Remembering the Disabled Murdered by Caregivers
Name: Fabian Duque.
Died: November 9, 2009.
Age at death: 16.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
Disability: Autism.
Details:
Fabian was shot by his father.
Case status:
Segundo Duque (Father), deceased.
Source:
Autism Memorial: Fabian Duque
Report on the Fatality of Fabian Duque, Jr.
Segundo Duque shot his 16 year old autistic son in the head
Dad shoots and kills 16-year-old disabled son
Two Deaths, One Gun: Father Kills Autistic Son
Name: Walter Knox Hildebrand Jr.
Died: November 2009.
Age at death: 20.
Cause of death: Fatal seizure.
Location: Willows, California, USA.
Disability: Autism, epilepsy.
Details:
Walter was beaten and starved by his brother. He died from a seizure because his epilepsy was aggravated by his brother’s abuse.
Case status:
Stuart Allen Hildebrand (Brother), pled guilty to abuse, served 59 days in jail.
Source:
Willows, California: Man jailed for abuse and neglect in connection with the death of his brother, Walter Knox Hildebrand Jr.
Beating not cause of death
Autism Memorial: Walter Hildebrand Jr.
Name: Tony Khor.
Died: October 25, 2009.
Age at death: 15.
Cause of death: Asphyxia.
Location: Mississauga, Canada.
Disability: Autism.
Details:
Tony was strangled by his mother after an argument about whether to put him in residential care.
Case status:
Seow Cheng Sim (Mother); pled guilty to manslaughter; sentenced to 6-10 years. With credit for pre-trial custody, she served 2 more years before her release.
Source:
Autism Memorial: Tony Khor
Filicide: Boy with Autism Dead by Mother’s Hand
Mother charged with autistic son’s death
Mother Charged in Murder of Her Autistic Son
Name: Jeremy Bostick.
Died: September 27, 2009.
Age at death: 11.
Cause of death: Carbon monoxide poisoning.
Location: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
Disability: Autism.
Details:
Jeremy’s father gassed himself and his son with carbon monoxide.
Case status:
Jeffrey Bostick (Father), deceased.
Source:
Autism Memorial: Jeremy Bostick
Dad in murder-suicide had sought help for autistic son
Dad ‘snapped’ when autistic son sent to home, court told
Fatality inquiry into murder-suicide of father and autistic son reveals years-long struggle
Alberta has a tragic history of murder-suicides within families
Name: Helena Weinstein.
Died: September 23, 2009.
Age at death: 71.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: New Rochelle, New York, USA.
Disability: Dementia, chronic illness.
Details:
Helena’s husband tried to suffocate her with a pillow; when that didn’t work, he shot her instead.
Case status:
Paul Weinstein (Husband), pleaded guilty to manslaughter, sentenced to 7-8 years in prison. Died while incarcerated.
Source:
Husband kills ailing wife in mercy murder in New Rochelle, police say | ABC7 New York
Mercy killings: After Westchester Medical Center deaths, a look at similar deaths
78-Year-Old New Rochelle Man Pleads Guilty to Killing Wife
Westchester Man Gets Prison For Killing Wife
Westchester Man Gets Prison For Killing Wife
Name: Phyllis Fish.
Died: September 20, 2009.
Age at death: 88.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Laguna Woods, California, USA.
Disability: Stroke, recent cancer diagnosis, dementia.
Details:
Phyllis’s husband drugged her with morphine, then shot her and himself in the head.
Case status:
James Fish (Husband); charged with manslaughter, but died before he could be tried.
Source:
Doctor, 90, kills wife, tries to commit suicide
“Mercy Killing”: When Love & Law Conflict
DA dismisses mercy killing case after husband dies
Retired doctor suspected of killing wife, shooting self, dies
Name: Christopher Justin Churchill (First name sometimes spelled “Christophe”).
Died: September 18, 2009.
Age at death: 33.
Cause of death: Malnutrition.
Location: Frankfort, Kentucky, USA.
Disability: Intellectual disability.
Details:
When Christopher died while in the care of his adoptive sister, weighing only 60 pounds, police could not find enough evidence to tell whether he had been neglected. His death, due to “protein calorie malnutrition”, was listed as natural.
Six years later, however, another sibling was found, alive but malnourished and dehydrated, locked in their sister’s closet. After she was rescued, Christopher’s death investigation was re-opened, but no charges were brought.
Case status:
Candy Lawson (Sister), charged with abuse-related offenses against Christopher’s sister; under investigation for Christopher’s murder; sentenced to 10-20 years in prison for abuse, false imprisonment, and embezzling.
Source:
Candy Lawson trial focuses on tiny closet, brother’s death in Kentucky
Abuse charge leads to new look at malnutrition death
Inside tiny closet where woman kept her disabled sister for seven years
Woman Found Guilty Of Locking Disabled Sister In 4×8 Closet With Just Bucket For 7 Years
Candy Lawson trial focuses on tiny closet, brother’s death in Kentucky
Candy Lawson receives maximum sentence for locking sister in closet
Abuse Charge Against Michigan Woman Leads To New Look At Man’s Malnutrition Death
Michigan Woman Faces Prison For Locking Disabled Sister In Closet For Years
Woman Who Locked Deaf Sister In Room For 7 Years Convicted
Not My Sister’s Keeper: Woman Locks Deaf/Mute Sister In 7′ X 4′ Closet For Years Until Hero Handyman Turns Her In
Mich. abuse charge leads to new look at malnutrition death
Police Searching For Abuse Suspect’s Missing Siblings
Name: David Lauberts.
Died: September 15, 2009.
Age at death: 49.
Cause of death: Suspicious death.
Location: Greeley, Denver, Colorado, USA.
Disability: Mental and physical disabilities.
Details:
David’s brother allegedly burned down their home to try to hide David’s death. It is not known exactly how David died.
Case status:
James Thorpe Lauberts (Brother), charged with criminally negligent homicide, arson, and tampering with evidence.
Source:
Greeley man charged in brother’s death
Greeley man offered plea deal in death of developmentally disabled brother
Name: Charlotte Avenall.
Died: September 12, 2009.
Age at death: 8.
Cause of death: Hanging.
Location: Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, UK.
Disability: Cerebral palsy, intellectual disability.
Details:
Even though they took good care of their exotic pets, Charlotte’s parents neglected their daughter. Despite her disabilities and age requiring supervision, she was locked into a filthy room, completely alone; on the day she died, she had been left alone for fourteen hours. She had just learned to tie a knot in school when she hanged herself by the cord on the window blinds and died.
Case status:
Simon Moody (Father), pleaded guilty to child cruelty, sentenced to 12 months in prison.
Susan Moody (Mother), pleaded guilty to child cruelty, sentenced to 12 months in prison.
Source:
Hanged girl’s parents jailed for child cruelty
Charlotte Avenall’s ‘atrocious’ neglect shocked town
Police arrest parents of eight-year-old girl found hanged at home
Name: Asher Abdussalam Bashir.
Died: August 26, 2009.
Age at death: 4.
Cause of death: Drowning.
Location: Paradise Valley, Phoenix, Arizona, USA.
Disability: Cerebral palsy, autism.
Details:
Asher loved being in the water. Though he could not swim, he had no fear of drowning. Knowing this, his mother led him to their backyard pool and left him sitting next to it while she went into the house for twenty minutes. Asher got into the pool and drowned.
Case status:
Nadia Bashir (Mother), convicted of negligent homicide and child abuse; faces a maximum sentence of 4 years.
Source:
Autism Memorial: Asher Bashir
Woman found guilty in ’09 drowning death of son, 4
Jury Finds Nadia Bashir Guilty in Drowning Death of Her Four Year-Old Child
Asher Bashir
Nadia H. BASHIR, Petitioner, v. The Honorable Susanna C. PINEDA, Judge of the Superior Court of the State of Arizona, in and for the County of Maricopa, Respondent Judge, State of Arizona, Real Party in Interest.