Age: Young Adult – Page 18 – Disability Day of Mourning

Shah Amin Shariffudin

No Photo Name: Shah Amin Shariffudin.
Died: September 26, 2010.
Age at death: 19.
Cause of death: Asphyxia.
Location: Marsiling, Singapore.
Disability: Global developmental delay, mobility impaired (wore leg braces).

Details:
Shah was strangled by his father, who then killed himself. Reportedly, his father had gone into debt and did not want to “burden” the family with Shah’s care.

Case status:
Shariffudin Abdul Kader (Father), deceased.

Source:
Death at Marsiling leads police to second body at hotel
Man kills himself, leaves note confessing to son’s murder
$1m debts led to two deaths

Benjamin McLatchie

No Photo Name: Benjamin McLatchie.
Died: April 27, 2010.
Age at death: 22.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Gray, Maine, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Benjamin’s father shot him to death before committing suicide.

Benjamin was “a sweet and gentle boy. He loved Curious George, Winnie the Pooh, Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood, listening to music, reading books, and swinging on his swing.”

Case status:
Daniel McLatchie (Father), deceased.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Benjamin McLatchie
Pondering a murder/suicide in Gray, Maine
Gray shooting done by ‘caring’ father
Daniel and Benjamin McLatchie

Laura Cummings

Photo of Laura Cummings, a woman with fair skin and light-brown hair in a pageboy cut, wearing large glasses and a red sweater with a white lace collar. Name: Laura Cummings.
Died: January 21, 2010.
Age at death: 23.
Cause of death: Asphyxia.
Location: Buffalo, New York, USA.
Disability: Intellectual disability.

Details:
Laura was raped, tortured, and finally smothered by her mother and half-brother.

Friends remember her as shy, quiet, and kind.

Case status:
Eva Cummings (Mother), pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, assault, unlawful imprisonment, endangering the welfare of a disabled person as a hate crime, and was sentenced to 57 years to life.
Luke Wright (half-brother), was found guilty of assault, rape, incest, sodomy, endangering the welfare of an incompetent person, and unlawful imprisonment as a hate crime, and sentenced to 50 years to life.

Source:
Laura Cummings
Angel of Hope: Remembering Laura Cummings
Six years after her horrific death, North Collins woman is laid to rest
N.Y. mom gets prison for killing disabled daughter
Prosecutor: NY man raped, scalded disabled sister
Authorities: Mom, son raped, killed disabled woman

Walter Hildebrand Jr.

No Photo Name: Walter Knox Hildebrand Jr.
Died: November 2009.
Age at death: 20.
Cause of death: Fatal seizure.
Location: Willows, California, USA.
Disability: Autism, epilepsy.

Details:
Walter was beaten and starved by his brother. He died from a seizure because his epilepsy was aggravated by his brother’s abuse.

Case status:
Stuart Allen Hildebrand (Brother), pled guilty to abuse, served 59 days in jail.

Source:
Willows, California: Man jailed for abuse and neglect in connection with the death of his brother, Walter Knox Hildebrand Jr.
Beating not cause of death
Autism Memorial: Walter Hildebrand Jr.

Terrell Stepney

Black and white newspaper photo of Terrell Stepney, a young man with dark skin and a buzz cut. Name: Terrell Stepney.
Died: February 27, 2009.
Age at death: 19.
Cause of death: Prescription medication overdose.
Location: Chesapeake, Virginia, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Terrell’s grandmother poisoned him and herself with an overdose of prescription medication.

Terrell looked forward to going shopping on school field trips with his special education class.

Case status:
Constance Stepney (Grandmother), deceased.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Terrell Stepney
Student killed by grandmother liked gym, field trips

Tom Inglis

Photo of Tom Inglis, a young man with short brown hair, fair skin, and red lips. Name: Thomas “Tom” Inglis.
Died: November 21, 2008.
Age at death: 22.
Cause of death: Heroin overdose.
Location: Dagenham, Essex, UK.
Disability: TBI.

Details:
Tom’s mother went to the rehabilitation facility where he was recovering from a head injury and injected him with an overdose of heroin.

Case status:
Frances Inglis (Mother), convicted of murder and attempted murder, sentenced to life, served 5 years and was released.

Source:
‘Devoted’ mother who gave brain-damaged son lethal heroin injection has jail term slashed

Sonya Todd

Name: Sonya Todd.
Died: March 23, 2008.
Age at death: 21.
Cause of death: Traumatic injury and diabetic crisis.
Location: Methil, Fife, Scotland, UK.
Disability: Diabetes, asthma.

Details:
Sonya’s boyfriend beat her during a diabetic episode; the injuries he inflicted on her, in addition to the diabetic crisis, were enough to kill.

She was an academically talented young woman who liked doing volunteer work. She left behind a six-year-old daughter.

Case status:
David Craige (Partner), pleaded guilty to culpable homicide, sentenced to 6 years. Released; now dating another woman with a disability.

Source:
Killer who beat mum to death with dog chain free and has ‘vulnerable’ girlfriend
Horror find at Methil flat
Man jailed for dog chain killing
Jealous Fife man jailed for killing girlfriend
Grieving dad’s anger as daughter’s killer gets six years

Michelle Thomson

Photo of Michelle Thomson, a teenage girl with wavy brown hair and light skin, wearing a striped shirt. Name: Michelle Thomson.
Died: March 5, 2008.
Age at death: 25.
Cause of death: Stabbed.
Location: Buckhaven, Fife, Scotland.
Disability: Intellectual disability.

Details:
Michelle and her little brother Ryan were stabbed to death by her father.

Case status:
Rab Thomson (Father), sentenced to 17 years to life in prison.

Source:
Mother tells of agony after disabled daughter, 25, and son, 7, are brutally murdered by ex-husband bent on revenge
Traumatised mum who endured terrible loss of two children fears being made homeless after cruel benefits blow
Criminologist reveals how killer Rab Thomson murdered his children in a bid to seek revenge against his wife
Handicapped woman and brother found murdered

Sarah-Jane Dore

Photo of Sarah-Jane Dore, a white woman with blonde hair. She is wearing glasses and a collared shirt. Name: Sarah-Jane Dore.
Died: February 14, 2008.
Age at death: 26.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Western Southland, New Zealand.
Disability: Intellectual disability.

Details:
Sarah-Jane’s father shot her, then killed himself.

Sarah-Jane was a powerlifter who competed in the 2007 Shanghai Special Olympics.

Case status:
Graeme Dore (Father), deceased.

Source:
Father, daughter shot dead
Find a Grave: Sarah-Jane Dore

Xiao Fei

Poor-quality black and white photo of Xiao Fei, a person sitting in a plastic chair with her head hanging to one side. Name: Xiao Fei.
Died: January 2008.
Age at death: 20.
Cause of death: Asphyxia.
Location: Beijing, China.
Disability: Cerebral palsy.

Details:
Xiao Fei’s mother drugged her with sleeping pills, then smothered her.

Case status:
Li Daohong (Mother), 3-year sentence suspended. No jail time.

Source:
“Mercy Killing” Mother Spared Jail