Age Categories – Page 36 – Disability Day of Mourning

Jerome Brown

No Photo Name: Jerome Brown.
Died: February 14, 2021.
Age at death: 11.
Cause of death: Starvation.
Location: Paynesville, Greater Monrovia, Liberia.
Disability: Epilepsy.

Details:
Jerome was born with epilepsy, and when she could not find a cure for him in the spiritual treatments she sought, his mother left him to his father to raise. A neighbor reported finding him close to death in his father’s home; shortly after being found, Jerome died.

Jerome’s mother says that his father starved him to death, and that photos of his body in an extremely emaciated condition corroborate her claims. Police initially declared that he had died of epilepsy; but Jerome’s death was eventually declared to be a homicide and his father and stepmother arrested.

Case Status:
Emmanuel Brown (Father), charged with manslaughter.
Wanneh Tarpalah (Stepmother), charged with manslaughter.

Source:
Little Jerome’s Mother Seeks Justice
Court To Try Couple For Alleged Manslaughter, After 11-Yr-Old Son Starved To Death
“No Foul Play in Little Jerome’s Death” (Caution: graphic images of starvation)
Child, 11, Starved to Death (Caution: graphic images of starvation)

Travis Scott

Photo of a curly-haired, chubby baby with tan skin. He is wearing a trach tube. Name: Travis Scott.
Died: February 13, 2021.
Age at death: 13 months.
Cause of death: Hypoxia.
Location: Augusta, Georgia, USA.
Disability: Prematurity, bronchopulmonary dysplasia.

Details:
Born prematurely, Travis stayed in the hospital for eight months before being discharged with a tracheotomy, ventilator, and feeding tube. The ventilator alarm was designed so that it could not be accidentally disabled, and Travis did not have the ability to disconnect the ventilator on his own. Still, his parents repeatedly reported that the ventilator had been disconnected and the alarm failed to sound, always when they were alone with Travis. One day, Travis was at home with his father when they reported him unresponsive. This time, the baby’s brain had been so badly damaged that he was declared brain dead and removed from life support. Upon investigation, Travis’s parents were charged with turning off the ventilator and killing their son.

Some time later, after Travis’s parents had been charged and bailed out, they were arrested again after Samson, Travis’s 6-month-old little brother, died a “suspicious death” and doctors at the hospital called the authorities.

Case Status:
Tyrone C. Scott (Father), charged with murder and cruelty to children.
Salena Scott (Mother), charged with murder and cruelty to children.
Murder charges dropped due to inability to prove murder beyond a reasonable doubt. Both now charged with cruelty to children in the second degree.

Source:
Days before 2nd child dies, parents’ earlier murder charges dropped
Augusta parents charged in infant’s 2021 homicide arrested in other baby’s Tuesday death
Augusta father charged with murder in disabled baby’s death granted bond
Augusta parents arrested, charged with murder in 1-year-old child’s death
Augusta parents charged with murder of 1-year-old, mother and neighbors say there’s more to the story
1-year-old’s death sends shockwave through Augusta neighborhood
Augusta mother and father arrested for murder after repeatedly turning off infant’s ventilator, police say
Details emerge in death of Augusta 1-year-old as bond is set for father

Nanako Tokutani

No Photo Name: Nanako Tokutani.
Died: February 13, 2021.
Age at death: 10.
Cause of death: Drowning.
Location: Kawakami, Nagano Prefecture, Japan.
Disability: Unspecified.

Details:
Police found Nanako’s body floating in a lake, and her father, soaked with water, in his car in the parking lot. He allegedly kidnapped her from her special needs school, took her to the lake, and drowned her. He told police that his daughter’s disability was “a burden to [his] wife” and that he wanted to “escape this life”.

Case Status:
Kazuhiko Tokutani (Father), suspected of murder.

Source:
Nara: Man killed disabled 10-year-old daughter ‘to escape this life’
Man arrested in Nara Prefecture allegedly killed disabled daughter “to escape this life”

Peter Cuacuas

Name: Peter Cuacuas.
Died: February 10, 2021.
Age at death: 7.
Cause of death: Starvation.
Location: Newburgh, New York, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Peter lived with his mother, but saw his father every Saturday. He stopped attending his online classes in January; in February, he was brought to the hospital, dead on arrival from starvation and weighing only 37 pounds. He died because his mother kept him locked into his room and denied him food.

Case Status:
Letitia Bravo (Mother), pleaded guilty to manslaughter, sentenced to 15 years.
Arturo Cuacuas (Father), pleaded guilty to criminally negligent homicide, sentenced to one and one-third to four years in prison.

Sources:
Caregiver pleads guilty in starvation death of 7-year-old boy
Memorial marks 1 year since starvation death of Newburgh boy
Dad Admits Role In Child’s Death, Will Testify Against Girlfriend
Autism Memorial: Peter Cuacuas
‘He weighed 37 pounds, and he was 7 years old.’ Questions linger following Newburgh boy’s death
Inquiry To Be Launched Into Newburgh Schools Following Starvation Death Of 7-Year-Old Peter Cuacuas
Letitia Bravo Facing Murder Charges After 7-Year-Old Peter Cuacuas Dies Of Starvation

Timothy Ragas

Name: Timothy Ragas.
Died: February 9, 2021.
Age at death: 13.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Harvey, Louisiana, USA.
Disability: Autism

Details:
Timothy and his stepbrother Eric Thornblom, 20, were the victims of a murder-suicide. His father called 911, stating that he couldn’t “live like this”, and when police arrived, they found the bodies of Timothy, Eric, and their parents. Police believe the motive had to do with financial trouble and “health problems” in the family.

Case Status:
Deaths declared homicide-suicide perpetrated by either his father alone, or his father and mother together. Both are now deceased.

Sources:
Louisiana community rocked by two apparent murder-suicides just hours apart
‘We can’t continue to live like this’ – Haunting 911 call before family found dead
Family of 4 killed in apparent murder-suicide on West Bank of New Orleans
Louisiana family dead in apparent murder-suicide
Autism Memorial: Timothy Ragas

Jamal Anderson Jr.

Name: Jamal Anderson Jr.
Died: February 8, 2021.
Age at death: 5.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.
Disability: Down syndrome.

Details:
Jamal died from a gunshot wound to the stomach. Intially, his father claimed that Jamal had been shot by home invaders; but when police found the murder weapon in a backpack outside the house, it turned out to be his father’s gun.

Jamal loved music and dancing and could often be found talking to relatives on his iPhone.

Case Status:
Jamal Anderson Sr. (Father), pleaded guilty to child neglect, sentenced to 12 years in prison, 8 years extended supervision, and “over $1000” in restitution.

Sources:
Dad charged after son, 5, with Down syndrome fatally shot in stomach
Jamal Anderson, Jr.
12 years in prison for Milwaukee father in fatal shooting of son
My son life was taken by gun violence at 5yrs old, organized by Jaquita Harbour

Teru Inaba

No Photo
Name: Teru Inaba.
Died: February 2, 2021.
Age at death: 83.
Cause of death: Head injury.
Location: Tokyo, Japan.
Disability: Cognitive impairment; bedridden.

Details:
Ms. Inaba’s adult child allegedly punched her several times in the face, and she died from her injuries. Police said they reported being “tired of caring for her”.

Case status:
Megumi Inaba (Offspring), charged with murder.

Source:
Tokyo: Man, 52, accused in fatal assault of disabled mother
Woman arrested over death of 83-year-old disabled mother
Megumi Inaba’s gender is not consistent in news reports. –Ed.

Ekanthachari

No Photo Name: Ekanthachari.
Died: February 1, 2021.
Age at death: 21.
Cause of death: Assault.
Location: Shanivarsanthe, Karnataka, India.
Disability: A “behavioral disorder”.

Details:
Ekanthachari’s father reported his death as an accident, saying he had fallen from a tree. But a post-mortem examination found that he had died from assault.

Case Status:
Mahendra Kumar (Father), arrested for murder.

Source:
Karnataka man kills son with behavioural disorder

Hezekiah Pettiford

No Photo
Name: Hezekiah Pettiford.
Died: January 28, 2021.
Age at death: 15.
Cause of death: Head injury.
Location: Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
Disability: Autism, ADHD.

Details:
Hezekiah was found unresponsive at his home and was taken to the hospital, where he died two days later from a severe head injury. He weighed only 75 pounds, indicative of malnutrition, and his injuries were consistent with chronic child abuse.

Hezekiah loved math, had an extensive vocabulary and enjoyed watching game shows like Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy. His favorite movie was Home Alone and he loved eating macaroni and cheese and chicken nuggets.

Case Status:
Stefanie Colon (Aunt), found guilty of first-degree child abuse resulting in severe physical injury and two counts of neglecting a minor; sentenced to 4 years.
Dion Ball Sr. (Uncle), convicted of first-degree murder and first-degree child abuse; sentenced to 25 years to life.

Sources:
Aunt, uncle charged with abuse, manslaughter in teen’s death
Hezekiah Pettiford – Baltimore, Maryland , Brooks Clinton Funeral Service, P.A. – Memories wall
Focus on preventing child abuse after family members charged in 15-year-old’s death

Guadalupe Martinez

Name: Guadalupe “Lupita” Martinez.
Died: January 28, 2021.
Age at death: 30.
Cause of death: Throat cut.
Location: Othello, Washington, USA.
Disability: Autism, intellectual disability.

Details:
Guadalupe, called “Lupita” by her family, lived with her mother and her mother’s boyfriend. Her mother’s boyfriend killed her mother after an argument; then, when Guadalupe walked in on the killing, he slammed her head against the cement and cut her throat.

Guadalupe loved nail polish, costume jewelry and music.

Case status:
Mauricio Nava-Garibay (Mother’s boyfriend), pleaded guilty to murder, sentenced to 43 years.

Source:
Man who killed, dismembered 2 Othello women gets 43 years in prison
Guadalupe Martinez Obituary
Autism Memorial: Guadalupe Martinez
‘We are all scared’: Neighbors speak after the murders of two women in Othello
Othello man admits to murdering two women: Court documents
Man Stabs and Chops Up Girlfriend And Her Daughter After Argument