Age Categories – Page 38 – Disability Day of Mourning

Ms. Hsu and her children

No Photo Name: Ms. Hsu.
Age at death: 57.
Disability: Cancer.

24-year-old man.
Disability: Epilepsy.

11-year-old girl.
Disability: Aphasia.

Died: December 4, 2020.
Cause of death: Carbon monoxide poisoning.
Location: Kaohsiung City, Taiwan.

Details:
Ms. Hsu and her two children were killed by her husband, their father, when he put them in the back seat of their car and gassed all of them to death with the exhaust fumes.

Case status:
Mr. Chien (Husband, father), deceased.

Source:
Group urges awareness of caregivers after deaths
Family of four found dead in apparent murder-suicide in Kaohsiung

Mr. Mukai

No Photo Name: Mukai (Family name; given name unknown).
Died: December 2020.
Age at death: 51.
Cause of death: Insulin overdose.
Location: Osaka, Japan.
Disability: Diabetes.

Details:
Mr. Mukai’s wife gave him an overdose of insulin, which he had not been prescribed, causing him to fall into a coma. He remained hospitalized until he died the next year.

Case Status:
Shizuka Mukai (Wife), convicted of murder, sentenced to 15 years.

Sources:
Court rejects appeal of woman jailed for 15 years for killing husband with insulin overdose
A 48-year-old woman arrested in Osaka for suspected murder or insulin administration to her husband Osaka

Name: Karreon Walter-Franks.
Died: November 27, 2020.
Age at death: 15.
Cause of death: Starvation, pneumonia.
Location: Vancouver, Washington, USA.
Disability: Autism, developmental delay, visually impaired.

Details:
At the time of his death, Karreon was known to the child welfare system. His aunt reported to social workers that Karreon and his siblings had been starved for years and had to steal food to survive, and that Karreon was emaciated and had collapsed from hunger. His brother told them that Karreon’s mother had hit him with a cane for throwing up. The last contact by child welfare to the home was only a week before Karreon died and the funeral home contacted police because his body weighed only 65 pounds and was in very poor condition.

After his death, Karreon’s two younger siblings were removed from the home.

Case Status:
Felicia Adams (Aunt, adoptive mother), convicted of second-degree murder and homicide by abuse, sentenced to 35 years.
Jesse Franks (Felicia’s husband), convicted of second-degree murder and homicide by abuse, sentenced to 30 years.

Source:
Karreon Franks’ adoptive parents sentenced to decades in prison for his murder
Couple Accused of Starving Blind Adoptive Son to Death Pleads Not Guilty After Turning Themselves In
Trial begins for parents accused of starving Washington teen to death
SW Washington couple deny starving 15-year-old son to death as murder trial nears end
Clark County jury convicts adoptive parents of homicide by abuse, murder in Vancouver boy’s starvation death
Adoptive parents testify in death of disabled Vancouver boy, say they never withheld food as punishment | The Spokesman-Review
Clark County jury convicts parents for starving disabled son to death
Autism Memorial: Karreon Walter-Franks
State records highlight years of suspected abuse in home where Clark County teen died
Couple arrested in Stockton appear in court on murder allegation in starvation case
Washington couple arrested in starvation death of child
Disabled 15-year-old boy dies weighing 65 pounds DAYS after CPS visits adoptive parents’ home: Reports
Parents of Vancouver teen who died from starvation face murder charges; arrest warrants issued
Washington teen’s death ruled homicide due to starvation and neglect
Police: Authorities visited starving teen days before death
Child welfare visited disabled 15-year-old boy DAYS before he died weighing only 65 pounds, court docs reveal

William and Eric Smithson

No Photo Name:William Harvey Smithson.
Age at death: 78.
Disability: Chronic illness/frail elder.

Name: Eric Russell Smithson.
Age at death: 54.
Disability: Unspecified special needs.

Died: November 24, 2020.
Cause of death: Shooting.
Location: Clermont, Florida, USA.

Details:
William and his son Eric lived with his wife. Authorities concluded that William’s wife shot and killed her husband and son, then killed herself.

Case status:
Joyce Lorraine Smithson (wife/mother), died by suicide.

Source:
Florida woman accused of killing husband, son with special needs in double murder-suicide
Deputies: Woman killed her husband, son with special needs before killing herself
Elderly Woman Murdered Her Ill Husband and Special Needs Son Before Dying by Suicide: Deputies
Incident 11-24-2020 Florida Clermont 2-1

Thomas Gruidl

No Photo Name: Thomas Gruidl.
Died: November 20, 2020.
Age at death: 73.
Cause of death: Blunt force trauma.
Location: Wilmington, North Carolina, USA.
Disability: Cancer, wheelchair user.

Details:
Thomas’s son beat him to death with a baseball bat as he lay in bed.

Case status:
Flynn Thomas Gruidl (Son), charged with first-degree murder, fraud, and defrauding the elderly; pleaded guilty to second degree murder, sentenced to 23-28 years in prison.

Source:
New Hanover man pleads guilty in connection with father’s death
Man accused of killing father stole $134K from parents’ bank account, warrants allege
‘There’s blood everywhere’: 911 caller describes finding man allegedly beaten to death by son
Man charged with murder in father’s death

Jamarion Delancy

Name: Jamarion Javante Delancy.
Died: November 18, 2020.
Age at death: 5.
Cause of death: Internal injuries.
Location: St. Louis, Missouri, USA.
Disability: Blind, developmental disability, used leg braces.

Details:
Jamarion’s mother was at the hospital, having a baby. She left Jamarion and his big sister with her boyfriend. The following day, Jamarion was brought to the hospital, unconscious and bleeding internally, and died hours later. Police arrested Jamarion’s mother’s boyfriend; he is accused of fatally beating Jamarion while his seven-year-old sister watched.

Case status:
Yoshuah Dallas (Mother’s boyfriend), charged with abuse or neglect of a child causing death and unlawful possession of a firearm.

Source:
Mom’s Boyfriend Allegedly Beat Her Blind 5-Year-Old to Death While She Was Giving Birth
Donations as far away as France pile up after blind boy killed in St. Louis County
5-Year-Old Blind Boy Beaten to Death While Mom Gives Birth: Cops
‘She has to bring a baby home from the hospital while planning her son’s funeral’ | St. Louis County police union raising money for victim’s family
As mom gives birth at hospital, boyfriend beats her blind 5-year-old son to death: Police
St. Louis police raising funds to help family of blind boy who was beaten to death
Please help the Delancy family

Charles Chandler

Name: Charles James Chandler.
Died: November 7, 2020.
Age at death: 80.
Cause of death: Diabetes complications.
Location: Toledo, Ohio, USA.
Disability: Diabetes.

Details:
While in the care of his children, Charles died from complications of diabetes because he had not been given insulin for two months. He died in hospice care, and his children were arrested and charged.

Charles was a devout Christian and a deacon at his church. He sang baritone in a quartet and loved sweets.

Case Status:
Charles Chandler Jr. (Son), charged with reckless homicide and knowingly failing to provide for a functionally impaired person.
Tina Chandler (Daughter), charged with reckless homicide and knowingly failing to provide for a functionally impaired person.
Christopher Chandler (Son), charged with knowingly failing to provide for a functionally impaired person.

Source:
Siblings on trial, accused of playing role in father’s death
Charles James Chandler – View Obituary & Service Information
Tenn. brother, sister charged with killing disabled mother
3 siblings indicted on charges relating to homicide of elderly father

Larry Hawks

Photo of a man in a baseball cap printed with an eagle. He has dark hair, light skin, and a full beard. His shirt is red; he has his hands behind his head and is leaning back. Name: Larry Grey Hawks.
Died: November 4, 2020.
Age at death: 42.
Cause of death: Sepsis, thrombosis.
Location: Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA.
Disability: Myelomeningocele spina bifida, Hirschsprung’s disease, brain malformation.

Details:
Larry was found at home, not breathing, and was pronounced dead. An autopsy determined he had died from blood poisoning from bedsores and blood clots from prolonged immobility, and his caregivers were arrested.

Case Status:
Sandra Oliver Hawks (Mother), pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and neglect of a disabled adult by failing to provide care causing serious injury, sentenced to 13-25 months.
Crystal Dawn Hawks (Sister), pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and neglect of a disabled adult by failing to provide care causing serious injury, sentenced to 13-25 months.

Source:
Mother, sister sentenced after disabled man dies of neglect, Forsyth County District Attorney says
Autopsy: Winston-Salem man died from complications from bedsores and other issues. Mother and sister accused of neglect.
Winston-Salem mother, daughter face charges in homicide investigation after death of relative who was ‘severely disabled’
The mother and sister of a Winston-Salem homicide victim face charges in the man’s death
Winston-Salem mother, daughter charged with involuntary manslaughter, neglect in death of disabled man
Larry Hawks Obituary (1978 – 2020) – Forsyth, NC – Winston-Salem Journal

Joseph Hammond

Name: Joseph “JJ” Hammond.
Died: November 3, 2020.
Age at death: 15.
Cause of death: Dehydration, malnutrition.
Location: Moline, Illinois, USA.
Disability: Cerebral palsy.

Details:
JJ was found dead in his home. An autopsy concluded he had died of dehydration and malnutrition, with several untended large wounds on his body.

Case Status:
Jennifer Keim (Mother), pleaded guilty to criminal abuse, sentenced to 4 years probation.
Justin M Keim (Stepfather), pleaded guilty to child endangerment, sentenced to 2 years probation.

Source:
Man pleads guilty in death of disabled 15-year-old stepson
Moline woman sentenced in 2020 death of disabled son
Moline woman pleads guilty in 2020 death of disabled son
Moline mother charged with her son’s murder is out on bond
Moline woman charged with murder in death of disabled 15-year-old son
Moline Mother Arrested On Murder Charges
Woman arrested in connection with murder of 15-year-old disabled son
Additional person charged in relation to Moline first-degree murder case
Two arrested in connection with death of 15-year-old boy with disabilities from Moline
Friends defend Moline woman charged with murder of 15-year-old son

Vincent Avellino

Name: Vincent C. Avellino.
Died: November 2, 2020.
Age at death: 83.
Cause of death: Infection.
Location: Ranshaw, Pennsylvania, USA.
Disability: Dementia.

Details:
Vincent died because he developed a massive pressure sore that ultimately killed him; reportedly, he had been left in place in his chair for over a month. His wife, with whom he lived, was trained as a home health aide. Home health aides like Vincent’s wife are are trained in bedsore prevention and taught how dangerous it is not to move a patient for extended periods of time.

Vincent was a retired factory worker who loved the outdoors. He liked hunting, fishing, crabbing, mushroom and berry picking, and grew a garden. He was a good baker and wine maker. He liked antiques and going to yard sales, and collected coins. He loved long car rides and milkshakes. He had nine grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Case status:
Debora Avelino (Wife), charged with involuntary manslaughter and neglect.

Source:
Vincent Avellino Obituary (2020)
Woman charged with neglect and involuntary manslaughter for husband’s death
Pa. wife charged with causing death of husband with dementia