Age: Young Adult – Page 7 – Disability Day of Mourning

Samantha Roberts

Name: Samantha Roberts.
Died: January 17, 2020.
Age at death: 20.
Cause of death: Bludgeoned.
Location: Nekoosa, Wisconsin, USA.
Disability: Cerebral palsy, nonspeaking.

Details:
Samantha was bludgeoned to death by her mother’s boyfriend.

She liked to go on walks with her grandfather. When she was a little girl, she liked Animal Planet and Dr. Seuss books.

Case status:
Paul M. Carter (mother’s boyfriend), convicted of first-degree intentional homicide, sentenced to 20 years to life.

Source:
Nekoosa man gets life without the possibility of release for killing woman unable to walk or talk
Trial dates set next month for man charged with disabled woman’s death
Nekoosa Man Charged with Murder in Disabled Woman’s Death
‘I’ll miss that girl forever’: Family, friends remember Nekoosa homicide victim Samantha Roberts
Nekoosa man accused of killing disabled woman
Wisconsin man held in connection to disabled woman’s death
Carter admitted to hitting disabled woman before her death

Harilal

No Photo
Name: Harilal.
Died: December 23, 2019.
Age at death: 20.
Cause of death: Strangled.
Location: Hyderabad, Telangana, India.
Disability: Mental illness or disability.

Details:
Harilal, who had been mentally disabled since childhood, developed a drinking problem as he reached adulthood. When he came home drunk, his mother argued with him. Police found his body where it had been dumped and arrested his mother. In custody, they say she confessed to the murder.

Case status:
Islavath Chandi (Mother), arrested.

Source:
Woman kills son in Hyderabad for being unemployed
Mother kills disabled son, dumps body

Patrick Callighan

No Photo Name: Patrick Callighan.
Died: December 15, 2019.
Age at death: 23.
Cause of death: Knife wounds.
Location: Quinte West, Ontario, Canada.
Disability: ADHD, depression, anxiety.

Details:
Patrick’s father killed him; then he and his mother buried him in cement in their basement. Patrick’s father told the court that he had to kill Patrick because he was threatening his mother with a knife.

Case Status:
Brian David Callighan (Father), pleaded guilty to manslaughter, sentenced to 8 years.
Christine Callighan (Mother), pleaded guilty to improperly interfering with human remains, conditional sentence of 2 years minus 1 day. A conditional sentence is a jail sentence served in the community.

Sources:
Quinte West couple sentenced in death of their son
Father pleads guilty in death of son
Parents charged in their son’s murder to have case tried before jury next year
A Quinte West father pleads guilty in death of his son
Quinte West man facing second degree murder charges

Deborah Leitch

Name: Deborah Leitch.
Died: August 29, 2019.
Age at death: 24.
Cause of death: Starvation.
Location: South Shore, Blackpool, England, UK.
Disability: Down syndrome.

Details:
Deborah’s mother let her die from “severe emaciation and neglect;” Deborah was found starved in her home, with a severe and untreated scabies infection.

She was described by her family as a cheerful girl who was “always smiling.” She loved horses, had a boyfriend, and had attended college and a day-care program.

Case Status:
Elaine Clarke (Mother), pleaded guilty to gross negligence manslaughter, sentenced to 6 to 9 years 7 months.
Robert Bruce (Household member), charged with allowing or causing the death of a vulnerable adult; charges dropped.

Source:
SAR Learning Brief – Jessica “Jessica” is Deborah’s pseudonym.
Debbie Leitch looked ‘like a skeleton’ before neglect death
Mother’s manipulation of social services left vulnerable woman to die of malnutrition in filthy bed
Mum who starved daughter to death will not have sentence increased
Mum who starved disabled daughter to death could see jail sentence increased
My monster ex starved our daughter to death – she’ll be out in just 6 years
Mum who allowed disabled daughter to die in squalor jailed
Mum abandoned daughter who starved to death in infested room
Evil mum starved disabled daughter to death in ‘maggot and faeces’ covered room
My ex starved our daughter to death while taking £215 a week in benefits
Mum left her disabled daughter to starve to death in ‘faeces-laden’ and ‘maggot-infested’ bedroom
My ex-wife starved our disabled daughter to death – I found out on Facebook
Pair appear in court accused of causing the death of ‘vulnerable’ disabled woman in South Shore
Blackpool woman’s death: Pair charged with manslaughter
Two charged with manslaughter over death of emaciated and neglected 24-year-old
Pair face charges over death of woman with Down’s syndrome by neglect
Two face charges after disabled girl was found dead with ‘severe emaciation’

Kayla Kunkel

No Photo Name: Kayla Kunkel.
Died: June 29, 2019.
Age at death: 23.
Cause of death: Infection from bowel obstruction.
Location: Chenango, New York, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Kayla was found not breathing and could not be revived; she had been left without medical care when her bowel became obstructed. Her death was determined to be the result of “inadequate guardianship” and her parents charged with manslaughter.

Case status:
Renee Kunkel, pleaded guilty to negligent manslaughter, sentenced to 5 years probation.
Edward Kunkel (Father), pleaded guilty to endangering the welfare of an incompetent or physically disabled person.

Source:
Mom of 23-year-old woman with autism sentenced for negligent homicide in daughter’s death
Mom of woman with autism, 23, pleads guilty to negligent homicide in her daughter’s death
Town of Chenango residents charged with manslaughter in death of woman with autism
Woman with autism dies, 2 indicted for ‘inadequate guardianship’
Kayla Kunkel Obituary – Port Dickinson, New York
Parents Charged in Death of Chenango Bridge Woman

Valerie Valdez

No Photo
Name: Valerie Valdez.
Died: June 3, 2019.
Age at death: 25.
Cause of death: Dehydration, cough medicine and acetaminophen overdose.
Location: Rockdale, Texas, USA.
Disability: Down syndrome.

Details:
Valerie’s mother is charged with killing her with an overdose of medication. Police believe she had been deliberately keeping her daughter sedated.

Case status:
Frances Valdez (Mother), charged with murder.

Source:
Rockdale mother charged in disabled daughter’s death
Rockdale woman arrested in connection to her daughters death
Valerie Valdez June 23 1993 June 3 2019, death notice, USA

Binh La

Photo of an Asian man with light skin, black hair in a buzz cut, and a thin black mustache, wearing a brown jacket over a red shirt. Name: Binh La.
Died: May 5, 2019.
Age at death: 28.
Cause of death: Untreated seizure.
Location: Hartford, Connecticut, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Binh La died from a seizure with no trace of his prescribed epilepsy medication in his body and the prescription unfilled for 11 months. His malnourished body weighed only 85 pounds.

Case Status:
Dat V. La (Father), pleaded guilty to criminally negligent homicide and negligent cruelty to a person, sentenced to 2 years probation.

Source:
East Hartford accountant admits to lesser charges in autistic son’s death
East Hartford man charged with manslaughter, cruelty in autistic son’s death
Man charged in autistic son’s death

Lauren Griffiths

Name: Lauren Griffiths.
Died: April 29, 2019.
Age at death: 21.
Cause of death: Strangled.
Location: Cardiff, Wales, UK.
Disability: Dissociative disorder.

Details:
Lauren was strangled to death by her fiance. He had attempted to strangle her once before, but she escaped and went to find help. When she returned to her fiance, he eventually killed her.

Friends remember her as sweet, friendly, and strongly altruistic.

Case Status:
Madog Rowlands (Fiance), convicted of murder, sentenced to 18 years to life.

Source:
Man jailed for life after murdering fiancee and wrapping body in clingfilm
Fun-loving murder victim had been strangled before by her killer fiance
Judge’s words for Wrexham man who strangled fiancee to death

Vivek Kakadiya

No Photo Name: Vivek Kakadiya.
Died: March 28, 2019.
Age at death: 22.
Cause of death: Strangulation.
Location: Khijaria village, Visavadar taluka, Junagadh district, Gujarat, India.
Disability: Intellectual disability.

Details:
Vivek’s sister-in-law allegedly strangled him because she believed he was “a burden… she would have to carry for the rest of her life”.

Case status:
Daya Kakadiya (Sister-in-law), charged with murder.

Source:
Gujarat: Woman held for killing brother-in-law with learning disability

Rebecca Fogel

Name: Rebecca Fogel.
Died: March 26, 2019.
Age at death: 22.
Cause of death: Fall injuries.
Location: Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA.
Disability: Unspecified special needs, wheelchair user.

Details:
Rebecca’s father took her to the top of a parking garage and jumped while holding her. Both died on impact.

Rebecca, an outgoing girl who liked to be around friends, was a long-standing member of the Friendship Circle of Michigan, a group for people with disabilities. Shosh Newman, a Friendship Circle member, says that Rebecca was “like a little sister” who “changed [her] life forever”; thanks to Rebecca, she decided to become a Special Education teacher.

Rebecca loved the color red. As a little girl, she wanted to name her little brother “Mr. Salt”, from Blue’s Clues. She grew up into an articulate young woman who talked non-stop and got standing ovations for her performances at the summer camp talent show.

Case status:
Andrew Fogel (Father), deceased.

Source:
Doctor, daughter with special needs die in apparent murder-suicide
Doctor, daughter with special needs die in apparent murder-suicide at Hard Rock casino