Category: Age: Teen

Age 12-18

M. E.

No PhotoName: M. E. (Initials; full name unknown).
Died: May 3, 2022.
Age at death: 16.
Cause of death: Malnutrition.
Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA.
Disability: Unspecified; blind, non-verbal.

Details:
This 16-year-old girl, known only by her initials as “ME”, was brought to the hospital in full cardiac arrest, very underweight and poorly cared-for. Police say her mother had been leaving her in the case of minor siblings, and that she had died from medical neglect and malnutrition.

Case Status:
Doraelia Loera Espinoza (Mother), charged with reckless child abuse.

Sources:
EDITORIAL: CYFD absent, again, in gruesome death of disabled child
CYFD investigated mother before daughter’s death
Mother arrested in teenage daughter’s death
BCSO: Teen that died lived in ‘shocking conditions’

Nosipho Mfana

No PhotoName: Nosipho Mfana.
Died: April 30, 2022.
Age at death: 15.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Plettenberg Bay, Western Cape, South Africa.
Disability: Intellectual disability.

Details:
Prosecutors say that Nosipho, who had been adopted at age 13 because her own mother was also intellectually disabled, was sleeping in her home when two men forced open the door and shot her 15 times, killing her. Police became suspicious because the men had used a flashlight to identify and target Nosipho specifically, hurting no one else and stealing nothing; and Nosipho’s father had taken out a large life insurance policy on her. After hearing testimony from one of the alleged hitmen, they believe that Nosipho’s father and his nephew had conspired with two other men to kill her for the insurance payout.

Case Status:
Mboneleli Msila (Adoptive father), charged with conspiracy to commit murder, murder, illegal possession of a firearm and illegal possession of ammunition.
Mbulelo Jack (Adoptive father’s nephew), arrested.
Lungisile Lucas, arrested.
Monde Tshemese, arrested.

Sources:
Plett father ‘masterminded’ hit on disabled daughter for R200 000 life policy
Man arrested for hiring hitman to kill crippled adoptive child
Plett man allegedly arranged hit on disabled adopted daughter

Heather Baynard

Photo of a teenage girl with pale skin, wearing a red shirt; a trach is visible at her neck. She is leaning back and looking away. Name: Heather Leigh-Anne Baynard.
Died: April 11, 2022.
Age at death: 14.
Cause of death: Neglect.
Location: Gaffney, South Carolina, USA.
Disability: Cerebral palsy.

Details:
Heather arrived at the hospital unresponsive and was soon declared dead. Police who examined her home discovered that she had been kept in filthy conditions; on autopsy, the coroner reported that she had been severely neglected for many months, causing her medical condition to worsen and eventually become fatal.

Heather loved music, especially Mikey Mason and Disney Jr. She liked pretty lights, bright colors, and traveling.

Case Status:
David Eugene Baynard (Father), convicted of murder, felony child abuse, and unlawful neglect of a child, sentenced to 20 years to life.
Bobbie Jo Baynard (Mother), convicted of murder, felony child abuse, and unlawful neglect of a child, sentenced to 20 years to life.
Edward Baynard (Brother), convicted of murder, felony child abuse, and unlawful neglect of a child, sentenced to 20-60 years.

Sources:
Family Jailed for Killing Girl, 14, With Cerebral Palsy Taken to Hospital With Rotting Legs
South Carolina family neglected disabled daughter — whose rotted legs looked like ‘raw meat’ — so severely she died
Parents, Son Sentenced For Murder After Police Find Rotting Special Needs Daughter In South Carolina House Of Horrors
Disabled teen wasted away in roach-filled crib as parents and brother jailed
‘Worst case of neglect we’ve seen’: Family sentenced for murder of teen with disabilities
Couple, Son Sentenced to Decades in Prison in Death of 14-Year-Old Special Needs Girl
S.C. parents, son convicted of killing daughter who ‘showed extreme signs of disintegration’
Upstate couple and son found guilty in murder of daughter, officials say
Gaffney Family Found Guilty in 2022 Murder of Special Needs Daughter
Unspeakable cruelty of parents who left their disabled daughter to die
Parents, son charged in Upstate girl’s death after she suffered in ‘deplorable conditions,’ warrants say
Family of 14-year-old speaks out after her death, murder charges filed against parents
Girl’s death called ‘horrible,’ ‘worst case’ neglect Upstate officials have ever seen; parents charged
Heather Leigh-Anne Baynard Obituary (2022)

Gopichand

No PhotoName: Gopichand.
Died: February 26, 2022.
Age at death: 14.
Cause of death: Missing, presumed dead; drowning.
Location: Nalgonda, Telangana, India.
Disability: Blind, mentally ill.

Details:
Witnesses who were part of a “huge crowd” of bystanders report seeing Gopichand’s mother push him into a canal because “he was troubling her too much”. Several people tried to rescue the boy, but he was swept away by the strong current and is presumed dead.

Case Status:
N Shailaja (Mother), charged with attempted murder.

Sources:
Boy dies as mom pushes him into canal
Telangana: Mother pushes blind teenage son into canal
Mother took a dreadful step in Telangana, pushed the minor son into the canal, know what was the reason

Bryleigh Klino

Photo of a thin teenage girl with fair skink, sitting in a wheelchair. Her blond hair is in a messy bun, and she is wearing a pale green shirt and pink neckerchief.Name: Bryleigh Klino.
Died: February 25, 2022.
Age at death: 17.
Cause of death: Unspecified; death in the setting of neglect, severe bedsores.
Location: Auburn, New York, USA.
Disability: Rett syndrome.

Details:
When Bryleigh died, hospital personnel noticed that she had severe, untreated bedsores and called the authorities, who arrested Bryleigh’s parents.

Bryleigh leaves behind three younger brothers and two younger sisters. She loved the cartoon SpongeBob SquarePants and would watch it as much as she could. Many of her things were SpongeBob-themed.

Case Status:
Jennifer M. Klino (Mother), charged with endangering the welfare of a child.
Brian T. Burns (Mother’s fiancé), charged with endangering the welfare of a child.

Sources:
Court docs detail what nurses discovered after Auburn teen’s death
Auburn man pleads not guilty in court after death of developmentally disabled teenager
Court Records: Auburn couple charged in 17-year-old’s death neglected health concerns
Two charged after investigation into disabled Auburn teen’s death
Autism Memorial: Bryleigh Klino
Couple charged in connection to death of 17-year-old with disabilities
Auburn couple charged in connection with death of disabled 17-year-old daughter
Bryleigh Klino Obituary (2022) – Auburn, NY – The Citizen

Brieuc Paquet

No PhotoName: Brieuc Paquet.
Died: February 18, 2022.
Age at death: 16.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Beaufays, Liège, Belgium.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Brieuc’s father shot him with his hunting rifle, then killed himself.

Case Status:
Fabian Paquet (Father), deceased.

Sources:
Drame à Beaufays : c’est l’incompréhension après qu’un père tue son fils autiste et se suicide!
L’horreur à Beaufays: un médecin abat son fils autiste de 16 ans à l’arme de chasse puis se suicide
Fabian a tué son fils avant de suicider à Beaufays: ses patients sont sous le choc – Édition digitale de Liège
Beaufays: un homme tue son fils autiste au fusil de chasse avant de retourner l’arme contre lui (Chaudfontaine)
Drama in Beaufays: it’s misunderstanding after a father kills his autistic son and commits suicide!
Autism Memorial: Brieuc Paquet

Daunya Fields

Photo of an African-American girl with medium-brown skin and brown eyes, wearing a black top. Her hair is done in small, neat braids and gathered into a scrunchie at the top of her head.Name: Daunya Fields.
Died: December 25, 2021.
Age at death: 13.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Detroit, Michigan, USA.
Disability: Physical and developmental disability due to abuse in infancy.

Details:
Daunya and her adoptive mother Elaine Fizer, 57, were shot to death by her adoptive father, who went on the run for several days before he was found and shot by police.

Case Status:
Dwayne McDonald (Adoptive father), deceased; shot by police.

Sources:
Woman, daughter found shot dead by relatives arriving for Christmas dinner
Family urge man to surrender after woman, disabled daughter found dead on Christmas Day
Dwayne McDonald Detroit man wanted in shooting deaths of wife & daughter
Suspect in Christmas Day double killing of wife, daughter shot dead by cops
Video: Detroit Police Search for Husband in Christmas Slaying of Wife and Daughter
Detroit Police shoot and kill suspect in Christmas Day murder of mom and 13-year-old disabled daughter

Felicity and Barrett Kreb

Photo: A teenage girl and a boy, both with short limbs. The girl is wearing red-and-white checked pajamas; she has olive skin and straight black hair. The boy is wearing camouflage pajamas and glasses; he has fair skin, blond hair, and glasses. They are smiling for the camera.Name: Felicity Kreb.
Age at death: 13.

Name: Barrett Kreb.
Age at death: 9.

Died: October 30, 2021.
Cause of death: Unspecified homicide.
Location: Gleneagle, Colorado, USA.
Disability: Dwarfism.

Details:
Felicity, Barrett, and their mother Yvette Siegert-Kreb, were killed by their father, who then killed himself.

Felicity and Barrett were both international adoptees, Felicity from China and Barrett from Albania. They were two of nine children. Their mother had specifically begun adopting children with dwarfism because her own son had dwarfism, and she wanted him to grow up with other little people around him. With their parents dead, Felicity and Barrett’s surviving siblings, the oldest of whom are adults, are now caring for one another.

Case Status:
Christof Kreb (Adoptive father), deceased.

Sources:
Father killed wife, two children in murder-suicide, El Paso County Sheriff’s Office says
Grim New Details Emerge as Authorities Identify Victims and Suspect in Colorado Triple Murder-Suicide
Gun store owner ‘killed his wife and two children, 13 and 9, in apparent murder-suicide’

Jasmine Singletary

Photo of a small girl with blond hair pulled up in a ponytail on top of her head; she is wearing a pink star print shirt.Name: Jasmine Singletary.
Died: July 13, 2021.
Age at death: 14.
Cause of death: Internal injury.
Location: Pensacola, Florida, USA.
Disability: A neuromuscular disorder.

Details:
Jasmine had been admitted to the hospital for an infection, and was alone in her room with her mother and grandmother when she was found dying of massive injuries to her ribs and liver–injuries that had not been there at admission. Police, who questioned her mother, say her mother admitted to bludgeoning her with a table after Jasmine cursed at her.

Case Status:
Jessica Bortle (Mother), convicted of battery and child abuse, sentenced to 1 year and 1 day in prison.

Source:
Woman Gets One Year For Hospital Death Of Her Special Needs Daughter : NorthEscambia.com
Mother sentenced to 1 year in prison for Pensacola hospital death of special needs daughter
Mom sentenced to 1 year in prison in blunt force trauma death of special-needs daughter
Mom accused of ‘obliterating’ special needs daughter’s liver, killing child for ‘cussing’ and ‘throwing and breaking crayons’ while in hospital bed
Florida Woman Allegedly Kills Special Needs Daughter Inside Hospital Room, Rips Her Kidney Open
Mother charged with homicide of her daughter with special needs while in the hospital
Woman Killed Her Special Needs Daughter Insider Her Hospital Room, PPD Says : NorthEscambia.com
Pensacola Police: Bonifay woman killed daughter in hospital room
Mother killed special needs teen daughter inside Florida hospital room, police say

Jallen McConnie

Photo of a young Black teenage boy, wearing jeans, black T-shirt, and baseball cap, sitting in a lawn chair. In the background is a neatly mown lawn and some parked cars.Name: Jallen McConnie.
Died: June 28, 2021.
Age at death: 15.
Cause of death: Beaten.
Location: New York City, New York, USA.
Disability: PTSD, ADHD, oppositional-defiant disorder, possible autism.

Details:
Jallen lived in Georgia, but he was visiting his cousin in New York City’s Upper West Side. An ambulance was called to the apartment; medics found Jallen unresponsive, his body battered, and brought him to the hospital where he was declared dead. His cousin–who had allegedly beaten him for interrupting him while he was watching TV–was arrested.

Case Status:
Mitcaux Booker (Cousin), charged with assault, endangering the welfare of an incompetent or physically disabled person, and acting in a manner injurious to a child.

Sources:
NYC Man Allegedly Beat His Teen Cousin to Death for Interrupting Netflix
Jallen Terrell McConnie | The Wilson Times
15-year-old boy found dead in Manhattan apartment a homicide; man arrested
Disabled teen mercilessly beaten to death in Upper West Side apartment for interrupting cousin’s Netflix time, police say
Man Charged With Assault In Death Of 15-Year-Old Boy On UWS: NYPD