Age: Young Adult – Page 8 – Disability Day of Mourning

Austin Steele

Portrait photo of Austin Steele, a young man with brown hair and fair skin, wearing a black suit and tie. Name: Austin Steele.
Died: March 1, 2018.
Age at death: 18.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Lancaster, South Carolina, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
After his grandfather died, Austin moved in with a caretaker. At 18, he moved out, though he would often call his caretaker–sometimes in the middle of the night–to ask for a hug.

Austin was an independent young man. He would take weeks-long trips to the beach on his moped. He was enrolled in GED classes, and he wanted to join the military and become an engineer.

Two months after he allowed a man and his wife to move into his mobile home with him, his body was found. Austin may have been killed because he had become involved romantically with one or both of the couple; or the 30-year-old man, who was a registered sex offender, may have been abusing him.

The man had shot him, left him to die overnight, and with the help of his wife, dismembered, burned, and dumped his body.

Case status:
Christopher Allen Holford (Housemate), pleaded guilty to murder and possession of a weapon during a violent crime, sentenced to 50-60 years.
Brandy Nicole Faye Duncan (Housemate), convicted of accessory after the fact to murder, sentenced to 2-12 years.

Source:
Autistic SC teen who was burned, dismembered ‘knew he was loved’
LANCASTER HOMICIDE: Family seeks justice for teen’s death in Lancaster County
Lancaster autistic teen, killed in ‘haunting’ case, remembered as ‘kind, caring’
‘One of the worst cases’: Body of Lancaster man, 18, burned and dismembered; 2 charged
New details in Austin Steele murder
SC newlyweds charged in connection with murder, dismembering teen’s body
Human remains found as Lancaster Co. deputies investigate homicide
Couple Charged After An 18-Year-Old’s Dismembered Remains Were Found On Lancaster Property
Autism Memorial: Austin Steele

Shain D’Onofrio

No Photo Name: Shain D’Onofrio.
Died: February 24, 2018 (Body found).
Age at death: 24.
Cause of death: Long-term neglect.
Location: Plains Township, Pennsylvania, USA.
Disability: Cerebral palsy, autism.

Details:
Shain’s bones were found in a burning shed, and his mother was the prime suspect in his death; however, it took five years of investigation to determine that Shain had died from long-term neglect.

Case Status:
Linasheri D’Onofrio (Mother), charged with neglect of a care-dependent person and reckless burning or exploding.

Sources:
Woman charged for death of disabled son
Woman charged in death of disabled son found in burning shed
Plains shed body was male; disabled man, mom, focus of questions
Autism Memorial: Shain D’Onofrio

Tial Melvin

No Photo Name: Tial La’Chella Melvin.
Died: February 3, 2018.
Age at death: 22.
Cause of death: Starvation, hypothermia.
Location: Fayetteville, North Carolina, USA.
Disability: Cerebral palsy, physically and mentally disabled.

Details:
Tial died from starvation and hypothermia, weighing fifty pounds despite being 5’1″ tall. Her sister had also been neglected.

Case status:
Bertha Brewington Melvin (Adoptive mother), charged with first-degree murder and two counts of domestic abuse, neglect, and exploitation of disabled or elderly adults; died before trial.

Source:
Fayetteville woman charged with murdering disabled daughter
Fayetteville mom charged with starving disabled daughter to death :
Fayetteville mom charged with murder, neglect of disabled daughter
Fayetteville woman starved her mentally disabled daughter to death, police say
N. Carolina mom charged in daughter’s malnourishment death
Mom charged with starving disabled daughter to death
Fayetteville mom charged with starving daughter to death
Disabled Fayetteville woman died weighing 50 lbs, autopsy says
Mom starves mentally disabled 55-pound adult daughter to death: Police
Fayetteville woman dies after being charged with killing disabled daughter

Cristina Prodan

Photo of Cristina Prodan, a young woman with long straight brown hair, heavy-lidded brown eyes, and pale skin, smiling enigmatically. Name: Cristina Prodan.
Died: January 6, 2018.
Age at death: 27.
Cause of death: Strangled.
Location: Edina, Minnesota, USA.
Disability: Epilepsy.

Details:
Cristina’s epilepsy made her vulnerable to long-term domestic abuse by her boyfriend. He beat her to the point that she had a miscarriage, and even hit her service dog. Cristina got a restraining order, but he came back to her apartment and choked her to death.

Case status:
Joseph Porter (Boyfriend), pleaded guilty to murder, sentenced to 20 years.

Source:
Man gets 20-year sentence after admitting to killing Edina girlfriend, burning body in New Orleans
Charges: Ex-boyfriend killed Edina woman in Minnesota, burned body in New Orleans

Johnny McFadden

No Photo Name: Johnny McFadden.
Died: December 23, 2017.
Age at death: 19.
Cause of death: Medical complications of cerebral palsy.
Location: Augusta, Georgia, USA.
Disability: Cerebral palsy.

Details:
Johnny was neglected by his caregivers. When he died his body showed evidence of malnutrition and severe bedsores.

Case status:
Carlissa Malone (Mother), pleaded no contest to neglect of a disabled adult, sentenced to time served plus five years probation.
Roger Malone (Stepfather), pleaded no contest to neglect of a disabled adult, sentenced to time served plus five years probation.

Source:
Augusta woman sentenced in son’s death
Augusta man guilty of neglect in death of disabled stepson
Couple jailed on neglect charge in disabled man’s death

Michael Shearin

No Photo Name: Michael Anton Shearin.
Died: December 20, 2017.
Age at death: 25.
Cause of death: Sepsis, pneumonia, dehydration.
Location: Gaston, South Carolina, USA.
Disability: Muscular dystrophy.

Details:
Michael was allegedly neglected by his mother and sister. He died from a septic pressure ulcer, pneumonia, and dehydration.

Case status:
Candie McKay Shearin (Mother), charged with abuse or neglect resulting in death to a vulnerable adult.
Tara Nerys Shearin (Sister), charged with abuse or neglect resulting in death to a vulnerable adult.

Source:
Mom, Daughter Get $50,000 Bond in Disabled Son’s Death
Bond granted to Midlands mother, daughter charged in death of disabled family member
Mother, Daughter Charged in Death of Disabled Man
Disabled man found dead, mother and sister charged, Lexington County sheriff says
Mother, Daughter Charged in Death of Disabled Family Member
LCSD: mother, sister neglected disabled man, caused his death
Bond set at 50K for women accused of neglecting disabled family member

Malu Devi

No Photo Name: Malu Devi.
Died: December 19, 2017.
Age at death: 26.
Cause of death: Fire.
Location: Chitalwana, Rajasthan, India.
Disability: Mental illness or developmental disability.

Details:
Because of Malu’s disability, her husband was given permission to marry again. Together, Malu and her fellow wife, 22-year-old Dariya, had three children.

Their husband, dissatisfied with his wives, allegedly locked Malu and Dariya in his car and set the car on fire. They burned to death; their children survived.

Case status:
Deepa Ram Prajapati (Husband), arrested.

Source:
Husband accused of murdering his two wives by burning them to death in car
Rajasthan: Man held for burning to death two wives in car, showing it as mishap
Man locks 2 wives in car and sets it afire, says they didn’t keep mother happy
Husband burns his two wives to death in car
Rajasthan Man Locks Wives In Car, Sets It On Fire For Keeping Mother Unhappy
Man in Rajasthan burns two wives to death in car, held
Rajasthan: Running car caches fire, two women burnt alive in Jalore

Logan Christy

Name: Logan Christy.
Died: December 12, 2017.
Age at death: 20.
Cause of death: Pneumonia.
Location: Winchester, Kentucky, USA.
Disability: Down syndrome.

Details:
Logan’s parents locked him in his room, neglected and did not feed him. He died of pneumonia complicated by malnourishment and neglect.

Case status:
Albert Christy (Father), pleaded guilty to reckless homicide, sentenced to 2-5 years.
Patsy Christy (Mother), pleaded guilty to reckless homicide, sentenced to 2-5 years.

Source:
Patsy Christy: Possibility of Shock Parole
Logan Christy
He weighed 61 pounds at death. Was Kentucky 20-year-old starved over Down syndrome?
Winchester Couple Charged With Death Of Their Special Needs Son
Parents charged with murder in son’s death | Winchester Sun
Couple charged in death of special needs son
Parents starve disabled adult son to death after government benefits end: Cops
Parents accused of murdering disabled son waive preliminary hearing
Police: Couple starved son with Down Syndrome
Parents charged in death of adult son with Down syndrome enter not guilty plea
Agenda, Clark County Fiscal Court, January 10, 2018
Kentucky couple sentenced in connection to death of son with special needs
Kentucky parents sentenced 5 years after special needs son malnourished to death

Fabiola Cosme-Feliciano

Photo of Fabiola Cosme-Feliciano, a young woman with dark hair and light skin. She has an arm behind her head in a glamour-shot pose. Name: Fabiola Cosme-Feliciano.
Died: December 4, 2017.
Age at death: 19.
Cause of death: Diabetic shock.
Location: Kissimmee, Florida, USA.
Disability: Type I diabetes.

Details:
Fabiola’s boyfriend carried out a drive-by shooting with her in the car. The next day, when she went into diabetic shock, he left her alone to die instead of calling for help or giving her her medication.

She had been a cheerleader and a weight-lifter in high school. She liked fashion, social media, and taking selfies, and was a writer who had had a poem published in an anthology.

Case status:
Yeshua Ramirez (Boyfriend), pleaded no contest to attempted murder and culpable negligence, sentenced to 7 years.

Source:
Man who left diabetic woman to die gets 7 years in prison
As family mourns teen’s diabetes death, new charges for boyfriend cops say ‘did nothing’ to help
‘Drug dealer’, 19, charged in girlfriend’s diabetes death
Man arrested for homicide after letting girlfriend die
Florida Man Jailed For Girlfriend’s Diabetic Death
Fabiola Cosme Feliciano Obituary – Kissimmee, FL
Man who failed to get sick girlfriend care arrested on manslaughter charge, deputies say

Katie Kearns

Name: Katie Kearns.
Died: November 17, 2017.
Age at death: 24.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Coal City, Illinois, USA.
Disability: Depression.

Details:
Katie was a bartender who “lived every day like it was her last”. When Katie turned up missing, friends worried it had something to do with her work, because the bar where she worked was in a high-crime area. When her phone was traced, it led police to her body; she had been shot. Katie’s boyfriend was arrested, at first for concealing her death, and then for first-degree murder.

She was one of four children.

Case Status:
Jeremy Boshears (Boyfriend), charged with first-degree murder and concealing a homicide.

Source:
Jury trial begins in Joliet Outlaws murder case
Will County Murder Trial Postponed
Outlaws Murder Defendant Shouldn’t Call Expert Witness: Glasgow
Joliet Outlaw Jeremy Boshears Charged In Bartender’s Death
Katie Kearns Memorial Fund, organized by Lou Panos
Katie Kearns May Have Killed Herself: Bretz Law Firm