Age: Young Adult – Page 16 – Disability Day of Mourning

Annie Ee

Name: Annie Ee Yu Lian.
Died: April 13, 2015.
Age at death: 26.
Cause of death: Fat embolism.
Location: Singapore.
Disability: Intellectual disability.

Details:
Annie lived with a friend and her husband. She worked as a waitress.

Her caregivers took her salary, repeatedly beat her, and did not seek medical care when she was obviously dying. She died from a fat embolism, a clump of fat that tore loose from her injuries and clogged a critical blood vessel. She had a ruptured stomach and many broken bones from eight months of torture.

Case status:
Tan Hui Zhen (Housemate), pleaded guilty to causing grievous hurt, sentenced to 16-and-a-half years in jail.
Pua Hak Chuan (Housemates), pleaded guilty to causing grievous hurt, sentenced to 14 years in jail and 14 strokes of the cane.
Neither could be charged with murder because they “did not intend to kill” Annie, and because she died of a fat embolism, which is a rare medical complication.

Source:
Couple ‘tortured’ intellectually disabled waitress, who died after 8 months of abuse
Couple plead guilty to torturing mentally disabled ‘friend’ for 8 months until she died
Couple abused intellectually disabled waitress to completely control her: Prosecutors
Mentally disabled woman dies after being abused for 8 months by couple
Couple tortured intellectually disabled woman for months until she died
Over 18,000 signatures received for petition to seek heavier punishment for abusers of deceased intellectually disabled waitress
Couple who tortured friend to death: Wife gets 16½ years’ jail, husband gets 14 years, 14 strokes of the cane
‘They were like gangsters’: Neighbour of couple who ‘tortured’ intellectually disabled woman
‘An apology is not enough’: Brother of woman who beat Annie Ee to death
People around Annie Ee knew something bad was happening
Couple who tortured Annie Ee: Prosecutor could not charge them with murder, says AGC

Ashley Lovett

Photo of Ashley Lovett. She is a young woman sitting in a hospital bed, feeding a bottle to a newborn infant. Her blond hair is tied back. Name: Ashley Lovett.
Died: October 2014; body found April 10, 2015.
Age at death: 27.
Cause of death: Unknown.
Location: Millen, Georgia, USA.
Disability: Intellectual disability.

Details:
Ashley was the mother of a baby which was taken away from her and placed with family members.

Ashley’s stepmother and half-brother, whom she lived with, did not report her death and collected her disability checks for several months after she died. When asked where Ashley was, they lied to investigators.

How Ashley died cannot be determined because her body was burned and buried more than a year before it was found; at that point only fragments were left to be identified by their DNA match to Ashley’s child, now two or three years old and living with family.

Case status:
Susan Lovett (stepmother), pleaded guilty to concealing the death of a relative, sentenced to 10 years prison and 10 years probation.
Christopher Eugene Lovett (half-brother), pleaded guilty to concealing the death of a relative, sentenced to 10 years prison and 10 years probation.

Source:
2 deny concealing death of relative
2 plead guilty in concealment of Jenkins death
EXCLUSIVE ON 6: Ashley Lovett’s Family Member Speaks out About Possible Abuse in the Home
Test results inconclusive on remains believed to belong to missing Millen woman

21-year-old man

No Photo Name Unknown.
Died: March 23, 2015.
Age at death: 21.
Cause of death: Asphyxia.
Location: Taipei, Taiwan.
Disability: Cerebral palsy, intellectual disability.

Details:
This young man’s father, claiming his family was tired of taking care of him, allegedly strangled him to death.

Case status:
Ho Chung-ming (Father); charged with homicide.

Source:
Man kills son with cerebral palsy out of exhaustion

Rachele Tyburski

Photo of Rachele Tyburski, a young woman with straight brown hair and pale skin. She is smiling slightly and wearing silver earrings. Name: Rachele Tyburski.
Died: March 15, 2015.
Age at death: 26.
Cause of death: Suffocation.
Location: Lakewood, Ohio, USA.
Disability: Bipolar disorder.

Details:
Rachele was suffocated to death by her mother; then her sister took her body and dumped it in a field.

She had a four-year-old son.

Case status:
Janet Tyburski (Mother), convicted of murder, sentenced to 19 years to life.
Hannah Tyburski (Sister), pleaded guilty to abuse of a corpse, $750 fine and suspended 90-day jail sentence.

Source:
Where Are Janet Tyburski and Hannah Tyburski Now?
Shelly Tyburski’s Murder: How Did She Die? Who Killed Shelly Tyburski?
Body found in North Ridgeville identified as Lakewood woman Rachele Tyburski
Rachele Tyburski’s grandmother describes slain woman as sweet but prone to fits of violence
Mom accused of murder wants plea deal; prosecution says old deal gone
Ohio Mom Who Killed Adult Daughter and Dumped Her Body in Field Gets 19 Years to Life

Daryne Gailey

Photo of an adult man with pale skin, large nose, and slanted eyebrows, black hair and beard, wearing a baseball cap and blue sweatshirt, holding a newborn infant with a scrunched face and pink skin. Name: Daryne Gailey.
Age at death: 29.
Disability: Epilepsy, intellectual disability.

Name: Charley Hendrick.
Age at death: 7 months.
Disability: None; she was the child of a disabled parent.

Died: November 23, 2014.
Cause of death: Homicidal violence.
Location: Oxford, Michigan, USA.

Details:
Daryne and his seven month old daughter, Charley, were killed by his mother. She slashed Daryne’s throat and then beat Charley to death. She believed Daryne and Charley would be “better off dead”.

Case status:
Sylvia Majewska; convicted of second-degree murder, sentenced to 25-50 years.

Source:
Records show darker side to grandma accused of murder
Offender Tracking Information System (OTIS) – Offender Profile

21-year-old man

No Photo Name Unknown.
Died: November 10, 2014.
Age at death: 21.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Udon Thaini, Muang district, Thailand.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
This 21-year-old man lived with his parents and ten-year-old sister. His father came in from his rice field, had dinner, and then, at 2 o’clock at night, shot his son and then killed himself. The young man’s grandfather-in-law found them the next morning.

Case status:
His father, deceased.

Source:
Autism Memorial: 21-year-old male, Name unknown
Father shoots son dead in suspected murder suicide
Music teacher kills autistic son, self

Rebecca Cotten

Photo of Rebecca Cotten, a very thin young woman. She is leaning forward toward another woman standing in front of her, so that her face is not visible. Name: Rebecca Cotten.
Died: May 29, 2014.
Age at death: 22.
Cause of death: Starvation.
Location: Memphis, Tennessee, USA.
Disability: Cerebral palsy.

Details:
Rebecca was allegedly abused and starved by her mother. She died weighing 40 pounds.

Case status:
Jennifer Cotten (Mother); charged with abuse and aggravated assault.
Nicholas Newquest, charged with abuse.

Source:
Second arrest made in death of 24-year-old woman with disabilities
Abused woman who weighed 40 pounds dies
Mother charged in death of disabled daughter, 22, who weighed 40lbs

Magdalena Amunyoko

No Photo Name: Magdalena Nunyango Amunyoko.
Died: May 9, 2014.
Age at death: 26.
Cause of death: Sharp force injury.
Location: Ongwediva, Namibia.
Disability: A “rare condition that restricted her body functions”; speech impediment, wheelchair user.

Details:
Magdalena’s mother allegedly hacked her to death with a panga (a type of machete), and then burned her body.

Case status:
Magdalena’s mother, arrested.

Source:
No right to end another’s life – youth
Teacher Accused Of Barbecuing Disabled Daughter: Report
No right to end another’s life – youth
Teacher kills, burns daughter on braai stand

Jessica Watkins

Name: Jessica Watkins.
Died: May 4, 2014.
Age at death: 21.
Cause of death: Stabbed, strangled.
Location: Newport, Wales, UK.
Disability: Learning disability, ADHD, autism spectrum disorder.

Details:
Jessica was an extrovert who liked to party. She was a gaming fan who frequented Newport City Gaming, a club that creates videos and live shows based on video games.

Jessica was abused by her boyfriend, who finally killed her by stabbing and strangling her. He had nearly strangled her a month earlier, but the people who completed a Vulnerable Adult Review on her situation did nothing to help, and Jessica returned to her boyfriend.

Case status:
Kristopher Mitchell (Boyfriend), convicted of murder, sentenced to 16 years 8 months to life.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Jessica Watkins
Woman murdered by her boyfriend had been strangled by him a month before – Wales Online
Kristopher Mitchell jailed for Jessica Watkins murder
Newport man, Kristopher Mitchell, admits murder of Jessica Watkins whose body was found in the bath of a house on Bryn Bevan, Brynglas
Jessica Watkins’ murder ‘could not have been prevented’ – report finds
‘This was a brutal attack on a defenceless 21-year-old’: Boyfriend jailed for fatally stabbing Jessica Watkins 27 times in his bathroom

Otto Smith

Photo of Otto Smith, a teenage boy in a red jacket. He has fair skin, and his brown hair is in a crew cut. He has a wispy mustache. There is water in the background. Name: Otto Smith.
Died: April 13, 2014.
Age at death: 18.
Cause of death: Asphyxia.
Location: Auburn, Seattle, Washington, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
After long-term severe abuse, Otto’s mother’s boyfriend restrained and smothered him. Despite witnessing months of abuse that nearly killed Otto and his brother several times, his mother did nothing to help.

Otto liked to watch The Lion King, and his favorite toy was a musical keyboard. His younger brother, who survived abuse for several months after Otto died, went on to testify in his murder trial. He is now safe, living with his grandparents.

Case status:
Matthew Christenson (Mother’s boyfriend); convicted of second-degree murder, homicide by abuse, felony harassment, sentenced to 65 years.
Pascia Backman (Mother), pleaded guilty to helping cover up the murder, ordered to mental health and drug treatment.

Source:
Man awaits resentencing for abusing autistic victim to death in Auburn
Autism Memorial: Otto Smith
Trial considers whether man killed, tortured girlfriend’s sons
Mom: Beau’s love left me ‘euphoric,’ then he killed my son
Brother of slain autistic teen: Abuse rendered me ‘hopeless’
Boyfriend found guilty of murdering woman’s autistic son
65 years for Auburn man in death of girlfriend’s autistic son he bound and gagged