Age Categories – Page 133 – Disability Day of Mourning

Liam Milne

Photo of Liam Milne and his mother Susana. Liam is a light-brown-skinned boy with curly black hair, wearing a baseball cap and pink shirt. His mother is a woman with brown hair and pale skin, wearing sunglasses and a straw hat. She has her arms around Liam. Name: Liam Milne.
Age at death: 11.
Disability: Fragile X.
Died: February 1, 2015.
Cause of death: Car crash.
Location: Sydney, Australia.

Details:
Liam and his brother Ben both had Fragile X, and their mother Susana was six months pregnant with another boy. Their father, who feared that the boys would not be able to cope with their disabilities, bundled his whole family into the car and crashed it into a tree at 90 miles an hour.

Only seven-year-old Ben survived the crash, though he was severely injured. Ben is now living with his aunt, who says he is doing well.

Case status:
Darren John Milne (Father), deceased.

Source:
Darren John Milne who killed his pregnant wife and son in a car crash had set up bombs
Double murder-suicide driver planted bombs in engine bay
Horror crash mum Susana Milne was pregnant with third child
NSW coroner criticises dead father after horror car crash

Lee Del Ratez

Photo of Lee Del Ratez, a man with dark hair and light tan skin. He is holding his hands in fists just below his chin, and wearing a black and blue T-shirt. Name: Lee W. Del Ratez.
Died: January 8, 2015.
Age at death: 40.
Cause of death: Neglect.
Location: North Adams, Massachusetts, USA.
Disability: Unspecified.

Details:
Lee died because of his siblings’ negligence when they did not take care of him properly.

Case status:
Heath Del Ratez (Brother), pleaded guilty to permitting abuse on a disabled person, sentenced to two years probation.
Jessica Kemp (Sister), charged with manslaughter by negligence and caretaker abuse of a disabled person.

Source:
North Adams pair charged with manslaughter in connection with death of disabled sibling
North Adams pair charged with manslaughter by negligence in death of disabled man
Lee W. Del Ratez, 40

Owen Collins

Name: Owen Collins.
Died: January 17, 2015.
Age at death: 3.
Cause of death: Head injury.
Location: Bluffton, Indiana, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
When Owen died, his parents put him in a box, burned his body, and reported him missing. Initial reports implied Owen had been poisoned with meth, but autopsy results showed Owen had died from a blow to the head with no meth in his system.

Case status:
Zachary S. Barnes (Stepfather), pleaded guilty to murder, sentenced to 50 years.
Breanna J. Arnold (Mother), pleaded guilty to dealing methamphetamine, sentenced to 20 years in prison and two and a half years of probation.
Zachary Barker, pleaded guilty to abuse of a corpse and dealing methamphetamine, sentenced to 12 years.

Source:
Mother of slain Owen Collins sentenced for meth charge
Autism Memorial: Owen Collins
3 Year Old Owen Collins Missing Since 1/17/15 in Bluffton, IN
Bluffton, IN Police Searching for Missing Boy Owen Collins
Body Of Missing Toddler Found In Woods
Coroner: Cause of death could take up to two weeks
‘We put dope in their bottles and watched them have fun’
Owen Collins’ father reacts to homicide ruling

Ena Lai Dung

No Photo Name: En Lai Dung.
Died: January 16, 2015.
Age at death: 77.
Cause of death: Starvation.
Location: Manurewa, South Auckland, New Zealand.
Disability: Elderly disabled; possibly bulimia.

Details:
Ena Lai lived with her daughter in a rented house. Her daughter refused to take care of her or ask for help; she claimed that Ena Lai had bulimia and refused to eat.

Ena Lai died in her filthy bed, weighing only 29 kg (64 pounds), dehydrated, malnourished, and suffering from infected bedsores. She had fourteen half-healed broken ribs and a broken sternum.

Case status:
Cindy Taylor (Daughter), found guilty of manslaughter, sentenced to 13 years 3 months.
Brian Taylor (Housemate), found guilty of failure to protect a vulnerable adult, sentenced to 6 years.
Luana Taylor (Housemate), found guilty of failure to protect a vulnerable adult, sentenced to 6 years 6 months.

Source:
Woman who let her mother starve to death declined parole
Appeals thrown out over harrowing death of Ena Lai Dung
Daughter on trial for manslaughter of mother
Dead woman had been ‘nibbled’, manslaughter trial hears
Jury to view shocking pics of dead woman
Paramedic overwhelmed by smell when examining malnourished woman’s body
Pathologist details state of dead elderly woman found in own waste
Pathologist: I’ve never seen anything like it
Trial begins over elderly woman’s grim death
Woman found guilty of letting mother starve
Daughter’s ‘cruel’ neglect killed mother
Jail for letting mother starve to death
Daughter jailed for neglect and manslaughter of elderly woman

Iblah Pilo

No Photo Name: Iblah (Ibrahim) Pilo.
Died: January 16, 2015.
Age at death: 2.
Cause of death: Missing, presumed dead.
Location: Chimtanda village, Malawi.
Disability: Albinism.

Details:
Iblah’s mother was worried that he would be kidnapped and sold for his body parts, but her husband told her to stay with him, saying that he would protect the little boy.

Days later, Iblah’s mother woke in the night to hear him screaming; he was being kidnapped. She was unable to save him.

Iblah’s body was never found, but it is likely that he was indeed sold for his body parts, which are used in ritual magic. Police arrested his father and two other men.

Case status:
Iblah’s father and two others were charged with kidnapping and burglary, but released due to insufficient evidence.

Source:
Malawi: Killing spree of people with albinism fuelled by ritual practices and policing failures
Prejudice against people with albinism in Malawi

Cyrus Buskirk

Name: Cyrus Buskirk.
Died: January 12, 2015.
Age at death: 8.
Cause of death: Untreated diabetes.
Location: Allentown, Pennsylvania, USA.
Disability: Juvenile diabetes.

Details:
When Cyrus’s diabetes made him sick, his mother didn’t get him medical help. She called the doctor, but didn’t follow any of the doctor’s instructions. By the time she called 911, it was too late; Cyrus died of complications of juvenile diabetes.

Cyrus’s obituary says that he “loved school, baseball, the Iron Pigs, karate and being a ninja”.

Case status:
Ashleigh Buskirk (Mother), pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and child endangerment, sentenced to 16 months to 10 years.

Source:
Cyrus T. Buskirk Obituary (2007 – 2015) Morning Call
Mother sentenced for letting diabetic child die
Allentown mother pleads guilty in death of diabetic son

Hayden Dukes

Name: Hayden Dukes.
Died: January 8, 2015.
Age at death: 4.
Cause of death: Head injury.
Location: Underwood, Indiana, USA.
Disability: Autism, DiGeorge syndrome.

Details:
Hayden’s father was watching TV, and Hayden was getting in the way. Instead of paying attention to his son, Hayden’s father beat him to death.

Case status:
Christopher Bruck (Father); charged with aggravated battery and neglect of a dependent, sentenced to 40 years in prison and 2.5 years parole.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Hayden Dukes
Family: Child beaten by father dies
Southern Indiana man convicted in 4-year-old son’s death given 40 year prison sentence

Brenda Davidson

Photo of Brenda Davidson, an older woman with pale skin and white hair, in a white dress, petting a brown-and-white dog. Name: Brenda Davidson.
Died: January 6, 2015 (Body found).
Age at death: 72.
Cause of death: Homicidal violence.
Location: Alvor, Portimão, Algarve, Portugal.
Disability: Cancer.

Details:
Brenda’s boyfriend killed her and then buried her body; she was found two months later.

Brenda had two dogs, a mutt and a Labrador mix, whom she called “her babies”.

Case status:
Nigel Jackson (Boyfriend), convicted of murder, desecration of a body, larceny, IT and telecommunications fraud, and misuse of a credit card; sentenced to 25 years.

Source:
Son of British woman buried in villa garden speaks after mother’s partner is found guilty of her murder
Former Gravesend minicab driver ‘admits burying partner under patio but denies murder’
Funeral of British expat buried in villa garden to be held in Algarve

Caryl Vanzo

A gravestone, reading, "Mother Caryl. 1924-2015." Name: Caryl Vanzo.
Died: January 5, 2015.
Age at death: 90.
Cause of death: Unspecified.
Location: Plymouth, Minnesota, USA.
Disability: Elderly disabled; wheelchair user.

Details:
Caryl was neglected by her son, who stole and spent her retirement funds. When she was dying, or possibly soon after she had died, Caryl’s son put her in a wheelchair and went to the bank to withdraw more money from her account. Her body showed signs of malnutrition and dehydration, and she had severe untreated bedsores.

Case status:
David Vanzo (Son), pleaded guilty to one count of financial exploitation over $35,000; sentenced to 42 months in prison.

Source:
Guilty plea from son who forced mother to make bank withdrawal just before her death
Man Accused of Taking Possibly Dead Mother Into Bank Arrested in Pomona
Guilty plea from son who forced mother to make bank withdrawal just before her death
Twin Cities man accused of financially exploiting mom before her death
Minnesota man suspected of wheeling dead mother into bank
Man Accused of Taking Possibly Dead Mother Into Bank Arrested in Pomona
Man Allegedly Wheeled Dying Mother Into Bank to Withdraw Cash From Her Account
Man accused of taking dead mother into bank to make cash withdrawal

Susan Winters

Name: Susan Winters.
Died: January 3, 2015.
Age at death: 48.
Cause of death: Poisoning.
Location: Boulder City, Nevada, USA.
Disability: Depression.

Details:
Susan’s death from poisoning with painkillers and antifreeze was initially thought to be a suicide. But her husband–a psychiatrist–admitted to poisoning her and trying to stage a suicide.

Susan was a lawyer, and later became a judge. She loved animals, Elvis, reading, and running marathons.

Case status:
Gregory Dennis (Husband), convicted of involuntary manslaughter; sentenced to 3-10 years.

Source:
Pandemic delays murder trial for Henderson psychologist
Murder or suicide? Unsealed documents reveal new evidence in doctor’s wife death
Did a Boulder City psychologist murder his wife, or was it a suicide?
Susan Winters case: coroner changes cause from suicide to undetermined