Remembering the Disabled Murdered by Caregivers
Name: Shuji Sugisawa.
Died: July 7, 2021.
Age at death: 93.
Cause of death: Broken neck.
Location: Hekinan, Aichi Prefecture, Japan.
Disability: Wheelchair user.
Details:
Mr. Sugisawa died of a broken neck. Police say his son admitted to them that he had grabbed his father and shaken him violently, and that he had abused his father before by deliberately burning him.
Case Status:
Tatsuya Sugisawa (Son), arrested.
Sources:
Man arrested over death of 93-year-old father in 2021
Name: Zeus Geovani Cox.
Died: July 5, 2021.
Age at death: 3.
Cause of death: Blunt trauma; internal bleeding.
Location: Lafayette, Indiana, USA.
Disability: Suspected autism.
Details:
A month after being returned to his mother and her boyfriend, Zeus was found dead from a severe beating. Prosecutors told the court that Zeus had been beaten by his mother’s boyfriend, then denied medical treatment for his injuries.
His obituary describes him as “very active and full of life”.
Case Status:
Crystal Cox (Mother), convicted of murder, neglect of a dependent resulting in death, aggravated battery resulting in death, and battery resulting in death of a person younger than 14 years old; sentenced to 55 years in prison and 2 years probation.
Jermaine Garnes (Mother’s boyfriend), convicted of murder, neglect of a dependent resulting in death, aggravated battery resulting in death, and battery resulting in death of a person younger than 14; sentenced to 65 years.
Sources:
Michigan man gets 65 years in boy’s Indiana beating death
Garnes receives 65 years for murder of girlfriend’s 3-year-old
Lafayette woman gets 55 years in 3-year-old’s beating death
Lafayette woman gets 55 years in 3-year-old’s beating death
Mom charged with murder called ‘unfit and abusive’
Lafayette couple charged with the murder of a toddler
Zeus Cox Obituary
Lafayette woman found guilty of murdering 3-year-old son
Mom charged with murder is set to stand trial
Mother guilty of murdering and neglecting her 3-year-old son
Autism Memorial: Zeus Cox
Name: Ekadashi Swain.
Died: July 4, 2021.
Age at death: 38.
Cause of death: Beaten.
Location: Khasadi village, Kendrapara, Odisha, India.
Disability: Unspecified; physically challenged.
Details:
Ekadashi was on his way home from the field when his cousin and some accomplices allegedly ambushed him and bludgeoned him to death with a plank. Police say the motive was a property dispute.
Case Status:
Santosh Swain (Cousin), wanted for murder.
Nidhiram Swain (Relative), wanted for murder.
Unnamed woman, wanted for murder.
Source:
Disabled Person Beaten To Death By ‘Cousin’ In Kendrapada | Odisha (Caution: Censored graphic image.)
Differently-abled man stoned to death over land dispute
Name: Elsie Pinder.
Died: July 3, 2021.
Age at death: 66.
Cause of death: Fire.
Location: Southend, Essex, England, UK.
Disability: Stroke; mobility impaired.
Details:
Elsie died in a house fire started by her son deliberately in order to kill her. Her son, also her sole caretaker, knew that she would be unable to escape a burning house. Firefighters were able to rescue Elsie from the house, but she died from her injuries at the hospital.
Her other son, Paul, describes Elsie as kind-hearted, generous, loving, and witty, a “bottle of champagne waiting to pop”.
Case Status:
Andrew Wilding (Son), found guilty of murder and arson with intent to endanger life, sentenced to 27 years to life.
Sources:
Carer who left disabled mum to die in fire jailed for 27 years
Carer son started fire to kill disabled mother – then went for a milkshake
Son ‘murdered disabled mum in fire after watching Jeffrey Dahmer video’
Accused murderer texted boyfriend he ‘fancied McDonalds’ as mum died in fire
Man appears in court charged with murdering woman in fire
Everything we heard during first week of Southend arson and murder trial
Name: Deborah Diamond.
Died: June 30, 2021.
Age at death: 73.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Sheffield, Ohio, USA.
Disability: Chronic illness, chronic pain.
Details:
Deborah’s husband shot her. She was hospitalized, but died 23 days later from her injuries.
Case Status:
Ronald Diamond (Husband), pleaded no contest to aggravated murder, murder, and felonious assault; sentenced to life without parole.
Sources:
Court rejects Sheffield man’s appeal in wife’s 2021 murder
Lorain County Safe Harbor: Silent Witnesses
Name: Jallen McConnie.
Died: June 28, 2021.
Age at death: 15.
Cause of death: Beaten.
Location: New York City, New York, USA.
Disability: PTSD, ADHD, oppositional-defiant disorder, possible autism.
Details:
Jallen lived in Georgia, but he was visiting his cousin in New York City’s Upper West Side. An ambulance was called to the apartment; medics found Jallen unresponsive, his body battered, and brought him to the hospital where he was declared dead. His cousin–who had allegedly beaten him for interrupting him while he was watching TV–was arrested.
Case Status:
Mitcaux Booker (Cousin), charged with assault, endangering the welfare of an incompetent or physically disabled person, and acting in a manner injurious to a child.
Sources:
NYC Man Allegedly Beat His Teen Cousin to Death for Interrupting Netflix
Jallen Terrell McConnie | The Wilson Times
15-year-old boy found dead in Manhattan apartment a homicide; man arrested
Disabled teen mercilessly beaten to death in Upper West Side apartment for interrupting cousin’s Netflix time, police say
Man Charged With Assault In Death Of 15-Year-Old Boy On UWS: NYPD
Name: Janet Kotopka.
Died: June 23, 2021.
Age at death: 78.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Lincoln, Nebraska, USA.
Disability: Alzheimer’s disease.
Details:
When he was arrested for shooting her, Janet’s husband told investigators he was “exhausted and couldn’t take care of her any longer,” and that he worried about the cost of moving her to a nursing home.
Case Status:
John Kotopka (Husband), charged with first-degree murder; died before trial.
Source:
Lincoln man accused of killing his wife with Alzheimer’s dies in hospital
Lincoln man accused of fatally shooting his wife who had Alzheimer’s pleads not guilty to murder
Lincoln man accused of killing wife who had Alzheimer’s charged with first-degree murder
80-Year-Old Resented Taking Care Of Wife Who Suffered From Alzheimer’s. So He Killed Her
80-year-old kills wife of 57 years because she had Alzheimer’s, Nebraska cops say
Lincoln man accused of killing ailing wife now charged with murder
Husband Who Shot His Elderly Wife Now Faces Murder Charge | Nebraska News | US News
Nebraska man charged in fatal shooting of wife of 57 years
Name: Winifred Grover.
Died: June 21, 2021.
Age at death: 89.
Cause of death: Smothered.
Location: Grays, Essex, England, UK.
Disability: Dementia.
Details:
Winifred’s daughter killed her mother by smothering her. In court, she admitted to the killing, but claimed that she was so depressed from the stress of caregiving that she should not be blamed for her actions.
Case Status:
Cheryl Banks (Daughter), charged with murder; cleared of murder but pleaded guilty to manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility, sentenced to 2 years in prison, suspended for 2 years, and a 90 day rehabilitation order.
Sources:
Daughter sentenced for killing dementia-stricken mother in ‘truly tragic case’
Daughter killed mum over false fears she was going to prison, court hears
Essex woman smothered dementia-stricken mum to death, court hears
Woman, 60, ‘smothered mother, 89, to death’, court hears
Court told how daughter killed her dementia-stricken mother at their Grays home and then tried to kill herself
Woman, 60, cleared of murder after smothering dementia-stricken mother, 89
Name: Lauri Anne Deatherage.
Died: June 18, 2021.
Age at death: 48.
Cause of death: Shot.
Location: Robbinsdale, Minnesota, USA.
Disability: Disabled veteran.
Details:
Less than a week after her second marriage, Lauri was allegedly shot and killed by her ex-husband.
Lauri made custom cards and dresses for the Renaissance fair.
Case Status:
Robert D. McCloud (Ex-husband), charged with second-degree intentional murder, died before trial.
Source:
Brooklyn Center man suspected of killing ex-wife dies
Air Force vet allegedly killed by ex-husband just days into new marriage
Minn. Woman Allegedly Shot and Killed by Ex-Husband Less Than a Week After Getting Remarried
Obituary for Lauri Anne Deatherage (Winkelman) at Gearty-Delmore – Robbinsdale Chapel
Man Allegedly Murders His Ex-Wife Days After Attending Her Wedding to New Husband
Name: Ayan Shaikh.
Died: June 15, 2021.
Age at death: 8.
Cause of death: Homicide.
Location: Pune, Maharashtra, India.
Disability: Global developmental delay.
Details:
Ayan and his mother Aliya were killed by his father, who then committed suicide. According to police, the couple often argued about Ayan’s disability.
Case Status:
Abid Shaikh (Father), deceased.
Source:
Woman, her son found murdered in different areas of Pune; police look for missing husband
India News | Woman-child Murder: Husband Still Missing, Multiple Probe Teams Formed
Pune woman-son murder case: Husband’s body found, suicide suspected
Pune Man’s Body Found After ‘Murder’ of Wife, 8-year-old Autistic Child
Pune: Missing man found dead days after his wife and son were murdered, cops suspect suicide