Borderline Case – Page 2 – Disability Day of Mourning

Florence Girard

Name: Florence Girard. Photo of an older woman with short gray hair, wearing a blue sweater and smiling for the camera.
Died: October 13, 2018.
Age at death: 54.
Cause of death: Malnutrition.
Location: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Disability: Down syndrome.

Details:
In the care of a woman who neglected her, Florence grew steadily thinner until she finally starved to death, weighing only 56 pounds.

Florence was silly, boy-crazy, and liked having her picture taken. She competed in the 1993 Special Olympics. She was one of 14 siblings.

Case status:
Astrid Charlotte Dahl (Paid caregiver with Kinsight), convicted of failing to provide the necessaries of life, sentenced to 100 hours of community service and 12 months of probation. Sentence later increased to 15 months in jail, after Dahl had served 10 months of her conditional sentence and would have been released on good behavior anyway.

Source:
High court replaces conditional sentence with jail term for B.C. caregiver in disabled woman’s death
Caregiver convicted in starving death of woman with Down syndrome avoids jail
Trial underway for B.C. caregiver charged with criminal negligence in woman’s death
Charge stayed against Coquitlam non-profit in starving death of disabled woman
UPDATE: Coquitlam non-profit, caregiver charged in starvation death of disabled woman
Charges laid after woman with disability found dead in B.C. caregiver’s home
Criminal neglect alleged after B.C. woman with developmental disability dies in care
Three charges, including criminal negligence causing death, laid in 2018 alleged starvation of Florence Girard
‘Unforgiveable’: Caregiver charged with criminal negligence, accused of starving woman to death
B.C. caregiver charged with criminal negligence has history of financial troubles

Carolyn Campbell

Name: Carolyn “JC” Campbell.
Died: July 11, 2018.
Age at death: 52.
Cause of death: Hypoxic brain injury.
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Disability: COPD.

Details:
Emergency services received a call from Carolyn’s house, but the caller hung up, so police was dispatched to check on her. The police say that when they arrived, they found Carolyn unresponsive and saw her husband quickly switching her oxygen machine on; when they asked why it had been turned off, her husband told them that he had turned it off. Her brain irreversibly damaged from oxygen deprivation, Carolyn died in the hospital.

Case Status:
Josiph Cardle (Common-law husband), charged with murder; acquitted because it could not be proven that turning Carolyn’s oxygen off was the cause of her death.

Source:
Toronto man not guilty of murder in sudden death of chronically ill partner
Carolyn “JC” CAMPBELL: obituary and death notice on InMemoriam
Murder trial begins for Toronto man accused of killing his wife by turning off oxygen machine

Abraham Cardenas

Photo of Abraham Cardenas, a little boy with olive skin and dark hair, smiling for the camera. He is wearing a red striped shirt and red pants, and is sitting on a scooter board. Name: Abraham E. “Abe” Cardenas.
Died: April 5, 2018.
Age at death: 7.
Cause of death: Stabbed.
Location: Sweden, New York, USA.
Disability: Learning disability.

Details:
Abraham was stabbed and decapitated by his mother.

He was a first-grader whose teachers remember his enthusiasm for school. He especially loved drawing.

Case status:
Hanane Mouhib (Mother), charged with murder, found not responsible by reason of mental disease or defect; in state custody.

Source:
Friends and loved ones of murdered Sweden boy speaking up
Hanane Mouhib indicted in brutal killing of 7-year-old son in Brockport
Sweden mom charged in brutal slaying of her 7-year-old son
N.Y. mom arrested for decapitating 7-year-old son with knife
Abraham E. “Abe” Cardenas (2011-2018)

Jesse Wilson

Photo of a boy with deep brown eyes, light-brown skin, and short brown hair, wearing a white polo shirt. Name: Jesse Wilson.
Died: March 8, 2018 (Body found; missing July 18, 2016).
Age at death: 10.
Cause of death: Undetermined.
Location: Buckeye, Arizona, USA.
Disability: Learning disability, developmental disability.

Details:
Jesse disappeared from his mother’s house. Two years later, his remains were found in a drainage ditch.

Case Status:
Death declared homicide, cause undetermined.
Crystal Wilson (Adoptive mother), charged with abandonment or concealment of a body.

Sources:
Crystal Wilson back in Maricopa County to face charges related to death of her son Jesse
Mother Charged in Connection to 2016 Disappearance of Deceased Boy
Arizona police make arrest in case of 10-year-old boy who went missing and was later found dead
True Crime Arizona Podcast: Adoptive mother of Jesse Wilson charged in connection to his death
Remains of 10-year-old boy missing since 2016 found in irrigation ditch

Lerae Bush

Name: Lerae Britain Moeller Bush.
Died: February 10, 2018.
Age at death: 85.
Cause of death: Fire.
Location: Bloomington, California, USA.
Disability: Alzheimer’s disease.

Details:
Lerae died in a fire while living with a man who had been caring for her and telling others that he was her son. He started out doing housework for her, then moved on to managing her finances. Allegedly, he eventually kept her locked in a one-room garage without utilities. He tried, but failed, to inherit her estate. Police say Lerae’s caregiver started the fire in which she died.

Lerae was “aristocratic and eccentric”, a retired educator who loved the arts.

Case status:
Noel Montes Cazares, a.k.a. Giovanni Bush, charged with arson, murder, neglect of a dependent and obstruction of justice. Charges dismissed because a key piece of evidence was ruled inadmissible, but may be re-filed.
Misty Allen, charged with assisting a criminal and obstruction of justice; charges dismissed.

Source:
More than 3 years later, charges against man in art patron’s death dismissed. Why?
Man accused of arson, murder out of jail on house arrest
Bloomington police arrest girlfriend of man accused of burning down woman’s home in plot to inherit estate
Bloomington man arrested in California charged with arson, murder
Man charged with murder, arson, neglect in Handy Road fire
Man arrested in California on murder charges in Handy Road fire
Suspect in Monroe County arson, murder claimed to be victim’s son
Police: Man charged with murder used fake name to pose as woman’s son, lit her home on fire

Sana Iqbal

Name: Sana Iqbal.
Died: October 24, 2017.
Age at death: 30.
Cause of death: Head injury.
Location: Narsingi, Hyderabad, India.
Disability: Depression.

Details:
Sana and her husband were involved in a car accident, in which she died. Her death was initially categorized as accidental, but her family demanded that the authorities investigate further. They said that Sana had told them about her abusive husband, that she feared for her life, and that if she died, it would be murder. Repeated complaints of domestic abuse had been filed without much action.

Finally the authorities arrested Sana’s husband. Authorities suspect him of hitting her on the head with something heavy before ramming the car into a concrete divider.

Sana was a biker who made a cross-country journey to raise awareness about depression and suicide.

Case status:
Abdul Nadeem (Husband), charged with culpable homicide not amounting to murder.

Source:
Who was Sana Iqbal, the girl biker who died recently?
Famous Biker Sana Iqbal, Who Fought Depression With Speed, Tragically Dies In A Car Crash
Woman who campaigned against depression, suicide dies in accident
Husband, in-laws, planned her death, alleges Sana Iqbal’s mother
Biker Sana Iqbal death: Husband Nadeem says he’s innocent, denies allegations of murder
biker: What killed Hyderabad’s most loved bikerni?
Sana Iqbal’s accident ‘pre-planned murder by her husband’, says mother of cross-country biker
Hyderabad rider Sana Iqbal’s husband arrested in accident case, gets bail

Leah Cohen

Name: Leah Cohen.
Died: August 11, 2017.
Age at death: 66.
Cause of death: Stabbed.
Location: London, England, UK.
Disability: Unspecified physical and mental disability; walked with a cane.

Details:
Leah Cohen and her daughter Hannah were stabbed to death by her son. Apparently, he was upset that he had been left out of his father’s will.

Leah and her family own Beigel Bake, their family business, a London bakery famous for its salt-beef bagels. Hannah and her sister ran a cake shop, which closed when Hannah was killed; Leah’s other two sons now run the bagel shop.

Case status:
Joshua Cohen (Son), pleaded guilty to manslaughter by diminished responsibility; received an indefinite hospital order.

Source:
Joshua Cohen, who killed his mother and sister, admits manslaughter
Brick Lane bagel tycoon’s son ‘murdered mother and sister at home’
Man charged in North London bagel dynasty murders
Golders Green murder – son, 27, charged with murder after his bagel millionaire mum and sister are stabbed to death’ in their North London home
Heir to famous London bagel shop ‘arrested over knife murder of mother and sister’
Bagel murder suspect had been cut out of family fortune weeks before killings, documents show
Tributes paid to mother and daughter ‘stabbed by schizophrenic son’
Son arrested after allegedly stabbing mum, 66, and daughter, 33, to death in North London

Savannah Leckie

Photo of Savannah Leckie, a teenage girl with fair skin and light-brown hair, wearing a knit cap and sweatshirt. She is holding two black-and-white goat kids. Name: Savannah Leckie.
Died: August 4, 2017.
Age at death: 16.
Cause of death: Unknown homicide.
Location: Ozark County, Missouri, USA.
Disability: Autism, depression, ADHD.

Details:
Exactly how Savannah died is unknown because her body was burned and only bone fragments were found. Her birth mother was convicted of abuse of a corpse.

She was a junior firefighter who liked to do volunteer work and care for farm animals.

Case status:
Rebecca Ruud (Birth mother), convicted of abuse of a corpse for burning Savannah’s body; acquitted of murder because suicide could not be ruled out as a cause of death; sentenced to 4 years, released on time served.
Robert Peat Jr. (Birth mother’s boyfriend), charged with first-degree murder and child abuse; charges dropped after he testified against Ruud.

Source:
Missouri Woman Sentenced to Time Served for Abandoning 16-Year-Old Daughter’s Corpse
Autism Memorial: Savannah Leckie
Missouri woman acquitted of murder in teen daughter’s death after judge deliberates for nearly a month
Missouri woman acquitted for killing her austic daughter
Ozark County woman Rebecca Ruud found not guilty of murder in daughter’s death
What happened to Savannah Leckie? Case explored as Rebecca Ruud is acquitted of murder in 2017 death of daughter
Missouri woman acquitted of murder in 2017 death of autistic teen daughter she gave up for adoption as a baby
Missouri woman acquitted of murder in teen daughter’s death after judge deliberates for nearly a month
Mum dragged ‘dead’ daughter onto fire – then knocked her out when she screamed
Trial set to begin for Ozark County mom accused of killing 16-year-old autistic daughter
Missouri Supreme Court says recording with attorney can be used against Ozark County murder suspect Rebecca Ruud
Recording Allowed as Evidence in Mother’s Alleged Slaying of Daughter
Candlelight vigil planned for murder victim Savannah Leckie
Savannah Leckie murder case broadens out of state
Teenage murder victim remembered
Husband, wife indicted in death of Ozark County teenager
Amid allegations of torture, Ozarks boyfriend and mother charged with murder of teen girl
Southern Missouri couple indicted in death of woman’s teen daughter who had autism
Adoptive mom, boyfriend at Leckie murder arraignment
Adoptive mother of Minnesota girl killed in Missouri asks, ‘What if?’
New trial date for woman accused of killing daughter
Suspect in Savannah Leckie homicide to be released after ‘developments’ in case

Kathy Smith

Name: Kathy Smith.
Died: May 13, 2017.
Age at death: 59.
Cause of death: Stabbed.
Location: Olean, New York, USA.
Disability: Arthritis, emphysema.

Details:
Kathy’s husband stabbed her to death.

Case status:
Edward J. Smith Jr. (Husband), charged with second-degree murder, declared not guilty by reason of insanity, committed indefinitely to a state psychiatric institution.

Source:
Smith not guilty of murdering wife by reason of insanity
Edward Smith’s daughter says mental illness led to murder
911 call played at Olean man’s hearing: ‘I murdered my wife’
Man charged with murdering wife in Olean House released from hospital, held without bail
Olean man accused of stabbing wife to death indicted on multiple counts
Olean man accused of murdering his wife
Police – Husband in Olean calls 911 after murdering his wife
Kathy Smith Obituary
Olean Man Accused of Murdering Wife Appears in City Court

Judson Duncan

Name: Judson Cash Duncan.
Died: March 19, 2017.
Age at death: 21.
Cause of death: Auto accident.
Location: Antlers, Oklahoma, USA.
Disability: Unspecified.

Details:
Judson’s father put him in the car and led the police in a high-speed chase. He crashed the car, killing Judson. It is unknown whether the wreck was an accident, but since Judson died because his father endangered him during the course of the commission of a crime, his father was charged with felony murder.

Case status:
Carl Duncan (Father), pleaded guilty to felony murder, sentenced to 30 years in prison.

Source:
Judson Cash Duncan – View Obituary & Service Information
Okla man to serve 30 years in prison for killing son
Oklahoma man sentenced to prison for murder after disabled son dies in car crash
Fatal wreck may not have been an accident, Denison Police say
Judson Duncan Obituary – Antlers, Oklahoma
Man pleads guilty to murder in son’s death