Category: Age Categories

Scott McCallum

Photo of Scott McCallum, a white man with black hair and a receding hairline; he has a salt-and-pepper beard and mustache.Name: Scott McCallum.
Died: January 6, 2017.
Age at death: 55.
Cause of death: Fatal neglect.
Location: Howard City, Michigan, USA.
Disability: Multiple sclerosis.

Details:
Scott’s caregiver left him alone and didn’t care for him. He died of neglect, with severe bedsores. She left his body in place for two days before finally calling a funeral home.

Case Status:
Rebecca Ann Deters (Son’s girlfriend), pleaded no contest to second-degree abuse, sentenced to 12 months in jail; serving 24 months in prison due to probation violation.

Source:
Woman sent to prison for abuse of bedridden man
Woman pleads to abusing bedridden man who died in her care
Woman accused of neglecting bedridden man, not reporting his death

Perleen Bode

Photo of Perleen Bode. She is a young woman with fair skin and dark curly hair; she is wearing an old-fashioned navy blue dress with white trim.Name: Perleen June Bode.
Died: January 4, 2017.
Age at death: 67.
Cause of death: Broken neck.
Location: Bremerton, Washington, USA.
Disability: Chronic lung disease, congestive heart failure.

Details:
Perleen was an extrovert who liked cars and spending time with her friends. She was retired from a government job, and had two sons and four grandchildren.

After Perleen’s husband died, she found a new boyfriend who became her caretaker. Her boyfriend abused her for a long time until finally killing her; she died of a broken neck from manual strangulation.

Case status:
Richard Raul Heller (Boyfriend), charged with second-degree murder; pleaded guilty to second-degree manslaughter, sentenced to 70 months.

Source:
Bremerton man gets prison time for death of girlfriend
Caretaker, boyfriend charged in woman’s death from January
Perleen June Bode, 66
Bremerton police arrest man in death of 67-year-old woman
As murder trial started, man accused of killing girlfriend pleaded guilty to manslaughter

Yoko Kubota

No PhotoName: Yoko Kubota.
Died: January 4, 2017.
Age at death: 37.
Cause of death: Asphyxia.
Location: Tachikawa, Tokyo, Japan.
Disability: Mental disability.

Details:
Yoko’s father strangled her before committing suicide.

Case status:
Akira Kubota (Father), deceased.

Source:
Man, mentally disabled daughter found dead in murder-suicide

96-year-old woman

No PhotoName Unknown.
Died: Unknown; charges brought in 2017.
Age at death: 96.
Cause of death: Sepsis.
Location: Anderson County, South Carolina, USA.
Disability: Unspecified; frail elder, wheelchair user.

Details:
This 96-year-old woman’s great-grandson and a woman had moved in to care for her; but instead of doing so, they used meth and neglected her. She died from sepsis, from an infected bedsore.

Case status:
Jesse Long (Great-grandson), pleaded guilty to abuse of a vulnerable adult resulting in serious bodily injury, sentenced to 15 years in prison and 5 years probation, as well as 15 years for drug charges.
Veronica Bryant (Housemate), pleaded guilty to abuse of a vulnerable adult resulting in death, sentenced to 3 years in prison and 5 years probation.

Source:
Great-grandson, woman plead guilty in 96-year-old’s death
Great-grandson, woman let 96-year-old die from maggot-covered sores

Theresa Smothers

No PhotoName: Theresa Marie Irene Smothers.
Died: December 31, 2016.
Age at death: 87.
Cause of death: Neglect, malnutrition, dehydration.
Location: Poplar Bluff, Missouri, USA.
Disability: Dementia.

Details:
When a hospice worker visited Theresa for the first time, she saw obvious signs of neglect and called for an ambulance. Theresa was taken to the hospital with starvation, dehydration, and infected bedsores; two days later, she died. She weighed 71 pounds; she had been fed just one packet of applesauce per day.

Case status:
Judy Smothers (Daughter), charged with second-degree murder and elder abuse.

Source:
Elderly Woman Dies from Extreme Neglect, But It’s Her Daughter’s Excuse That Tops Everything…
Victim of suspected elderly abuse dies
87-year-old woman, suspected victim of abuse, dies
Missouri woman accused in death of mother, 87
87-year-old woman, suspected victim of abuse, dies after authorities remove her from daughter’s home
Woman charged with murder, elder abuse in mother’s death
Poplar Bluff woman pleads not guilty to murder after her mother died of malnourishment

Sonia Riang

Photo of Sonia Riang, an African-American woman with medium-brown skin and curly black hair. She is wearing a flannel jacket and smiling.Name: Sonia Riang.
Died: December 25, 2016.
Age at death: 45.
Cause of death: Stabbing.
Location: Clinton Township, Michigan, USA.
Disability: Mobility impaired due to car accident; used wheelchair and cane.

Details:
Sonia was stabbed to death by her daughter on Christmas day.

She was a fan of Korean soap operas.

Case status:
Delilah Evans (Daughter), convicted of first-degree murder, guilty but mentally ill; sentenced to life without parole.

Source:
Teen Arrested Monday in Connection With Christmas Day Murder
Daughter arrested in fatal stabbing of disabled mother in Clinton Township
Clinton Township teen may be arraigned in mother’s death
Daughter Arrested in Christmas Day Murder of Disabled Mother
17-year-old charged in murder of disabled mother
17-year-old daughter arraigned in mother’s stabbing death on Christmas
17-Year-Old Girl Charged With Murder In Mother’s Fatal Stabbing Christmas Day
Clinton Township Girl Arraigned In Mother’s Death
Teen arraigned in disabled mother’s stabbing death
Teen charged with murder in stabbing death of mother
17-Year-Old Girl Murders Mom On Christmas Day, But Family Upset About Murder Charges
Clinton Township teen seeking insanity verdict for stabbing mother to death
Teen gets life for stabbing disabled mom 120 times on Christmas Day
Teen who killed disabled mom on Christmas gets life in prison
Metro Detroit teen gets life without parole for stabbing her disabled mom 120 times, killing her
Clinton Township teen who killed mother gets life without parole
Daughter sentenced to life in prison for mother’s fatal stabbing on Christmas
Teen girl stabs disabled mother 120 times, killing her, on Christmas Day

Kathryn Breen

No PhotoName: Kathryn Breen.
Died: December 23, 2016.
Age at death: 74.
Cause of death: Burns.
Location: Beaverton, Oregon, USA.
Disability: Unspecified; elder disabled.

Details:
Kathryn Breen suffered burn injuries in a fire set in her bedroom by her caretaker. She was taken to the hospital with third-degree burns over 25% of her body and died a month later.

Case status:
Celia Schwab (Live-in caretaker), charged with murder, arson, and assault, died of natural causes before conviction.
Maria Meisner (Neighbor), pleaded guilty to murder, sentenced to 25 years to life.

Source:
Caretaker accused of setting elderly woman on fire found unfit to stand trial for now
Beaverton woman gets life in prison for setting elderly neighbor on fire, killing her

Phyllis Mansfield

Portrait photo of Phyllis Mansfield, a middle-aged woman with short, permed blond hair, blue eyes, and fair skin. She wears a pink blouse with white collar.Name: Phyllis Baccus Mansfield.
Died: December 14, 2016.
Age at death: 72.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Elizabeth City, North Carolina, USA.
Disability: Dementia.

Details:
Phyllis’s husband killed her by shooting her in the head and chest. He told police he had done it because he didn’t want to put her in a nursing home. A grand jury refused to indict him for first-degree murder, but some time later another agreed to indict for second-degree murder instead.

Case status:
Samuel Frank Mansfield (Husband); charged with second-degree murder; pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter. Died before sentencing on December 17, 2019.

Source:
Mansfield released after grand jury fails to indict on murder charge
Phyllis Mansfield
Grand jury decides not to indict NC man in wife’s shooting death
Mansfield indicted in wife’s death
Elderly man pleads guilty to shooting wife of 53 years
74-year-old NC man guilty of killing wife to prevent life as ‘caged animal’ in nursing home

Aedyn Agminalis

Photo of Aedyn Agminalis, a baby with fair skin and wispy blond hair. He is wearing a onesie and holding on to a piece of furniture to support him as he stands on wobbly legs.Name: Aedyn Agminalis.
Died: December 11, 2016.
Age at death: 17 months.
Cause of death: Head injury.
Location: Riverview, Florida, USA.
Disability: Chronic illness, developmental delay.

Details:
Aedyn was brought to the hospital with a severe head injury suffered while under the care of his foster mother. Doctors called it “very suspicious for non-accidental trauma”. Aedyn’s brain had been injured too severely for survival, and he died after life support was shut off.

Case status:
Latamara Stackhouse Flythe (Foster mother); initially charged with first-degree murder and aggravated abuse, charges dropped due to lack of evidence.

Source:
Foster mom charged in toddler’s death was meant to be his lifeline
Editorial: Another child’s death, another cry for help
New details emerge in case of foster mother charged in murder of Tampa-area toddler – Orlando Rising
Fatal injury occurred just minutes after child welfare worker left home, detective says
Foster mom arrested in death of boy headed for adoption
How Could You? Hall of Shame-Aedyn Agminalis case-Child Death UPDATED
Inquiry launched after infant dies in foster care in Hillsborough County – Orlando Sentinel
Toddler dies while in foster care, potential new family wants answers
Toddler in foster care Aedyn Agminalis dead just ahead of adoption by lesbian couple
Within reach of adoption, toddler dies while in foster care

Danny Fernandez

Photo of an older man with shaggy gray hair.Name: Danny Fernandez.
Died: December 11, 2016.
Age at death: 66.
Cause of death: Blunt trauma.
Location: Springfield, Illinois, USA.
Disability: Unspecified; wheelchair user.

Details:
Danny’s stepdaughter brought him to the emergency room, claiming he had fallen out of his wheelchair. However, when the injuries were examined, she was arrested and charged with aggravated assault. When Danny died in the ICU a few days later, she was charged with murder.

Case status:
Christina Mathews (Stepdaughter), charged with first-degree murder.

Source:
Obituary for Danny Fernandez at Ruby Funeral Services & Chapel, Inc.
Springfield woman facing multiple first-degree murder charges
Springfield Woman Accused of Beating Disabled Step-Father to Death
Woman Charged With Stepfather’s Murder
Money alleged motive for murder
Springfield woman charged with murder in stepfather’s death
Danny Fernandez’s Obituary