she played in nightclubs to make ends meet. After the war, she married a sailor, played her violin in church, and lived to see her great-grandchildren.

Case status:
Angela Christine Judd (Granddaughter), pleaded guilty to second-degree manslaughter, sentenced to 75 months in prison; conviction overturned; pleaded guilty to manslaughter, sentenced to 5 years, released on time served.

Source:
Bend woman to be released from prison after 2nd guilty plea in grandmother’s smothering
Bend woman who smothered her grandmother to death has conviction overturned
Bend woman pleads guilty to manslaughter in grandma’s death
Nada Colleen Bodholdt Obituary
Bend woman accused of smothering grandmother, 92
Bend woman accused of murdering grandmother
Woman confessed to smothering grandmother, police say
Bend Woman Confessed to Smothering Grandmother, Police Say
Woman charged with killing grandmother at retirement community
Former Klamath Falls nurse charged with murder
Reported confession to counselor is admissible, judge rules in death of suspect’s grandmother
Bend woman pleads guilty to manslaughter in grandma’s death
Former Sky Lakes nurse could get 75 months for manslaughter

Paul Roddy

Photo of Paul Roddy, a man with fair skin and dark-brown hair. He is wearing a suit and tie. Name: Paul Roddy.
Died: December 31, 2015.
Age at death: 55.
Cause of death: Pneumonia.
Location: Manchester, England, UK.
Disability: Multiple sclerosis.

Details:
The caregiver that Paul was living with did not care for him. Instead, the man beat him up and starved him while pocketing the government money he claimed as a caregiver to a disabled person. Paul died from abuse and neglect, his body severely malnourished; he had multiple broken bones.

Paul was a retired engineer and the father of four children.

Case status:
Christopher McAllister (“Friend”; Non-family, non-professional caregiver), convicted of manslaughter, sentenced to 10 years.

Source:
Unemployed thug beat seven stone Multiple Sclerosis sufferer to death
MS-sufferer beaten to death in own home by thug carer who left him malnourished
Violent carer who killed vulnerable MS sufferer is jailed
Man with MS died after carer physically abused him for months

Rita King

Name: Rita King.
Died: December 28, 2015.
Age at death: 81.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Walton-on-the-Naze, England, UK.
Disability: Dementia.

Details:
Rita’s husband went to the retirement home where she was staying and shot her dead.

Case status:
Ron King (Husband), pleaded guilty to manslaughter by diminished responsibility; sentenced to 6 years in a psychiatric hospital.

Source:
PENSIONER Ron King, 86, appears at Magistrates’ Court after he’s charged with murder of tragic dementia sufferer Rita
Low-key funeral for pensioner shot dead in care home
Ronald King admits manslaughter by diminished responsibility after shooting his wife at De La Mer House care home in Walton last year

Donald Nieman

No Photo Name: Donald Robert Edward Otto Nieman.
Died: December 27, 2015.
Age at death: 89.
Cause of death: Manual strangulation.
Location: Macomb Township, Michigan, USA.
Disability: Dementia.

Details:
Donald’s son beat and strangled him to death.

Case status:
Gregory Lynn Nieman (Son), convicted of first-degree murder, sentenced to life without parole.

Source:
VIDEO: Son sentenced to life in murder of father in Macomb Township, claims innocence
Macomb Township murder defendant wants father’s body exhumed
Son in custody in elderly Macomb Township man’s death (UPDATED)
Macomb Township Man Accused Of Strangling Elderly Dad
UPDATE: Macomb Township slaying suspect was victim’s caregiver, police say
Murder case heading to circuit court
Donald Robert Edward Otto Nieman
Macomb Township man guilty of murder for strangling his father
Combative murder defendant denies he killed elderly father

Jermain Ngawhau

Name: Jermain Mason Ngawhau.
Died: December 18, 2015.
Age at death: 2.
Cause of death: Head injury.
Location: Clendon Park, Auckland, New Zealand.
Disability: Developmental delay.

Details:
Jermain’s grandmother was angry that he was having trouble walking; so she threw him down the hallway, causing a head injury that killed him. She then tried to blame his death on his four-year-old sister.

Case status:
Kathleen Elizabeth Cooper (Grandmother), convicted of murder, sentenced to 14-and-a-half years to life.

Source:
Grandma Accused Of Killing Grandson, Blaming It On His 4-Year-Old Sister
‘A very bleak picture’: High Court told of meth use in Auckland grandmother’s murder trial
Grandmother admits killing grandson but denies murder
Jermain Mason (Tiger) NGAWHAU’s Obituary
Murder-accused grandmother ‘never aggressive’, says dead boy’s mother
Grandma accused of murder was loved by grandson – mother
Cooper trial: Mother of dead toddler takes the stand
Jury begins deliberations in case of grandmother accused of murdering grandson
Grandma guilty of grandson’s murder
Grandmother Kathleen Cooper found guilty of murdering grandson
Kathleen Cooper murder case raises questions around whanau first principle
Life imprisonment for woman who killed grandson

Yasuko Uechi

No Photo Name: Yasuko Uechi.
Died: December 18, 2015.
Age at death: 82.
Cause of death: Suffocation.
Location: Kihocho, Japan.
Disability: Unspecified physical disability.

Details:
For some time, Yasuko had been asking her son to buy her a powered wheelchair; eventually she bought one for herself. Yasuko’s son allegedly suffocated her because he was angry she had bought a wheelchair he said he couldn’t afford.

Case status:
Norio Uechi; arrested for murder.

Source:
Mie cops: Man killed disabled mother over wheelchair purchase
Man kills his mother because she bought a wheelchair without his permission

Evan Hemsley

No Photo Name: Evan Hemsley.
Died: December 16, 2015.
Age at death: 14.
Cause of death: Cecal volvulus, malnutrition.
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.
Disability: Joubert’s syndrome.

Details:
Evan’s parents did not get him medical care. Weakened by malnutrition, Evan died from a twisted intestine, weighing 22 pounds.

Case Status:
Kristin Bush (Mother), convicted of child abuse and neglect, sentenced to 28 months to 10 years.
James Bush (Stepfather), convicted of child abuse and neglect, sentenced to 28 months to 10 years.

Sources:
Bush v. Eighth Judicial Dist. Court , No. 73808-COA
Couple sentenced to prison in death of 13-year-old son
Bush v. Wolfson, Case No. 2:19-cv-1096-RFB-VCF
The judge sentenced the Las Vegas couple to jail for the death of their disabled child

Kazuko Saito

No Photo Name: Kazuko Saito.
Died: December 13, 2015.
Age at death: 43.
Cause of death: Sharp-force trauma.
Location: Tokyo, Japan.
Disability: Developmental disability.

Details:
Kazuko’s sister killed her with a knife, then committed suicide.

Case status:
Fumiko Saito (Sister), deceased.

Source:
Murder-suicide suspected after discovery of sisters’ corpses
2 sisters dead in apparent murder-suicide

Gregory Cortis

Photo of Carley, Gregory Cortis's Labrador. She is an elderly dog, lying in a pile of leaves on a grassy lawn. Name: Gregory Alan Cortis.
Died: December 12, 2015.
Age at death: 68.
Cause of death: Blunt force trauma.
Location: Milford, Michigan, USA.
Disability: Alzheimer’s; stroke, causing memory loss and speech impairment.

Details:
Gregory’s wife beat him and his dog Carley with a crowbar, believing that they were both old and ill and it was “time for them to pass on”.

Gregory died after some time in the hospital. Carley, 11 years old and severely injured, recovered and was adopted by a new owner, but died of old age early in 2016.

Gregory’s wife claimed she had killed her husband and beaten the dog to “end their suffering”.

Case status:
Yvonne Cortis (Wife), pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and torturing an animal, sentenced to 22-50 years in prison.

Source:
Milford man dies of injuries from crowbar attack
Man Beaten with Crowbar Dies; Murder Charges Expected
Milford woman charged with beating husband, dog with crowbar
Carly the Labrador – An Update
Woman pleads guilty to beating husband and dog to death with metal rod