Age: Young Adult – Page 19 – Disability Day of Mourning

George Hodgins

Name: George Hodgins.
Died: March 6, 2012.
Age at death: 22.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Sunnyvale, California, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
George’s mother killed him, then shot herself.

George communicated by means of a VOCA and often wore headphones, listening to music. He was very active and loved being outdoors, but was frightened of the neighbors’ dogs.

Case status:
Elizabeth Hodgins (Mother), deceased.

Source:
Autism Memorial: George Hodgins
Guest opinion: Death by Legislature
Sunnyvale police: Mother killed 22-year-old autistic son, then herself
Parents of autistic children speak out on Sunnyvale murder-suicide
The Murder of George Hodgins
Sunnyvale mom kills autistic son, self, police say
Murder of George Hodgins
Sunnyvale police: Mother killed 22-year-old autistic son, then herself
Sunnyvale Killings Called Murder-Suicide: Neighbor
The After-Effects of a Mother’s Murder/Suicide
Autistic support group to host Sunnyvale vigil for George Hodgins, killed in murder-suicide

Photo of Michael Elkins, a young man with brown hair and a short beard; he is wearing a black hoodie with the hood up. Name: Michael Elkins.
Died: January 4, 2012.
Age at death: 25.
Cause of death: Pneumonia, malnutrition, sepsis.
Location: Waynetown, Indiana, USA.
Disability: Spinal cord injury, quadriplegia.

Details:
Michael fell off his bike and broke his neck when he was 13 years old. When he was 21, his mother was arrested for neglecting his care and he spent a year away from her. But he was returned to her custody, and at age 25, he died of pneumonia, malnutrition, and blood poisoning from infected bedsores.

Michael watched cartoons with his small nieces and nephews. He liked to go camping.

Case status:
Tammy S. Elkins (Mother), pleaded guilty to neglect of a dependent resulting in death, sentenced to 6 years of house arrest.

Source:
Michael Elkins Obituary
Woman faces felony neglect charge
Elkins pleads guilty to neglect
Elkins sentenced in neglect case

Chad Jackson

Name: Chad Jackson.
Died: July 2, 2011.
Age at death: 25.
Cause of death: Starvation.
Location: Grand Junction, Michigan, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Chad’s mother starved him to death.

Case status:
Yodi Jackson (Mother), pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter, sentenced to 6 months in jail.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Chad Jackson
Mom sentenced in death of autistic son
Autopsy: Adult son with autism starved
Van Buren County man with autism was starved to death by his mother, police say
Mom charged in death of son with autism

Christina Harms

Photo of a young woman grinning at the camera. She has light skin and dark-blond hair, and is wearing glasses and a dark top. Name: Christina “Nina” Harms.
Died: March 25, 2011.
Age at death: 22.
Cause of death: Dehydration.
Location: Kearns, Utah, USA.
Disability: Fetal alcohol syndrome.

Details:
Christina’s abusive caregivers routinely beat her and tied her to a metal rod in a closet. She died of dehydration combined with an overdose of Benadryl.

Christina wanted to go to college.

Case status:
Cassandra Sheppard (Legal guardian), pleaded guilty to abuse and manslaughter, sentenced to 5 years to life.
Sherrie Beckering (Sheppard’s mother), convicted of aggravated abuse, sentenced to 5 years to life.
Dale Beckering (Sheppard’s stepfather), convicted of second-degree aggravated abuse, sentenced to 1-15 years.

Source:
Kearns man sent to prison for ignoring fatal abuse
Caretaker of abused Utah woman gets prison for her death
Guardian of abused woman kept in closet sent to prison for her death

Kyla Puhle

Photo Unavailable Name: Kyla Puhle.
Died: March 19, 2011.
Age at death: 27.
Cause of death: Pneumonia.
Location: North Brighton, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
Disability: Cerebral palsy.

Details:
Six months before Kyla died, her parents stopped taking her to her day program and instead left her lying, alone, on a bean bag while they went to work. Gradually they fed Kyla less and less, until Kyla died of malnutrition and pneumonia, weighing only 12 kilos.

Case status:
Harry Puhle (Father), died by suicide before he could be tried.
Angela Puhle (Mother), pleaded guilty to manslaughter, freed with five-year suspended sentence.

Source:
Disability is no justification for murder
Mercy urged for mum who starved daughter
Angela Puhle, Former Principal, Admits To Starving Disabled Daughter To Death: A Burden Too Great?
Adelaide mother spared jail over malnutrition manslaughter of disabled daughter
Former school principal Angela Puhle receives suspended sentence for manslaughter of disabled daughter

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

Brittini Ward

Name: Brittini Ward.
Died: May 5, 2010.
Age at death: 23.
Cause of death: Strangled.
Location: Charlotte, North Carolina, USA.
Disability: Paranoid schizophrenia.

Details:
Brittini’s cousin showed up unannounced at their home, convinced her parents that Brittini was “possessed”, and moved in, saying he would take care of the problem. Only weeks later, Brittini’s family returned home to find her unresponsive. Her cousin had raped her and strangled her.

For a few hours, Brittini’s cousin insisted that she was bloody and unresponsive because she was possessed and needed the demons removed. So the family, under orders from Brittini’s cousin, washed her body and prayed. Nothing happened.

Eventually, Brittini’s mother called her church elders, explaining that her daughter was possessed and they needed help. When one of them came to visit the home, he saw the situation and made Brittini’s mother call 911. Emergency responders arrived to find Brittini had been dead for several hours.

Case Status:
Derek Ward (Cousin) was found unfit to stand trial and hospitalized to restore competency. Competency restored over ten years later, he was convicted of rape and murder and sentenced to life in prison.
Dawn Wheeler (Mother) pleaded guilty to concealing a death.

Sources:
After he killed his cousin, he moved into her bedroom, Charlotte murder witnesses testify
Mother of slain Charlotte woman takes the stand, directly faces accused killer at trial
Charlotte man found guilty of raping, killing his own cousin in 2010

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.