Age Categories – Page 15 – Disability Day of Mourning

5-year-old boy

Name Unknown.
Died: July 16, 2023.
Age at death: 5.
Cause of death: Starvation/dehydration.
Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA.
Disability: Cerebral palsy.

Details:
This five-year-old boy’s mother was charged with starving him so badly that he weighed only thirteen-and-a-half pounds when he died.

Case Status:
Marcella Montelongo (Mother), charged with child abuse resulting in death, died before trial.

Sources:
Mom charged for starving special needs son to death in Albuquerque
Woman accused of starving special needs child found dead at MDC
Albuquerque mom arrested after special needs son dies
New Mexico mother accused of allowing her 5-year-old son to slowly starve to death
Marcella Montelongo, N.M mom red flags were obvious to see

Photo of a middle aged woman with short, wavy blond hair and fair skin, wearing silver earrings and a red blouse, smiling. Name: Patricia Zaccario.
Died: July 15, 2023.
Age at death: 73.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Hackensack, New Jersey, USA.
Disability: Unspecified; terminally ill nursing home resident.

Details:
Patricia’s husband visited her at her nursing home, shot her dead, and then shot himself.

Case Status:
Michael Zaccario (Husband), deceased.

Sources:
Authorities ID husband, wife dead in murder-suicide at N.J. nursing home
Elderly married couple shot dead in nursing home in ‘murder suicide’
Officials: 73-year-old Patricia Zaccario, 76-year-old Michael Zaccario fatally shot at New Jersey nursing facility

Omri Blum

Photo of a young man with short black hair, small mustache, and light-brown skin. He is wearing wire-rimmed glasses and a black and white shirt. He has his hand to his mouth; there is a silver ring on his second finger. He is smiling slightly. Name: Omri Blum.
Died: July 14, 2023.
Age at death: 23.
Cause of death: Shooting, stabbing.
Location: Modi’in-Maccabim-Re’ut, Israel.
Disability: Autism, fetal alcohol syndrome.

Details:
Omri, who lived at a hostel for disabled people, had left the hostel with some friends; but when their car broke down, police brought Omri back to his adoptive parents, who were still his legal guardians. Initially reluctant to take Omri in, they eventually agreed, but that night, Omri and his father went out to the nearby woods, and there Omri’s father allegedly shot him nine times and stabbed him in the heart, killing him.

Case Status:
Shai Blum (Adoptive father), charged with murder.

Sources:
Man indicted for murder of autistic adopted son
Man indicted for shooting adopted son nine times, stabbing twice
Omri’s Murder by his Adoptive Father Shakes Hearts
9 shots and a knife in the chest: indictment filed against Shai Blum – for murdering his adopted son
Autism Memorial: Omri Blum

Marsha Foster

Name: Marsha Sprayberry Foster.
Died: July 12, 2023.
Age at death: 74.
Cause of death: Morphine overdose.
Location: Harlem, Georgia, USA.
Disability: Alzheimer’s disease.

Details:
Marsha died from a morphine overdose administered at the nursing home where she lived. Her daughter is suspected of having injected her with the unprescribed medication.

Marsha loved reading, painting, and drawing. She was a retired satellite communications expert who had worked for the Army as a civilian employee.

Case Status:
Rachel Elaine Waters (Daughter), indicted on malice murder and felony murder charges.

Sources:
Daughter charged with murder after ‘injecting mom with morphine’
Daughter facing murder charges after injecting Alzheimer’s-stricken mother with morphine, cops say
Marsha Sprayberry Foster’s Obituary

Lech

No Photo Name: Lech (Family name unknown).
Died: June 29, 2023.
Age at death: 7.
Cause of death: Drowning.
Location: Baltic Sea.
Disability: Unspecified; used adapted stroller.

Details:
Lech’s mother threw him into the Baltic Sea and then jumped in herself. A rescue operation recovered both within an hour and sent them to Karlskrona, Sweden, by helicopter; but it was too late, and both were declared dead on arrival.

Case Status:
Paulina (Mother), deceased.

Sources:
“Miraculous” Double Rescue Turns Into Homicide Investigation
Probe into death of mum and boy falling off Stena Line ferry takes chilling turn
Child who died with Polish mother when they plunged from ferry ‘was in a wheelchair’, say witnesses
Śmierć Pauliny i jej synka. Poruszające słowa szefa ratowników morskich. Mówi o cudzie podczas poszukiwań
Nowa relacja pasażerki promu. Widziała Paulinę przed tragedią. “On się nie ruszał, było widać nóżki”

Alivia Hobbs-Jordan

Photo of a young girl with brown skin and black hair in tight braids. She is wearing a puffy blue jacket. Name: Alivia Hobbs-Jordan.
Died: June 25, 2023.
Age at death: 7.
Cause of death: Abandonment.
Location: Decatur, Georgia, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Alivia’s mother buckled her into her stroller, rolled her into a closet, and left the apartment, never to return. Alivia’s body was found months later.

Case Status:
Alondra Hobbs (Mother), pleaded guilty to malice murder, felony murder, and cruelty to children; sentenced to life without parole.

Sources:
Decatur woman gets life sentence in murder of special needs daughter abandoned in closet
Decatur mom gets life for leaving special needs daughter to die in closet
Mother pleads guilty to killing special needs daughter after the girl’s mummified body was found in a closet
Mom pleads guilty to murder after leaving special needs daughter to die, decompose for months inside apartment
Mother pleads guilty to killing special needs daughter after the girl’s mummified body was found in a closet
New details emerge in case where 7-year-old girl with autism was left in closet for so long she became mummified
Mother accused of killing 7-year-old daughter who was found mummified in closet left her there, had ‘no intention of returning’: Warrant
Autism Memorial: Alivia Hobbs-Jordan

Sinuan Boonkird

No Photo Name: Sinuan Boonkird.
Died: June 7, 2023.
Age at death: 58.
Cause of death: Burns.
Location: Udon Thani, Thailand.
Disability: ALS.

Details:
Sinuan’s neighbors reported that they overheard Sinuan and her husband arguing. Worried about possible domestic violence, they called authorities and went to check on her. They found Sinuan in her bed, on fire; they put the fire out, but it was too late, and by the time police arrived, Sinuan was dead. Police believe Sinuan’s husband poured diesel on her and set her on fire.

Case Status:
Samorn Boonkird (Husband) has been arrested.

Sources:
Alcoholic sets fire to his bedridden wife resulting in her death
Yatalak eşiyle saatlerce kavga etti! Öfkelenen koca evini ateşe vererek karısını öldürdü

Mahesh

No Photo Name: Mahesh.
Died: June 2023.
Age at death: Adult.
Cause of death: Hanged.
Location: Hyderabad, Telangana, India.
Disability: Stroke; bedridden.

Details:
Mahesh was found unconscious in his house, barely alive, and was taken to the hospital where he died. His wife and her boyfriend are suspected of having hanged him and trying to pass it off as a natural death.

Case Status:
Latha (Wife), charged with murder.
Vikram (Wife’s boyfriend), wanted for murder.

Sources:
Hyderabad: Woman held for hubby’s murder after 5 months
Woman held for Hubby’s Murder after 5 months

Shana McClain

Photo of a middle aged woman with light-tan skin, her brown hair arranged in neat braids that coil around her head and fall over her right eye. She is smiling. Name: Shana McClain.
Died: May 29, 2023.
Age at death: 53.
Cause of death: Stabbed.
Location: Landrum, South Carolina, USA.
Disability: Unspecified; wheelchair user.

Details:
When police responded to Shana’s home, they found her stabbed to death in her wheelchair and her boyfriend holding a knife.

Case Status:
Freddie Edwards (Boyfriend), fatally shot by police.

Sources:
South Carolina woman found dead in wheelchair, boyfriend killed after charging police
Man accused of fatally stabbing woman in wheelchair shot, killed by authorities, sheriff says
Woman found dead in wheelchair, suspect killed in officer-involved shooting

Lugela Morales

No Photo Name: Lugela Geraldez Morales.
Died: May 25, 2023.
Age at death: 42.
Cause of death: Blunt trauma.
Location: Talisay City, Cebu, Philippines.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Lugela’s brother came home drunk and hit her in the shoulder. Surprised and hurt, she yelled insults at him. He allegedly responded by beating her until she stopped moving. Lugela’s mother called medics and had her rushed to the hospital, but it was too late; she had died from massive injuries to her head and body.

Case Status:
Levan Geraldez Morales (Brother), arrested and will be charged with murder.

Sources:
Drunk Man Beats Older Sister With Autism To Death Following Verbal Altercation
Babaeng may autism, namatay matapos bugbugin ng nakababatang kapatid
Autism Memorial: Lugela Morales