Age Categories – Page 172 – Disability Day of Mourning

Maia Comas

Name: Maia Comas.
Died: December 3, 2007.
Age at death: 2.
Cause of death: Drowning.
Location: Sydney, Australia.
Disability: Rett syndrome.

Details:
When Maia was diagnosed with Rett syndrome, her parents wanted to euthanize her. Told this was illegal, they “coincidentally” found Maia drowned in a wading pool and did not attempt to resuscitate her.

Case status:
Pablo Comas and Samantha Comas (Parents) were never charged.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Maia Comas
News of daughter’s illness devastated parents, inquest told
“Why do they keep children with these disabilities alive?”
Maia Coma’s mother says an inability to perform CPR made her feel like a murderer
Coroner unable to say if baby Maia Comas’ death was accidental
Coroner returns open finding into toddler Maia Comas’s pool death
Parents greatly irresponsible over baby Maia’s death: coroner

Mara Tani

No Photo
Name: Mara Tani.
Died: December 1, 2007.
Age at death: 82.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Prato, Italy.
Disability: Alzheimer’s disease.

Details:
Mara’s husband shot her in the head.

Case status:
Vitangelo Bini (Husband), convicted of aggravated murder, sentenced to 6 1/2 years in prison, but will not serve any jail time because of his age. Committed suicide 6 months later.

Source:
Woman with Alzheimer’s shot dead in hospital by husband, 77
Pensioner commits suicide

Naomi Hill

Photo of Naomi Hill, a small, curly-haired girl in a red shirt. She has auburn hair, fair skin, and brown eyes; she is smiling. Her hair is a little messy. Name: Naomi Hill.
Died: November 26, 2007.
Age at death: 4.
Cause of death: Drowned.
Location: Deeside, Flintshire, North Wales, UK.
Disability: Cerebral palsy.

Details:
Naomi’s mother drowned her in the bathtub because she was ashamed of Naomi’s cerebral palsy.

Case status:
Joanne Hill (Mother), convicted of murder, sentenced to 15 years to life.

Source:
Mother jailed for life for killing cerebral palsy daughter

Shellay Ward

Photo of Shellay Ward, a young girl with pale skin and auburn hair cut in a pageboy, wearing a big blue beret, a flower-patterned dress, and a broad smile. Name: Shellay Ward.
Died: November 13, 2007.
Age at death: 7.
Cause of death: Starvation.
Location: Hawks Nest, New South Wales, Australia.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Shellay was locked into a back room, where she died from long-term neglect and starvation.

Case status:
Sharyn Ward (Mother), convicted of murder, sentenced to life without parole.
Blakely Ward (Father), convicted of manslaughter, sentenced to 12 years.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Shellay Ward
Father who killed ‘mummified’ daughter, 7, loses bid to walk from jail
Shellay Ebony Ward
Ebony: Judge restores some dignity to starved girl

Francecca Hardwick

Photo: A teenage girl, her brown hair cut short. She has fair skin and blue eyes. There is a gap between her two front teeth. She is wearing a yellow polo shirt. Name: Francecca “Frankie” Hardwick.
Died: October 23, 2007.
Age at death: 18.
Cause of death: Fire.
Location: Earl Shilton, Leicestershire, England, UK.
Disability: Intellectual disability.

Details:
Francecca’s mother locked herself and Francecca into their car and set it on fire. 18-year-old Frankie burned to death.

Francecca’s schoolteachers remember how she loved to jump in puddles, play on swings, and give massages.

Case status:
Fiona Pilkington (Mother), deceased.

Source:
Bullies ‘drove mother and daughter to fireball death’
Francecca Hardwick: portrait of a victim
A Pilkington Malaise? Have We Really Learnt the Lessons for 2020?

Kayla Dutcher

No Photo Name: Kayla Dutcher.
Died: October 7, 2007.
Age at death: 5.
Cause of death: Tramadol overdose.
Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA.
Disability: Blindness.

Details:
Kayla died of an overdose of Tramadol. Her parents reported that she had eaten the Tramadol by accident; the department of human services determined that she had died of “fatal neglect and an injurious environment”.

Case status:
Parents Amy Dutcher and James Dutcher were not charged.

Source:
Kayla Dutcher

Jared Greenwood

No Photo Name: Jared Greenwood.
Died: September 30, 2007 (Body found).
Age at death: 26.
Cause of death: Sepsis.
Location: Bloomfield, New Mexico, USA.
Disability: Autism, intellectual disability.

Details:
Jared’s mother neglected him; he died of blood poisoning from infected bedsores.

Case status:
Sandra Greenwood (Mother), convicted of neglect, sentenced to two and a half years in jail.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Jared Greenwood
Updated at 7:40am — Mother Gets 2 1/2 Years for Leaving Son To Die

Sarah Grupstein

No Photo Name: Sarah Grupstein.
Died: September 19, 2007.
Age at death: 84.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Disability: Stroke, mobility impaired (Wheelchair user), diabetes, heart disease.

Details:
Sarah was shot by her son in a murder-suicide.

Case status:
Percy Stein (Son), deceased.

Source:
History of euthanasia in Canada
Sarah Grupstein’s Obituary on National Post
Cancer-stricken man commits murder-suicide
`We weep for their pain,’ rabbi says at murder-suicide funeral
Murder or mercy?

Criste Reimer

Photo of Criste Reimer, a middle-aged woman wearing glasses. She has pale skin and curly brown hair, cut short. She is smiling with her lips pressed together. Name: Criste Reimer .
Died: August 14, 2007.
Age at death: 47.
Cause of death: Fall injury.
Location: Kansas City, Missouri, USA.
Disability: Hydrocephalus, neurofibromatosis.

Details:
Criste’s husband threw her from a fourth-floor balcony to her death.

Case status:
Stanley Reimer (Husband), pled guilty to second-degree murder, sentenced to 25 years to life.

Source:
Sisters of woman thrown from balcony wanted to keep her away from husband

Jesse Weaver

Portrait photo of Jesse Weaver, a fair-skinned, brown-haired boy wearing a collared shirt, smiling slightly. Name: Jesse Weaver.
Died: July 8, 2007.
Age at death: 11.
Cause of death: Seroquel overdose.
Location: Lincoln County, Colorado, USA.
Disability: Mental illness.

Details:
Jesse’s mother abruptly withdrew his psychiatric medication. Jesse committed suicide about three weeks later.

Case status:
Traci Weaver (Mother); Wade Weaver (Father). Department of Social Services concluded that they were responsible for emotional abuse, medical neglect, and failure to protect Jesse.

Source:
Children lost in the system
Child Fatality Review: Jesse Weaver