Age Categories – Page 72 – Disability Day of Mourning

Chloe Hobbs

Name: Chloe Renee Hobbs.
Died: June 9, 2018.
Age at death: 11.
Cause of death: Methamphetamine overdose.
Location: Elkhart, Indiana, USA.
Disability: Autism, pica.

Details:
Chloe had one sister, who was a year younger than her and also autistic. Chloe had pica, which meant she tended to eat things that weren’t food and needed to be watched so that she wouldn’t eat anything dangerous.

Her father took her and her sister along with her when he went to stay at a house where he and his girlfriend were doing some maintenance work while the owner was away. The house was extremely cluttered and dangerous, but the girls were left unattended there. Her father’s girlfriend had also brought along her methamphetamine stash, which she left where Chloe could get to it.

Chloe found the meth, ingested it, and got very sick. She spent the night vomiting, but no one called for help until Chloe stopped breathing the next morning. She could not be revived.

At autopsy, it was found that Chloe, in addition to the methamphetamine poisoning, had a bowel obstruction caused by her having eaten wood, plastic, pennies, and other items while unsupervised.

Case status:
Brandon Hobbs (Father), pleaded guilty to neglect of a dependent, sentenced to 3 years.
Erica Reschke (Father’s girlfriend), charged with neglect of a dependent resulting in death, sentenced to 13 years in prison and 3 years probation.

Source:
Michigan woman sentenced for death of child with special needs
Three-year prison sentence handed down in death of child who had meth in her system
Elkhart County prosecutor says girl, 10, ingested meth before death
2 charged after child dies with high levels of meth in her system
Michigan couple charged in autistic girl’s death
Court document: Meth contributed to autistic child’s death
Obituary of Chloe Hobbs | Brown Funeral Home & Cremation Services

Gwenn Michelin

No Photo Name: Gwenn Michelin.
Died: June 8, 2018.
Age at death: 22.
Cause of death: Head injury, drowning.
Location: Vivoin, France.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Gwenn, his mother, her partner, and his little brother were camping when his mother’s partner got drunk and got angry at him. Gwenn was badly beaten and thrown into the water even though his assailant knew he couldn’t swim. His family, terrified because of Gwenn’s stepfather’s history of violence and domestic abuse, didn’t feel free to come forward and tell the authorities what had happened to Gwenn until after the killer had been arrested.

Case Status:
Rémy Pichot (Mother’s partner), convicted of murder of a vulnerable person, sentenced to 30 years.

Sources:
Sarthe – Meurtre d’un jeune autiste à Vivoin : le beau-père condamné à 30 ans de réclusion criminelle – France Bleu
Un Sarthois jugé aux assises pour le meurtre de son beau-fils, un autiste de 22 ans, en 2018 – France Bleu
Il déboule au camping et tue son beau-fils infirme
Procès du meurtre de Vivoin : placé face à ses contradictions, l’accusé se mure dans le silence – France Bleu
Sarthe. Mis en examen pour avoir tué son beau-fils autiste
Sarthe. Mis en examen pour avoir tué son beau-fils autiste
Exclusif. Vivoin : mis en examen pour le meurtre de son beau-fils autiste
Sarthe. Trente ans de réclusion criminelle pour le meurtre d’un jeune autiste

Mae-Kim Lem

No Photo Name: Mae-Kim Lem.
Died: June 5, 2018.
Age at death: 76.
Cause of death: Choking.
Location: Shau Kei Wan, Hong Kong, China.
Disability: Stroke (Mobility impaired, visually impaired), thyroid disorder, arthritis.

Details:
Lem’s husband killed her by choking her to death. He claimed he had been worried who would care for her if he died.

Case status:
Wong Kok-man (Husband), pleaded guilty to manslaughter, sentenced to 2 years in jail; due to be released after about 1 month with credit for time served.

Source:
‘A tragic case’: Judge frees elderly man who killed disabled wife due to fear no one would care for her if he died
殺癱妻官輕判八旬翁卑微希望：幫吓我哋就少好多悲劇
 【法外開恩】黃國萬悲情殺妻求情信揭欲輕生留命為控雙老哀歌

Melvin Maki

Name: Melvin N. Maki.
Died: June 4, 2018.
Age at death: 77.
Cause of death: Blunt head trauma.
Location: Rock Creek, Oregon, USA.
Disability: Dementia.

Details:
Melvin was hospitalized after his son beat him with a shovel; he lived three months before dying of his injuries.

Melvin worked for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and NOAA, and loved spending time out on the ocean.

Case Status:
Shaun Edwin Maki (Son), convicted of murder, assault, criminal mistreatment, and unlawful use of a weapon.

Sources:
Oregon man found guilty of murder in brutal beating of elderly father who died months late
Man found guilty of killing his 77-year-old father
Melvin N. Maki Obituary 2018

Mary Gregory

Photo: An older woman in a teal blazer and pearl necklace, smiling for the camera. Her wispy white hair is culed and cut short; she is wearing glasses. Her fair skin is deeply wrinkled. Name: Mary Gregory.
Died: June 1, 2018.
Age at death: 94.
Cause of death: Fire.
Location: Heysham, Lancashire, England, UK.
Disability: Dementia.

Details:
Mary died of injuries sustained in a house fire. As she was a heavy smoker, it was initially thought to be an accidental death. However, a year later, her grandson’s counselor contacted police and reported that her grandson had told them that he had disabled the fire alarm and started the fire. Police searched his computer and found that he had made several suspicious Internet searches, including one for “feeling guilty for putting a loved one out of their misery”. It turned out that he had set the fire by holding a lighter to Mary’s curtains.

Case Status:
Tiernan Darnton (Step-grandson), convicted of murder, sentenced to 15 years to life.

Sources:
Heysham fire: Truth or dare student guilty of grandmother murder
Student Who ‘Confessed To Killing 94-Year-Old Woman’ In Game Of Truth Or Dare Jailed For Life
Student ‘admitted killing woman, 94, in fire during game of Truth or Dare’
Teen accused of murder ‘confessed to killing nan’ in game of Truth or Dare
Man charged with Heysham grandmother’s house fire murder

Denise Rosser

Photo of a young woman with curly blonde hair and fair skin, wearing a white blouse. Name: Michelle “Denise” Rosser.
Died: May 29, 2018.
Age at death: 38.
Cause of death: Fractures and internal injuries.
Location: Bedlinog, Wales, UK.
Disability: Blind in one eye.

Details:
Denise was beaten to death by her boyfriend.

Case status:
Simon Winstone (Partner), convicted of murder, sentenced to 18 years to life.

Source:
Police ‘did nothing wrong’ in case of murdered domestic abuse victim
Blind woman found beaten to death after telling friends ‘I’m living in fear’
Woman allegedly murdered was blinded in attack nine years ago
Dead woman’s friction burns ‘from sex’
Boyfriend claims murder victim’s injuries were carpet burns from sex

Sumitra

No Photo Name: Sumitra.
Died: May 29, 2018.
Age at death: 7.
Cause of death: Head trauma.
Location: Vajra Karur, Andhra Pradesh, India.
Disability: Physical disability.

Details:
Sumitra’s father was frustrated over her and her brother’s disabilities. He came home drunk, demanded she stand and walk, and when she could not do so, allegedly beat her to death.

Case status:
Yerriswamy (Father), arrested on a complaint of murder.

Source:
Father beat physically-disabled daughter to death – Times of India
Anantapur: Drunk father beats physically challenged daughter to death

Joshua Alonzo

Photo of a teenage boy in a power chair, wearing a blue shirt and tie. He is smiling broadly. His dark hair is cut short. Name: Joshua Alonzo.
Died: May 27, 2018.
Age at death: 21.
Cause of death: Malnutrition/dehydration.
Location: San Antonio, Texas, USA.
Disability: Schizencephaly, cerebral palsy.

Details:
At 18, Joshua got too old to go to his pediatrician, but instead of finding a new doctor, his mother allegedly denied him medical care for the last three years of his life. He couldn’t eat on his own, and needed to be fed.

Joshua died of malnutrition and dehydration. Though he had always been small, weighing 51 pounds at age 18, when he died he weighed only 38.

Case status:
Alma Munoz (Mother), charged with causing serious bodily injury to a disabled person.

Source:
Mom collected benefits as disabled son, 21, died weighing 38 pounds, Texas cops say
Texas mom charged when disabled adult son dies after three years without medical care
Obituary for Joshua Alonzo – San Antonio, TX
San Antonio mother arrested after disabled son dies of malnutrition, dehydration

Philip White

Portrait photo of Philip White. He is a middle-aged man with graying curly black hair and dark-brown skin, wearing a dress shirt and tie. Name: Philip White.
Died: May 22, 2018.
Age at death: 65.
Cause of death: Traumatic injury.
Location: Leimert Park, Los Angeles, California, USA.
Disability: Multiple sclerosis.

Other victims:
William Carter, age 83
Orsie Carter, age 79

Details:
Philip’s girlfriend moved in with him to act as his caretaker. She had been staying with him for about six weeks, and is suspected of stealing from him during that time. His parents, William and Orsi Carter, were visiting him to check on him as they often did. Philip’s mother laid down the law, demanding that his girlfriend leave. Angry that she was going to be thrown out of the home and lose access to her source of money, Philip’s girlfriend allegedly killed Philip and his parents by bludgeoning and shooting them to death.

Philip was a probation officer who retired when he became disabled. His neighbors all knew him as a quiet, kind man; he had lived in the same house for forty years.

Case status:
Nancy Amelia Jackson (Girlfriend/caretaker), charged with three counts of murder.

Source:
Woman charged in Leimert Park triple killing – The San Diego Union-Tribune
Woman charged with murder in Leimert Park triple homicide
Woman Charged With Triple Murder
Woman Faces Capital Murder Charges in Triple Slayings
Triple Homicide Suspect Formally Charged With Killing Leimert Park Family
Woman Charged With Murder in Deaths of 3 People in Leimert Park Home: DA
Caretaker Accused in Triple Murder Pleads Not Guilty
Woman Pleads Not Guilty to Triple Murder

Mary Smith

Photo of Mary Smith, a heavyset woman with dark-brown skin and shoulder-length hair in ringlets. She is wearing lipstick and a white blouse, and squinting at the camera. Name: Mary Jane Smith.
Died: May 22, 2018.
Age at death: 88.
Cause of death: Sepsis.
Location: Denver, Colorado, USA.
Disability: Dementia, Parkinson’s disease.

Details:
Mary Jane’s daughter took her out of her nursing home and took her home. There, Mary was severely neglected. She didn’t get enough food to eat or adequate medical care, and she developed bedsores. Doctors repeatedly informed Mary’s daughter that she needed care. Finally, Mary was brought to the hospital, weighing only 72 pounds, and died days later.

Mary Jane owned a beauty shop, ran a day care, and worked as a nurse’s aide.

Case status:
Death declared homicide.
Gladys Smith (Daughter), status unknown.

Source:
Denver coroner rules 88-year-old woman’s death a homicide due to neglectful care
88-year-Old Woman’s Death In Denver Declared Homicide
Mary Jane Smith Obituary – Denver, CO