Age Categories – Page 15 – Disability Day of Mourning

Hunter Drew

Name: Hunter Drew.
Died: October 20, 2022.
Age at death: 3.
Cause of death: Traumatic injury.
Location: Mount Auburn, Illinois, USA.
Disability: Developmental delay, chronic illness.

Details:
Hunter had gotten into a scuffle with a sibling when his father’s girlfriend allegedly grabbed him, threw him so that his head hit a hard object, and then drove him around in her car for three hours while he died of a head injury.

Hunter loved motorcycles, trains, race cars, and big loud trucks.

Case Status:
Ashley N. Bottoms (Father’s girlfriend), charged with involuntary manslaughter and child endangerment causing death.

Sources:
Did custody change cause Hunter’s death?
Charges filed in death of 3-year-old
Family and friends gather for Hunter Drew’s visitation
The short life of a 3-year-old boy taken too soon
DCFS facilitates 3-year-old downstate boy’s move in with his father, and now the boy is dead

Eda Karr

No Photo Name: Eda Lyn Karr.
Died: October 18, 2022.
Age at death: 63.
Cause of death: Unspecified neglect.
Location: Stevensville, Montana, USA.
Disability: Parkinson’s disease.

Details:
Eda’s son took his mother out of her nursing home, neglected her until she died, and then hid her body while he continued to collect her retirement checks.

Case Status:
Ronan Sterling-Shanahan, aka Justin Whitfield (Son), convicted of negligent homicide and tampering with evidence, sentenced to 30 years.

Sources:
Stevi man sentenced to 30 years in mother’s death

15-year-old boy

No Photo Name Unknown.
Died: October 17, 2022.
Age at death: 15.
Cause of death: Blunt trauma.
Location: Brownsville, Texas, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
This 15-year-old boy, who cannot be named because his parents have not been located, was staying with his aunt and uncle when he was found dead. When authorities saw the marks on his body, his aunt and uncle were arrested and charged with murder.

Case Status:
Julie Alexadria Brewington (Aunt), pleaded guilty to injury to child by omission.
Noe Garza (Uncle), charged with murder.
Rebecca Garza (Grandmother), charged with failing to report a felony.

Sources:
Woman pleads guilty to lesser charge in murder case for teen with autism
Autopsy report reveals cause of death of Brownsville teen with autism
Autism Memorial: 15-year-old boy
Before death, teen with autism was tied to mattress with dog collar, indictment says
Married couple charged in death of autistic teen in Brownsville
CPS, Brownsville police investigating death of teen boy
BPD: Teen with autism found dead, aunt and uncle charged with murder
Police await autopsy results on autistic teen allegedly killed by relatives
Third Person Charged In Connection With Killing Of Autistic Teen – 710am KURV
Police make third arrest in connection to teen’s death
Pareja es acusada por el presunto homicidio por su sobrino en Brownsville
Police made third arrest in case of teenager’s death

Bernadette, Lisa, and Matthew Steadman

Name: Bernadette A. Steadman.
Age at death: 92.
Disability: Chronic illness; wheelchair user.

Name: Lisa B. Steadman.
Age at death: 60.
Disability: Chronic illness.

Name: Matthew Steadman.
Age at death: 34.
Disability: Autism.

Died: October 15, 2022.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Elyria, Ohio, USA.

Details:
After a man called 911, saying he had killed his family and was going to kill himself, police responded to his address and found the whole family shot dead. Matthew, the youngest at 34, was autistic; his mother Lisa, 60, and grandmother Bernadette, had chronic illness. They had all been killed by their caregiver, who died by suicide before police arrived.

The family lived in a quiet mobile home park, well-liked by their neighbors, one of whom says she used to call Bernadette “Grandma”. The family had recently added a ramp to their home so that Bernadette and Lisa could maneuver in and out of the home more easily.

Case Status:
James Steadman (Son/Husband/Father), deceased.

Photo of an elderly woman with wispy white chin-length hair and pale skin.

Photo of a middle-aged woman with brown hair growing out into gray roots, wearing glasses; she has pale skin, and is smiling for the camera.

Portrait photo of a young man smiling for the camera; he has curly brown hair and is wearing glasses.

Sources:
‘I’m in shock’: Police release identities, details in the murder-suicide of Elyria family
Family of 4 found dead in Elyria home after apparent murder-suicide – cleveland.com
Elyria police identify victims of murder-suicide
Autism Memorial: Matthew Steadman

Mae Brown

No Photo Name: Mae Brown.
Died: October 15, 2022.
Age at death: 87.
Cause of death: Beating.
Location: Bronzeville, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
Disability: Disabled elder, wheelchair user.

Details:
Mae was found beaten to death in her apartment. Earlier the same day, police had been called to her apartment twice, first by her daughter who accused her of stealing her disability payments, and then by Mae, who told police her daughter would not leave her apartment. Police arrested Mae’s daughter, who had returned after being forced to leave and beat her mother to death.

Case Status:
Shearly Gaines (Daughter), pleaded guilty to first-degree murder, sentenced to 20 years and must serve 100% of that sentence.

Sources:
Woman pleads guilty to killing 87-year-old mother found dead in wheelchair in Bronzeville apartment
Woman pleads guilty to killing 87-year-old mother found dead in wheelchair in Bronzeville apartment
Death investigation: 87-year-old woman found dead in Bronzeville apartment ruled homicide, ME says
87-year-old woman beaten to death at senior living apartment building on South Side
‘It’s scary’: Woman, 87, found beaten to death in wheelchair at senior home complex, officials say
Woman Charged In Murder Of 87-Year-Old Woman In Douglas Apartment Complex
Garfield Park woman charged with murder of 87-year-old in Bronzeville senior complex
Woman charged with killing 87-year-old mother in CHA senior apartment on South Side
Bond denied for woman charged with killing 87-year-old mother on Chicago’s South Side
No bail for 69-year-old woman accused of murdering her 87-year-old mother at South Side senior apartments
Woman accused mom of stealing disability money before 87-year-old was found beaten to death: court

Shanice Watts

No Photo Name: Shanice Nicole Watts.
Died: October 5, 2022.
Age at death: 34.
Cause of death: Unspecified.
Location: Laurel, Mississippi, USA.
Disability: Unspecified special needs.

Details:
Shanice’s body was found in her home; she had been dead for six months or more. Her mother was arrested and charged with murder.

Case Status:
Phyllis Watts-Tiller (Mother), charged with murder.

Sources:
Body ID’d as murder suspect’s daughter
Woman’s body found in Laurel identified, mother charged with murder
Police: Victim found in Mississippi house more than six months after she died has been identified. Mother charged with her murder.

Joshua Djuric

No Photo Name: Joshua Djuric.
Died: September 26, 2022.
Age at death: 18.
Cause of death: Malnutrition.
Location: Yagoona, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Joshua’s body was found in his home. He had not been taken to the doctor despite his declining health, and his mother said she had given him only bread and soft drinks to eat. Joshua had been kept in the house, with the windows covered, and had not been allowed to attend school.

Case Status:
Keti Jovanovska (Mother), charged with manslaughter.

Sources:
Yagoona mother charged with manslaughter after death of her autistic son
Mom who killed her starving autistic teen son by feeding him just bread and soft drinks charged | MEAWW
Mother charged with manslaughter after son starved to death
Autism Memorial: Joshua Djuric

Andreas Huertas

No Photo Name: Andreas Huertas.
Died: September 25, 2022.
Age at death: 37.
Cause of death: Blunt trauma; beating.
Location: Bronx, New York, New York, USA.
Disability: Diabetes; received disability assistance.

Details:
Andreas, who lived with his boyfriend, was beaten to death in his own apartment, possibly with a hammer. His boyfriend was arrested on suspicion of murder.

Neighbors remember him as a “good community man”–kind, helpful, and willing to pitch in to keep their building clean.

Case Status:
Felix Perez (Boyfriend), charged with murder, manslaughter, and criminal possession of a weapon.

Sources:
Bronx man allegedly kills partner with hammer, said it felt ‘like a dream’
Bronx man found dead in his NYCHA apartment; fatal beating suspected
Boyfriend of man beaten to death in NYCHA apartment arrested for his murder

Sandeep

No Photo Name: Sandeep.
Died: September 24, 2022.
Age at death: 47.
Cause of death: Stabbed.
Location: Vettoor, Kerala, India.
Disability: Epilepsy, bedridden.

Details:
Sandeep’s brother came home and allegedly stabbed him as he lay sleeping in bed. A nurse caring for Sandeep heard the commotion and took Sandeep to the hospital; but his injuries were not survivable. Police say Sandeep’s brother confessed, explaining that he had killed his brother because he could not take care of him.

Sandeep worked at Indian Railways.

Case Status:
Santhosh (Brother), charged with murder.

Sources:
Drunk vet murders bedridden younger brother in Kerala; claims couldn’t take care of him
Doctor stabs brother to death in Varkala

Michael Bruno

No Photo Name: Michael John Bruno.
Died: September 17, 2022.
Age at death: 74.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Boardman, Ohio, USA.
Disability: Depression, PTSD, frail elder.

Details:
Michael’s son fatally shot him as he lay in bed; he was angry that Michael had decided to sell his home.

He was a Vietnam veteran who had served in the Air Force.

Case Status:
Michael N. Bruno (Son), convicted of murder, sentenced to 18 years to life.

Sources:
Man who killed his father gets 18 to life
Man sentenced in shooting death of father in Boardman
Obituary for Michael John Bruno | Funeral Services by Gary Silvat
Former Sheriff’s Deputy sentenced to 18 years to life in shooting death of father