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

David Herrera Jr.

Photo of David Herrera Jr., a young man in a graduation cap and gown. Name: David Herrera Jr.
Died: December 19, 2013.
Age at death: 22.
Cause of death: Fire.
Location: San Antonio, Texas, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
David’s sister and her friend burned down the house with David and his father in it; they wanted the insurance money. David died; his father was seriously injured but recovered.

Case status:
Miranda Herrera (Sister), pleaded guilty to murder, sentenced to 50 years.
Sari Rodriguez, pleaded guilty to murder, sentenced to 60 years.

Source:
Autism Memorial: David Herrera, Jr.
San Antonio woman gets 50 year sentence for fatal house fire
Woman gets 100-year prison term for setting fire that killed brother, injured father

Stephanie Owen

Photo of Stephanie Owen and her mother Sharon Hayter. Stephanie is a young woman with long brown hair; her head is thrown back and she is laughing. Sharon is a woman with short brown hair and glasses; she is smiling and hugging Stephanie. Name: Stephanie Owen.
Died: November 28, 2013.
Age at death: 29.
Cause of death: Blunt trauma.
Location: Knowsley, Merseyside, England, UK.
Disability: Intellectual disability; mobility impairment; diabetic.

Details:
Stephanie’s father bludgeoned her and her mother, Sharon Hayter, to death with a claw hammer.

Case status:
William Owen (Father), pleaded guilty to murder, sentenced to 29 years, 90 days in prison.

Source:
Life sentence for doting dad who murdered his wife and disabled daughter at the family home
William Owen jailed for life for murdering daughter and partner
Claw hammer killer agreed bizarre ‘death pact’ with late partner before murdering disabled daughter

Qyzra Walji

Photo of Qyzra Walji, a young woman with straight brown hair and tan skin, smiling broadly. A wheelchair head rest is visible behind her head. Name: Qyzra Walji.
Died: October 31, 2013.
Age at death: 21.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: London, Ontario, Canada.
Disability: Cerebral palsy.

Details:
When she was about six years old, Qyzra’s parents immigrated to Canada from Tanzania, so that she could get good education and health care.

She was a bright student whose friends remember her smile fondly; she was always smiling. She liked fashion, pop culture, and boys.

She wrote an article in Girls’ Life about her experiences. You can read it here:
The Story Of A Girl With Cerebral Palsy

When their temporary visas expired and the government of Canada planned to deport them, Qyzra’s father shot her and her mother Shyroz in a murder-suicide.

Case status:
Mohamed Walji (Father), deceased.

Source:
Mohamed Walji killed his wife and severely disabled daughter, then himself, but questions remain
Listening to Qyzra
The Story Of A Girl With Cerebral Palsy
Waljis? relative says Immigration at root of family’s desperation
A building super, his wife and disabled daughter were found dead
London police confirm family of murder-suicide died from gunshot wounds
Police search for motive in tragic murder-suicide death of London, Ontario family | National Post
Triple death was murder-suicide

Steven Copo-Horton

Name: Steven Copo-Horton.
Died: October 28, 2013.
Age at death: 18.
Cause of death: Drowning.
Location: Emerton, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Disability: Angelman syndrome.

Details:
Steven drowned in the bathtub. Prosecutors say he could not have gotten into the bathtub on his own.

“All [Steven] wanted to do was kiss and cuddle everyone,” his mother remembers.

Case status:
Charbel Younes (Stepfather), charged with murder. After being released on bail, he broke his wife’s arm and shot at his other stepson. Court subsequently denied bail. Acquitted.

Source:
Stepdad acquitted of murder at retrial
Drowned teen couldn’t have got in bath
Charles Younes trial: Man denies murder of disabled stepson in bathtub
Tradie charged with drowning murder of his disabled teenager stepson
Stepfather charged over teen’s bathtub death
‘Concerning history of violence’: Couple split one week before teen found dead in bath
Man charged with murder over 2013 bathtub drowning of teen
Man who drowned disabled stepson ‘broke ex-wife’s arm and shot a gun’

Martin Meffert

Photo of a man with fair skin and dark-blond hair, wearing a black and white print baseball cap. He has a stubbly beard and mustache. Name: Martin Meffert.
Died: October 24, 2013 (Body found); Missing February 8, 2005.
Age at death: 23.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Terownie, South Australia, Australia.
Disability: Unspecified.

Details:
23-year-old Martin, grieving the death of his mother, arranged to stay with an aunt and some cousins. Then he disappeared.

Eight years later, one of his cousins, who had been collecting Martin’s disability payments, pulled out Martin’s skull and showed it to a friend. This was not reported until a firearms raid found Martin’s bones in plain view in the fireplace of his home. His cousin admitted to shooting Martin in the head and stealing his disability pension for ten years.

Martin loved Bruce Springsteen’s music. He was proud uncle to a baby nephew and awaiting a second nephew when he died.

Case status:
Christopher Travis Scott (Cousin), pleaded guilty to murder, sentenced to life.

Source:
Teen who shot Martin Meffert dead then claimed his Centrelink payments
Martin Meffert murder: Police conduct doorknocks in Terowie, SA
Bones-in-fireplace murder: Sister of Martin Meffert wants to end her family’s torment and get justice
No one had spoken to Martin for years. Then police made a gruesome discovery.
Case against accused cold case murderer labelled ‘weak’
Cold case murder accused remanded in custody
Accused killer pulled skull out of box ‘like a show-and-tell’, court told
Accused Terowie murderer admits to killing relative whose bones were found in fireplace
Killer’s confession leads police to find remains of SA murder victim
Bones of murdered man found at Terowie property
Property searched to find murdered man’s remains

Matthew Hafer

No Photo Name: Matthew Hafer.
Died: Several days before July 27, 2013.
Age at death: 28.
Cause of death: Prescription drug overdose.
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Matthew’s mother poisoned him with an overdose of prescription drugs.

Case status:
Joann Hafer (Mother), pled guilty to second-degree murder; sentenced to 10 years to life.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Matthew Hafer
Woman accused of killing son who had autism set for court
Police: Vegas woman drugged adult son to death
Mom accused of fatally drugging son appears in court
Police: Woman survives suicide attempt, arrested in death of disabled son
Court case

Michael Stevens

No Photo
Name: Michael Stevens.
Died: April 1, 2013.
Age at death: 26.
Cause of death: Choking.
Location: Lakeland, Florida, USA.
Disability: Intellectual disability, epilepsy.

Details:
Michael’s mother neglected him. She didn’t keep him clean, and she often locked him into his room or tied him to a chair. She hadn’t filled his seizure medication prescription in over a year when Michael had a seizure, choked on his vomit, and died.

Case status:
Janet Wade Stevens (Mother), convicted of manslaughter, obstruction of justice, and aggravated abuse; sentenced to 20 years.

Source:
Lakeland Woman Jailed in Death of Her Disabled Son

Gerald Lakes

No Photo Name: Gerald Lee Lakes.
Died: March 13, 2013.
Age at death: 24.
Cause of death: Starvation, dehydration.
Location: Lexington, Kentucky, USA.
Disability: Intellectual disability.

Details:
Gerald was neglected and starved to death by his parents.

Case status:
Jerry Lakes (Father), pleaded guilty to second-degree manslaughter, two counts of knowing abuse or neglect of an adult, three counts of exploitation, and three counts of theft by failure to make required disposition of property, sentenced to 20 years.
Peggy Whitlock (Mother), guilty to two counts of knowing abuse and neglect, sentenced to 10 years.

Source:
Lexington couple sentenced for neglect in death of mentally handicapped son
Detectives: Father of man who starved to death spent thousands in a casino

Jessie Dziomba

Photo of a teenage boy with light skin and a buzz cut. He is wearing a striped shirt and has a solemn expression. Name: Jessie James Dziomba, born Jessie Palmer.
Died: March 4, 2013.
Age at death: 19.
Cause of death: Influenza, infection.
Location: Lockport, New York, USA.
Disability: Developmental disability.

Details:
Police who investigated the home after Jessie was found dead say that Jessie and his brothers were routinely locked into their rooms by their adoptive parents. When Jessie got sick, his adoptive parents allegedly did not care for him nor take him to the doctor. Jessie died of his illness. His two brothers survived and were removed from the home.

Jessie liked playing sports and video games.

Case status:
Joy and John Dziomba (Adoptive parents). Case status unknown.

Source:
Guardian appointed for brothers of disabled Lockport man who died in March
How did Jessie die?
Jessie James Dzombia AKA Palmer

Breeana Robinson

Name: Breeana Robinson.
Died: January 29, 2013.
Age at death: 21.
Cause of death: Murder.
Location: Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.
Disability: Congenital condition causing blindness.

Details:
Breeana had been a cheerleader for the Gold Coast Titans and wanted to become a dancer on a cruise ship.

Unfortunately, she became involved with a man who had a history of harassing women. He began to send her abusive text messages. He isolated her from her family. Then she was found dead, having fallen from an 11th-floor apartment balcony.

Those who knew her boyfriend immediately suspected that he had driven her to suicide, although her boyfriend insisted that she had committed suicide because she was depressed about her disability.

In 2018, Sunday Night covered the case, and new witnesses came forward. After expert analysis and the new eyewitness testimony, it was alleged that Breeana had not committed suicide after all; she had been pushed from that balcony to her death. In early 2019, almost six years after her death, Breeana’s boyfriend was finally arrested.

Case status:
Dan Shearin, aka Jayden Moorea (Boyfriend). Initially pleaded guilty to text harassment; given a six-month sentence with two months suspended; appealed and had the sentence canceled. Arrested; charged with murder; charges dropped ten years after initial charges because prosecutors decided they did not have a reasonable chance of a conviction.

Source:
Breeana Robinson death: Cruise ship singer’s bizarre musical about girlfriend who fell to her death from his balcony – after murder charges were sensationally dropped
Man who allegedly threw girlfriend off Gold Coast high-rise committed to stand trial
A young cheerleader’s final moments before she fell from a balcony
Cruise ship singer accused with throwing his blind cheerleader girlfriend to her death breaches bail
Entertainer Dan Shearin regrets pleading guilty in Breeana Robinson harassment
Man charged over the alleged murder of his cheerleader girlfriend
‘You pray for this day’: Man charged with murder of Gold Coast cheerleader
Man charged with murder of girlfriend, who fell from balcony six years ago
Ex charged with murdering cheerleader
‘It’s still raw’: Family reveals pain after man charged with cheerleader’s murder
Dan Shearin arrested in relation to the death of Breeana Robinson
Family of cheerleader who plunged to from balcony say she didn’t fall