Age: Young Adult – Page 21 – Disability Day of Mourning

Peggy Johnson

Composite image of Peggy Lynn Johnson, a young woman with very curly blond hair, a small nose, pointed chin, and hazel eyes. Name: Peggy Lynn Johnson.
Died: July 21, 1999.
Age at death: 23.
Cause of death: Pneumonia.
Location: Racine County, Wisconsin, USA.
Disability: Intellectual disability.

Details:
After the death of her mother, 18-year-old Peggy went to a nearby hospital and asked for help. There, a nurse took her in. But her new caregiver abused Peggy, yelling at her, starving her, and beating her; once she attacked Peggy with a pitchfork. Peggy was made to live in a crawl space, and banished there whenever she wasn’t doing chores. After years of abuse, Peggy died from sepsis pneumonia due to her many injuries.

Peggy’s body was found dumped on the side of the road, but she could not be identified for many years. She was known as the “Racine County Jane Doe”, and nearby residents bought her a gravestone. It wasn’t until 2019 that a tipster reported overhearing the nurse talking about having killed someone and called the police, who arrested the nurse and identified Peggy as the victim who had long gone unidentified. When she was finally identified and journalists went to photograph her gravestone, they found that a member of the community had been there and left some flowers, a balloon, and a little wooden sign with Peggy’s real name. It had been a full 20 years since her murder.

Case status:
Linda La Roche (Caregiver), convicted of convicted of first-degree intentional homicide and hiding a corpse; sentenced to life without parole plus five years.

Source:
Watch now: Life in prison for woman convicted of killing Peggy Lynn Johnson-Schroeder
LaRoche Sentenced to Life in Prison for 1999 ‘Jane Doe’ Murder
Former Nurse Gets Life Sentence For Torturing, Murdering Her Disabled Nanny In 1999
Former McHenry nurse convicted in cold case murder of disabled woman found brutally tortured
Murder of Peggy Johnson
Racine County ‘Jane Doe’ identified, nurse arrested in 1999 murder
Nurse arrested for killing mentally-ill woman’ found dead 20 years ago
Woman arrested for 1999 murder of Jane Doe found in cornfield; victim suffered ‘barbaric brutality,’ sheriff says
Horrific details emerge in ‘barbaric’ murder of 1999 Jane Doe
Cape Coral nurse arrested for killing disabled woman 20 years ago
McHenry woman identified as victim of 1999 cold case murder in Wisconsin

Cory Moar

No Photo Name: Cory Clifford Moar.
Died: December 11, 1998.
Age at death: 29.
Cause of death: Pulmonary thromboembolism.
Location: Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
Disability: Intellectual disability, mild hearing loss.

Details:
Cory was beaten repeatedly for years before his death, while living with his brother and sister-in-law. He eventually died from the accumulated injuries and a blood clot in his lungs.

Case status:
Eli Pruden (Half-brother), status unknown.
Linda Pruden (Sister-in-law), status unknown.
Mentions of a trial; charges unknown.

Source:
Tracy Latimer is dead because her father is a murderer
In the matter of the fatality inquiry act and in the matter of Cory Moar

Jim Helm

No Photo Name: Jim Helm.
Died: November 8, 1998.
Age at death: 27.
Cause of death: Unspecified; homicide.
Location: Nelson, New Zealand.
Disability: Down syndrome, Autism.

Details:
Jim’s mother killed him and herself because she was afraid of what would happen to him if she died.

Case status:
Nancy Helm (Mother), deceased.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Jim Helm
Jim Helm died at the hands of a loving mother who despaired of his future.

Shannon Faichney

Name: Shannon John Faichney.
Died: June 6, 1998.
Age at death: 18.
Cause of death: Blunt trauma; cerebral hemorrhage.
Location: Wauchope, New South Wales, Australia.
Disability: Intellectual disability.

Details:
Shannon was living with a couple and another teenager. The teenager beat him severely for ten days. On the last day of his life, he was beaten so severely that he fell unconscious; but, despite knowing of the situation, the adults in the house did not call for medical aid for ten hours, while Shannon slowly died.

Case Status:
BJT (Minor household member), status unknown.
Mark McDonald (Household member), sentenced to 4 years with an 18-month minimum and an additional term of 2 years 6 months.
Deborah Anne McDonald (Household member), pleaded guilty to manslaughter by gross negligence, sentenced to 5-7 years.

Sources:
R v McDonald [2001] NSWCCA 301 (2 August 2001)
Shannon John Faichney (1980-1998) – Find A Grave.

Orachanee Anderson

No Photo Name: Orachanee Anderson.
Died: January 15, 1998.
Age at death: 22.
Cause of death: Long-term trauma, starvation.
Location: Chicago, Illinois, USA.
Disability: Intellectual disability.

Details:
Orachanee’s stepfather and mother beat and starved her to death.

Case status:
John Hester, Sr. (Stepfather), found guilty of murder, death sentence, commuted to life in prison.
Peggy Anderson (Mother), pleaded guilty to murder, sentenced to 20 years in prison.

Source:
Father guilty in death of disabled stepchild
Death Penalty archive

Brenda Thomas

A gravestone reading, Brenda Kay Thomas. July 3, 1972 to April 9, 1996. Here lies an angel. Name: Brenda Kay Thomas.
Died: April 9, 1996.
Age at death: 22.
Cause of death: Head injury, pneumonia.
Location: Sand Springs, Oklahoma, USA.
Disability: Cerebral palsy.

Details:
Brenda’s mother abused and starved her; she died of a combination of head injury and pneumonia when her 36-pound body finally succumbed to her mother’s mistreatment.

Case status:
Eva Nell Thomas (Mother), convicted of second-degree manslaughter, sentenced to 2 years in prison.

Source:
Woman Held in Daughter’s Death

Sophie Préfaut

No Photo Name: Sophie Préfaut.
Died: August 7, 1994.
Age at death: 23.
Cause of death: Smothered.
Location: Montpellier, France.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Sophie’s mother drugged her, then smothered her to death. She said that she had done it because Sophie did not want to go back to the hospital, where she had been subjected to neuroleptics and electroshock.

Sophie was an intelligent young woman with a good sense of humor, who could solve cube roots in her head.

Case Status:
Jeanne-Marie Préfaut (Mother), convicted of premeditated voluntary homicide, sentenced to 5 years; sentence suspended.

Sources:
Sanction de principe pour la mère meurtrière de sa fille autiste. Les jurés de la cour d’assises de l’Héraut ont condamné hier Jeanne-Marie Préfaut, 51 ans, à cinq ans de prison avec sursis pour avoir tué le 7 août 1994 sa fille Sophie, 23 ans, autiste, à qui elle avait promis qu’elle ne serait plus jamais hospitalisée. Elle encourait une peine de prison à perpétuité.

Basma Rafay

Name: Basma Rafay
Died: July 13, 1994.
Age at death: 20.
Cause of death: Bludgeoned.
Location: Seattle, Washington, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Basma was bludgeoned to death by her brother and his friend. They also killed her parents, Tariq and Sultana Rafay.

Case status:
Atif Rafay (Brother), convicted of three counts of first-degree murder and sentenced to life without parole.
Sebastian Burns (Brother’s friend), convicted of three counts of first-degree murder and sentenced to life without parole.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Basma Rafay
The Rafay Family Murders

Randy Busby and Elwin Caler

Family portrait photo of Twila, Elwin, and Randy, two young men flanking their mother. Name: Elwin F. “Scooter” Caler.
Age at death: 22.

Name: Melvin Randolf “Randy” Busby.
Age at death: 20.

Died: December 31, 1993.
Cause of death: Stabbed.
Location: Gray County, Texas, USA.
Disability: Intellectual disability.

Details:
Randy and Elwin were stabbed to death by their mother’s live-in boyfriend. He also killed Twila Busby, their mother.

Case status:
Henry Skinner (Mother’s boyfriend), convicted of murder, sentenced to death.

Source:
Henry Watkins SKINNER

Carrie Day

No Photo Name: Carrie Day.
Died: January 9, 1992.
Age at death: 22.
Cause of death: Pneumonia.
Location: Ironwood, Michigan, USA.
Disability: Intellectual disability.

Details:
Carrie’s mother starved her, often punishing her by forcing her to watch the family eat while Carrie went hungry. She died of pneumonia, her 65-pound body unable to fight the infection.

Case status:
Urselyne Day (Adoptive mother), charged with involuntary manslaughter. Died Jan. 17, 2014 in a nursing home, of pneumonia; outcome of case unknown.

Source:
Woman accused of starving mentally retarded daughter to death