Category: Age: Young Adult

Age 19-29

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

Casey Axsom

Photo of Casey Axsom, a young adult with short, messy strawberry-blonde hair, wearing a white polo shirt. Casey's mouth is slightly open.Name: Casey Axsom.
Died: May 26, 2006.
Age at death: 25.
Cause of death: Malnutrition.
Location: Bloomington, Indiana, USA.
Disability: Epilepsy, cerebral palsy, possible multiple sclerosis.

Details:
Casey’s mother starved her to death. Casey died at age 25, weighing 50 pounds, covered in severe and untreated bedsores.

Case status:
Dorothy Axsom (Mother), pleaded guilty to neglect, sentenced to two years, three months in prison.

Source:
Bloomington woman charged with murder in disabled child’s 2006 death
Police: Mother Starved Disabled Daughter To Death
Bloomington Woman Pleads Guilty Of Starving Her Daughter To Death

Christopher DeGroot

No PhotoName: Christopher Aire DeGroot.
Died: May 19, 2006.
Age at death: 19.
Cause of death: Fire.
Location: Albany, Oregon, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Christopher’s parents locked him in his room and bolted it with a deadbolt. Then they set a fire in their home and left Christopher to burn to death.

Case status:
Nicolaas DeGroot (Father), pleaded no contest to criminally negligent homicide, sentenced to 6 months in jail.
Agnes DeGroot (Mother), pleaded no contest to criminally negligent homicide, sentenced to 6 months in jail.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Christopher DeGroot
Autistic Teen Struggled To Get Out Of Blazing Apartment
Couple Charged with Setting Fire to Kill Autistic Teen Son
Couple sentenced in fire death of autistic son

Mary Mount

Photo: Mary Mount is a short woman with auburn hair cut in bangs. Her skin is pale; she is wearing a white turtleneck. The photo is taken outdoors. She is smiling.Name: Mary Mount.
Died: October 19, 2005 (Body found; died around January 4, 2004).
Age at death: 28.
Cause of death: Smothered.
Location: Cape Coral, Florida, USA.
Disability: Russell Silver Syndrome.

Details:
Mary left home to stay in a hotel room with her boyfriend. Sometime during that time, she disappeared. Her boyfriend was questioned; initially, he said that she had taken her car and left, then that she had died of natural causes and he had buried her body. Years later, new evidence led to murder charges, and he admitted to smothering Mary to death.

Case Status:
Terry Daniel McDonald (Boyfriend), pleaded guilty to murder, sentenced to 25 years.

Sources:
Man sentenced to 25 years in prison for 2004 killing of Lee County woman
Terry McDonald charged with murder of Mary Mount, State Attorney’s Office says
Man sentenced to 25 years in prison for 2004 killing of Lee County woman
El Paso Police Department Voluntary Statement
Family says suspect has gotten away with murder for 14 years

Sarah Naylor

No PhotoName: Sarah Naylor.
Died: September 29, 2005.
Age at death: 27.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Springdale, Ohio, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Sarah’s mother shot her dead and then committed suicide.

Case status:
Jane Naylor (Mother), deceased.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Sarah Naylor
Mother kills autistic daughter, then herself