Category: Age: Young Adult

Age 19-29

Walter Hildebrand Jr.

No PhotoName: 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

Photo of Sonya Todd, a young woman with shoulder length light-brown hair, wearing a black sleeveless dress. She has pale skin and blue eyes.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

Jared Greenwood

No PhotoName: Jared Greenwood.
Died: September 30, 2007 (Body found).
Age at death: 26.
Cause of death: Sepsis.
Location: Bloomfield, New Mexico, USA.
Disability: Autism, intellectual disability.

Details:
Jared’s mother neglected him; he died of blood poisoning from infected bedsores.

Case status:
Sandra Greenwood (Mother), convicted of neglect, sentenced to two and a half years in jail.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Jared Greenwood
Updated at 7:40am — Mother Gets 2 1/2 Years for Leaving Son To Die

Kate Bugmy

Photo of Kate Bugmy. She is a young woman sitting in a wheelchair, with her dark hair tied back. She is wearing overalls and an orange T-shirt. Her limbs are very thin.Name: Kate Bugmy.
Died: June 28, 2007.
Age at death: 26.
Cause of death: Sepsis, malnutition.
Location: Broken Hill, New South Wales, Australia.
Disability: Cerebral palsy, epilepsy, intellectual disability.

Details:
Kate’s father had been her primary caregiver. When he died suddenly, her mother and sister took over. They stopped bringing Kate to her day program, and her relatives noticed that she seemed sad. She died of malnutrition and systemic blood poisoning from infected bedsores.

Case status:
Daphne Hall (mother) and Jenna Bugmy (sister) were not charged.

Source:
FINDING AFTER AN INQUEST INTO THE DEATH OF KATE THERESE BUGMY
NSW bed sore death could have been prevented: Coroner
System failed disabled woman who died at 26
Inquiry into services provided or funded by the department of Ageing, disability and home care

Samantha Collins

Photo of Samantha Collins, a young woman with tanned skin, dark hair, and gold hoop earrings. She is smiling for the camera and wearing a tank top.Name: Samantha Collins.
Died: March 22, 2007.
Age at death: 29.
Cause of death: Head injury.
Location: Bracebridge, Ontario, Canada.
Disability: Epilepsy.

Details:
Samantha’s boyfriend hit her in the head and killed her; then he dismembered and hid her body.

She was the mother of a toddler son.

Case status:
Ian Charles Borbely (Boyfriend), convicted of second-degree murder and indignity to a body; sentenced to 17 years to life.

Source:
MANDEL: Muskoka murderer who cut up spouse’s body loses appeal
Borbely found guilty in Samantha Collins murder
Argument before eviction led to murder: Crown