Remembering the Disabled Murdered by Caregivers
Age 12-18
Name: Christina Sneary.
Died: August 3, 2011.
Age at death: 14.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Ferry Pass, Florida, USA.
Disability: Developmentally disabled.
Details:
Christina’s older foster sister shot her.
Case status:
Elena Rendell (Foster sister, age 17), convicted as a youthful offender of manslaughter, sentenced to 1 year in jail and 5 years probation.
Source:
Former Northview Student Convicted Of Killing Younger Adoptive Sister; Will Serve One Year In Jail
Name: Benjamin Barnhard.
Died: August 3, 2011.
Age at death: 13.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Kensington, Maryland, USA.
Disability: Autism.
Details:
Benjamin was shot to death by his mother, who killed herself one day later.
Case status:
Margaret Ferne Jensvold (Mother), deceased.
Source:
Autism Memorial: Benjamin Barnhard
Autism Tragedy as Psychiatrist Mother Allegedly Murders Son, Commits Suicide in MD
‘She was going to kill me too,’ says ex-husband of psychiatrist who shot her autistic ‘Too Fat For 15’ son before turning the gun on herself
Mother, Son Deaths In Kensington, MD Ruled Murder-Suicide
Name: Romana Bones.
Died: June 30, 2011.
Age at death: 13.
Cause of death: Sepsis.
Location: Duval County, Florida, USA.
Disability: Intellectual disability.
Details:
Romana was starved and neglected by her mother. She died of septic shock.
Case status:
Jessica Rivera (Mother), convicted of child neglect, sentenced to 12-18 years in prison.
Source:
Romana Bones, 13
DCF releases child neglect case documents
Woman Gets 18 Years for Daughter’s Death
Name: Hana Grace-Rose Williams (Born Hana Alemu Befekadu).
Died: May 12, 2011.
Age at death: 13.
Cause of death: Hypothermia.
Location: Sedro-Woolley, Washington, USA.
Disability: Hepatitis B; special-needs adoptee.
Details:
Hana’s adoptive parents starved, beat, and abused her. She died of hypothermia and chronic starvation when she was left outside in the cold as punishment.
Hana enjoyed knitting and crocheting, reading, drawing and various crafts, playing soccer and riding her bicycle.
Case status:
Larry Williams (Adoptive father), convicted of manslaughter, sentenced to 28 years.
Carri Williams (Adoptive mother), convicted of homicide by abuse, sentenced to 37 years.
Source:
Death of Hana Grace-Rose Williams
Hana Grace-Rose Williams (Hana Alemu Befekadu) and Immanuel Williams
Name: Makayla Norman.
Died: March 1, 2011.
Age at death: 14.
Cause of death: Malnutrition, sepsis.
Location: Dayton, Ohio, USA.
Disability: Cerebral palsy.
Details:
Makayla’s mother had hired three nurses to help take care of her. Despite that, she managed to neglect Makayla so badly that she died of malnutrition and infected bedsores. The young girl spent her last years in a filthy, trash-ridden house and died weighing 28 pounds.
Case status:
Angela Norman (Mother), involuntary manslaughter, nine years.
Mollie E. Parsons (Nurse), manslaughter, 10 years; health care fraud, 3 years.
Marky K. Kilby (Nurse), convicted of failing to provide for functionally-impaired person, sentenced to probation; convicted of failing to report abuse; 180 days in jail, all but 15 days suspended.
Kathryn Williams (Nurse), convicted of failure to report child abuse or neglect and failing to provide for a functionally-impaired person; sentenced to 30 days in jail, 160 hours community service, and one year of probation.
Source:
Makayla M. Norman
Angela Norman: Murderpedia
Nurse in prison for teen’s death accused of health care fraud
Middletown caregiver sentenced for defrauding Medicaid in disabled Dayton teen’s death
Woman sentenced in Medicaid fraud case related to a minor’s death
Name: Cynara Ali.
Died: February 21, 2011.
Age at death: 16.
Cause of death: Hypoxia.
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Disability: Cerebral palsy.
Details:
Cynara’s mother called emergency services, saying that masked intruders had smothered her daughter. Cynara was rushed to the hospital where she died two days later from a hypoxic brain injury.
Prosecutors alleged Cynara’s mother had actually smothered Cynara with a pillow and staged the home invasion to cover up the crime; but after thirteen years and two trials, a judge acquitted Cynara’s mother because, he stated, the crime could not be proven “beyond a reasonable doubt”. No trace of any intruders was ever found.
16-year-old Cynara was a recent immigrant from Trinidad to Canada. She had been in Canada only a month before her death.
Case status:
Cindy Ann Sherry Ali (Mother), convicted of first-degree murder, sentenced to 25 years to life; retrial ordered, charged with first-degree murder; acquitted.
Source:
Toronto mother acquitted in death of disabled daughter launches $10.5-million lawsuit against police, city
Toronto mom acquitted in daughter’s death sues police, city
‘Project Litoria’: How Toronto police charged a now-acquitted mother in the death of her disabled daughter
Mother acquitted in retrial of disabled daughter’s death
‘After so long it’s done’: Cindy Ali acquitted of daughter’s murder in retrial
Toronto mother acquitted of first-degree murder charge in 2011 death of disabled daughter
Toronto mother acquitted of first-degree murder charge in disabled daughter’s death
Toronto mother acquitted of first-degree murder charge in 2011 death of disabled daughter
MANDEL: Mom cleared of murder 13 years after disabled daughter’s death
Toronto mother Cindy Ali’s retrial: Who killed Cynara?
Toronto mom’s trial focuses on decade-old memories of death scene
Convicted of killing her child over 10 years ago, Ontario woman seeks to clear name in 2nd trial
After appealing conviction in death of disabled daughter, Ontario mother begins new murder trial in Toronto
Cynara Ali death: Week 1 of Cindy Ali trial in Toronto. What happened? | CP24.com
Convicted of killing her child over 10 years ago, Ontario woman seeks to clear name in 2nd trial
Cindy Ali trial: Day 2 updates | CP24.com
After appealing conviction in death of disabled daughter, Ontario mother begins new murder trial in Toronto
Cynara Ali death: Week 1 of Cindy Ali trial in Toronto. What happened? | CP24.com
Toronto mom guilty of killing severely disabled teen daughter
‘My baby’s not breathing’: 911 call of mother accused in disabled teen’s death
Crown in murder trial challenges mother’s story of child’s death: DiManno
Mom blamed home invaders after smothering disabled daughter: Crown
Trinidadian sentenced to life in prison in Canada for killing disabled daughter
Name: Karandeep Arora.
Died: October 25, 2010.
Age at death: 18.
Cause of death: Homicide.
Location: New Delhi, India.
Disability: Visual and mobility impairment.
Details:
Karandeep’s parents either smothered or poisoned him, and then both of them committed suicide.
Case status:
Saminder Singh Arora and Mini Arora (Parents), deceased.
Name: Chase Ogden.
Died: October 4, 2010.
Age at death: 13.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA.
Disability: Autism.
Details:
Chase and his twin sister Olivia were killed by their mother, who then shot herself.
Case status:
Rene Ogden (Mother), deceased.
Source:
Autism Memorial: Chase Ogden
Rene Ogden killed twins Chase and Olivia, then committed suicide, says El Paso County coroner
Colo. Police Probe Deaths of Mother, Twin Children
Essex Lane deaths apparent murder-suicide
Coroner: Mother, twins shot in head
Name: Kenneth Holmes.
Died: July 28, 2010.
Age at death: 12.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: New York, New York, USA.
Disability: Autism.
Details:
Kenneth was shot to death by his mother, who then committed suicide herself. Police said she was “frustrated over the demands of raising an autistic child”.
Case status:
Michaela Jackson (Mother), deceased.
Source:
Autism Memorial: Kenneth Holmes
JA mom kills autistic son, herself
Mom suspected in murder-suicide involving autistic son posted heart-wrenching blog item before death
It’s Mick’s World
Name: Grace Carlson.
Died: July 17, 2010.
Age at death: 13.
Cause of death: Poisoning.
Location: South Lyon, Michigan, USA.
Disability: “Seriously disabled”; born addicted to crack.
Details:
Grace’s mother poisoned her in a murder-suicide.
Case status:
Donna Carlson (Adoptive mother), deceased.
Source:
Details emerge about South Lyon murder-suicide attempt; police seek charge of murder 1