Age Categories – Page 29 – Disability Day of Mourning

Kyle Tiyo

Name: Kyle Tiyo.
Died: September 22, 2021.
Age at death: 10 months.
Cause of death: Blunt trauma.
Location: Bethelsdorp, South Africa.
Disability: Blind.

Details:
Kyle’s father, who his mother says had never accepted him ever since he learned Kyle had been born disabled, allegedly took him from his mother for the night, and when he gave the boy back, Kyle was limp and bruised all over. Kyle died from his injuries in the hospital.

Case Status:
Jason Mandeka (Father), charged with murder.

Sources:
Father of murdered blind baby appears in court
Baby’s murder, mother’s agony
Mother narrates pain about how her baby daddy brutally beat up her disabled baby – Opera News

Gabby Petito

Name: Gabrielle “Gabby” Petito.
Died: September 19, 2021 (Body found).
Age at death: 22.
Cause of death: Strangled.
Location: Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, USA.
Disability: Potentially had a mental health condition, such as OCD or anxiety.

Details:
Gabby was a travel blogger who was on a trip with her boyfriend when she went missing.

Shortly before her disappearance on August 12th, police received a call from someone who said they saw Gabby’s boyfriend hitting her. When police stopped their van, Gabby’s boyfriend told them that they had been arguing about Gabby’s cleaning the van too thoroughly. Gabby was distressed at the time. Rather than a domestic violence incident, police interpreted the incident as a “mental health break.” According to the police report, both Gabby and her boyfriend said that she had “severe anxiety.” Whether or not she did have anxiety, the police dismissed concerns over domestic abuse because of their perception of her having a disability.

The next day, Gabby and her boyfriend continued their road trip. She was last seen alive August 24th.

Gabby’s body was found in Grand Teton National Park. She had been strangled, and her death was declared a homicide.

Case Status:
Brian Laundrie (Fiance), person of interest, police issued a warrant for using Gabby’s credit cards after she died. Body found during the police search; death ruled suicide.

Sources:
Top medical examiners lash Brian Laundrie claim that his murder of Gabby Petito was a mercy killing
FBI Denver Provides Final Investigative Update on Gabrielle Petito Case
Brian Laundrie: US blogger Gabby Petito’s fiancé ‘died by suicide’ – family lawyer
Gabby Petito died by strangulation ‘three to four weeks’ before body was found, Wyoming coroner says
Race, Disability and Coercive Control: One More Look at the Gabby Petito Case – Ms. Magazine
New Dispatch Audio Reveals Cops In Utah Were Told Brian Laundrie Hit Gabby Petito
Body Found in Gabby Petito Investigation
Authorities Have Issued a Warrant for Brian Laundrie’s Arrest
Mourners pay respects to Gabby Petito at New York funeral home
Gabby Petito case: Timeline of travel blogger’s disappearance

James Westcott

Name: James Westcott.
Died: September 17, 2021.
Age at death: 30.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Taberg, New York, USA.
Disability: OCD, bipolar disorder, ADHD.

Details:
James was shot to death, allegedly by his brother. James’s family testified that James had unmedicated bipolar disorder and had threatened to burn down the house the day before James’s brother decided to “defend” his family by shooting the unarmed man.

Case Status:
Matthew Westcott (Brother), convicted of murder, sentenced to 25 years to life.
Micheal Westcott (Brother), charged with attempted murder, charges dropped; convicted of making a false statement.

Sources:
Taberg man who shot and killed brother in 2021 sentenced to 25 years to life in prison
Parents take the stand in murder trial of brother vs. brother
Westcott trial: accused killer couldn’t remember shooting
Science in the spotlight, focus on forensics during day 4 of Westcott murder trial
Brother of defendant and victim testifies in brother’s murder trial
Parents of defendant, victim, testify in Matthew Westcott murder trial
Man fatally shot in the face by younger brother was also stabbed by older brother, troopers say – syracuse.com
Second brother charged in Annsville homicide accused of stabbing sibling after he was shot
Man shot in face by younger brother was also stabbed by older brother, troopers say
Man Accused of Murdering Brother with a Shotgun in Annsville

Unknown Boy

No Photo Unknown Boy.
Died: September 15, 2021.
Age at death: Child.
Cause of death: Acetaminophen/dipenhydramine intoxication.
Location: Weston, Florida, USA.
Disability: Cerebral palsy.

Details:
This boy, whose name has not been released, was found emaciated, covered in bedsores, and unresponsive, and could not be revived. A post-mortem examination established that he had died from poisoning with over-the-counter medicines. Police believe the boy’s death was a deliberate act.

Case Status:
Lashawn Hampton (Caregiver), charged with first-degree murder.

Sources:
Woman Facing Murder Charge in Boy’s Death at Weston Home: BSO
Weston Woman Charged With First Degree Murder After Bedridden Neglected Juvenile Found Dead
Weston woman arrested months after child found dead in her home, deputies say
Florida Woman from Private Community Accused of Murdering ‘Bedridden’ Boy with Lethal Dose of Over-the-Counter Drugs
WESTON WOMAN ARRESTED FOR FIRST DEGREE MURDER

78-year-old woman

No Photo Name Unknown.
Died: September 15, 2021.
Age at death: 78.
Cause of death: Unspecified homicide.
Location: Seoul, South Korea.
Disability: Alzheimer’s disease.

Details:
This 78-year-old was killed in a homicide-suicide by her husband, who left a note that said, “I am taking her with me.”

Case Status:
Her husband, deceased.

Source:
Murder-suicide attributed to Alzheimer’s fatigue

Bernice Durbin

No Photo Name: Bernice Durbin.
Died: September 11, 2021.
Age at death: 89.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Rochester, New York, USA.
Disability: Nursing home resident; frail elder.

Details:
Bernice had recently moved into a nursing home because of her health. According to police, her partner came to visit and shot her dead, then killed himself.

Case Status:
Albert Greer (Partner), deceased.

Source:
Elderly couple who died in suspected murder-suicide at Rochester nursing home are identified
83-Year-Old Man Kills 89-Year-Old Woman and ‘Lifelong Partner’ Due to Grief Over Her Illness Before Killing Himself: Police

Najir Diehl

Name: Najir William Diehl.
Died: September 5, 2021.
Age at death: 11.
Cause of death: Methanol poisoning.
Location: East Fairfield Township, Pennsylvania, USA.
Disability: Mobility impaired; unable to walk independently.

Details:
Najir’s mother is accused of killing him by feeding him a cup of windshield washer fluid. He was found dead at his home, and poison was detected in his blood.

In his obituary, Najir is remembered as someone who “…had a passion for life. His bus trips to school and his bus drivers made him very happy. He also loved to eat, go swimming, read books, and the dogs and cats at his home.”

Case Status:
Mary Eileen Diehl (Mother), charged with criminal homicide, pleaded no-contest to third-degree murder, sentenced to 10 to 20 years.

Sources:
Cochranton-area woman gets 10 to 20 years in child poisoning case
Crawford woman pleads no-contest to 3rd-degree murder in adopted son’s poisoning in 2021
Trial moved to March for Crawford woman charged in poisoning of 11-year-old adopted son
Trial for alleged poisoning is postponed until March
Trial date uncertain for Crawford woman charged in boy’s fatal poisoning
Woman charged with killing disabled son had him drink washer fluid to “free him”: Police
Woman accused of fatally poisoning adopted son
State police charge Crawford County woman in poisoning death of 11-year-old adopted son
Najir William Diehl Obituary

Maria Huerta

No Photo Name: Maria Huerta.
Died: September 4, 2021.
Age at death: 74.
Cause of death: Neglect.
Location: Elmendorf, Texas, USA.
Disability: Mobility impaired; frail elder.

Details:
Maria’s body was found in her home by police. She had bedsores, and police say she was neglected to death by her son, who allegedly took payments for caring for her, but went off to work as a trucker, leaving her without care.

Case Status:
Juan Santos Huerta (Son), charged with health care fraud and serious bodily injury to the elderly by omission.

Source:
Bexar County man indicted in connection to mother’s murder, charges upgraded
Son cashed healthcare provider checks as bedridden, wounded mother lied in filth for months, BCSO says
Man, 50, accused of neglecting bedridden mother to work as trucker, Bexar County sheriff says

Mohammed Mukhtar

No Photo Name: Mohammed “Amin” Mukhtar.
Died: August 30, 2021.
Age at death: 53.
Cause of death: Strangled.
Location: Miles Platting, Manchester, England, UK.
Disability: Mental illness.

Details:
Amin was in a four-year relationship with an abusive girlfriend, who had repeatedly hurt him and had been arrested three times for abusing him, but then manipulated him into refusing to press charges when he needed medical care for his injuries. Soon after she started dating another man, she tied up Amin and strangled him to death with an extension cord.

Case Status:
Charlotte Dootson (Partner), convicted of murder, sentenced to 22 and a half years to life.

Sources:
‘Evil’ woman strangled partner to death after tying him up while she sexted man
‘Callous’ Manchester abuser who strangled partner jailed

Wayne Leworthy

Photo: Smiling, brown-haired, fair-skinned man. Name: Wayne Leworthy.
Died: August 28, 2021.
Age at death: 46.
Cause of death: Stabbing.
Location: Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
Disability: “Severely disabled”, wheelchair user.

Details:
Wayne was stabbed by his father before his father killed himself. His mother came home only to find their bodies.

Case Status:
Neville Leworthy (Father), deceased.

Source:
Tragic detail before murder-suicide
‘Every single person has the right to safety’: Disability advocate speaks out following suspected murder-suicide in Adelaide
‘No red flags’: Deaths of two men in Adelaide being treated as murder-suicide
Father, 72, and his disabled son found dead in Adelaide
OAP ‘killed wheelchair-bound son, 46, & himself’ in tragic murder-suicide