Type: Fatal Abuse – Page 19 – Disability Day of Mourning

Otto Smith

Photo of Otto Smith, a teenage boy in a red jacket. He has fair skin, and his brown hair is in a crew cut. He has a wispy mustache. There is water in the background. Name: Otto Smith.
Died: April 13, 2014.
Age at death: 18.
Cause of death: Asphyxia.
Location: Auburn, Seattle, Washington, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
After long-term severe abuse, Otto’s mother’s boyfriend restrained and smothered him. Despite witnessing months of abuse that nearly killed Otto and his brother several times, his mother did nothing to help.

Otto liked to watch The Lion King, and his favorite toy was a musical keyboard. His younger brother, who survived abuse for several months after Otto died, went on to testify in his murder trial. He is now safe, living with his grandparents.

Case status:
Matthew Christenson (Mother’s boyfriend); convicted of second-degree murder, homicide by abuse, felony harassment, sentenced to 65 years.
Pascia Backman (Mother), pleaded guilty to helping cover up the murder, ordered to mental health and drug treatment.

Source:
Man awaits resentencing for abusing autistic victim to death in Auburn
Autism Memorial: Otto Smith
Trial considers whether man killed, tortured girlfriend’s sons
Mom: Beau’s love left me ‘euphoric,’ then he killed my son
Brother of slain autistic teen: Abuse rendered me ‘hopeless’
Boyfriend found guilty of murdering woman’s autistic son
65 years for Auburn man in death of girlfriend’s autistic son he bound and gagged

Liam Fee

Name: Liam Fee, a.k.a. Liam Johnson.
Died: March 22, 2014.
Age at death: 2.
Cause of death: Traumatic injury to heart.
Location: Thornton, Fife, Scotland, UK.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Liam was beaten so badly by his mother and stepmother that his heart burst. They tried to blame his death on his seven-year-old brother, but were later charged with murder. It turned out that they had also abused Liam’s two older brothers, and probably intimidated one of them into falsely confessing to murder.

Case status:
Rachel Fee (Mother), convicted of murder, child abuse and neglect, sentenced to 23-and-a-half years to life.
Nyomi Fee (Stepmother), convicted of murder, child abuse and neglect, sentenced to 24 years.

Source:
Rachel Fee and Nyomi Fee jailed for life for the murder of tragic tot Liam Fee
Autism Memorial: Liam Fee
Mother and partner deny murdering Fife toddler Liam Fee
Lesbian partners found GUILTY of murdering 2-year-old boy subjected to ‘heartless cruelty’ before he died
Gateshead murder accused took toddler out of nursery after concerns raised by social services
New evidence of Liam Fee social work visit weeks before murder

Anayah Williams

Name: Anayah Navaeh Williams.
Died: March 15, 2014.
Age at death: 1.
Cause of death: Internal injuries.
Location: Frederick, Maryland, USA.
Disability: Cerebral palsy.

Details:
Anayah was badly injured from one of her father’s beatings, and her mother did not call for help because her father said Child Protective Services would get involved. Anayah died from her injuries.

There is some evidence that Anayah’s cerebral palsy was actually caused by her father, who hit her when she was an infant, causing a skull fracture. The Maryland legislature later passed “Anayah’s Law”, meant to help prevent children from being returned to abusive parents.

Case status:
Frankie Williams (Father), pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and child abuse, sentenced to 60 years to life in prison.
Stephanie Ramirez Williams (Mother), pled no contest to first-degree child abuse resulting in death; sentenced to 20 years.

Source:
Mother faces 20 years after entering plea in Anayah Williams’ death
Man pleads guilty in high-profile toddler death case
Man gets life for fatally abusing his disabled daughter

Alexa-Marie Quinn

Photo: A fair-skinned, brown-haired girl wearing a pink shirt with a yellow flower, smiling. Name: Alexa-Marie Quinn.
Died: March 12, 2014.
Age at death: 4.
Cause of death: Extreme blunt-force trauma.
Location: Hatfield, Hertfordshire, UK.
Disability: Fetal alcohol syndrome.

Details:
Alexa-Marie’s father beat her to death.

Case status:
Carl Wheatley (Father), convicted of murder, sentenced to 21 years to life.

Source:
Alexa-Marie Quinn murder: Councils failed to understand risks
Carl Wheatley denies murder of daughter Alexa-Marie Quinn
Girl, 4, beaten to death by her dad was ‘let down’ by social services

Madoc O’Callaghan

Name: Madoc Hyunsu O’Callaghan (Also spelled Hyeonsu or Hyun-su).
Died: February 3, 2014.
Age at death: 3.
Cause of death: Head injury; blunt trauma.
Location: Damascus, Maryland, USA.
Disability: Hydrocephalus, premature birth, learning difficulties, speech delay.

Details:
Madoc was beaten to death by his adoptive father.

He was an international adoptee from South Korea. At the Daniel School for children with disabilities in Seoul stands a statue of him holding a butterfly. A replica of the statue stands at the Linwood School in Maryland.

Case status:
Brian Patrick O’Callaghan (Adoptive father); pleaded guilty to child abuse resulting in death, sentenced to 20 years, with 12 years suspended; ordered to serve 8 years and may be released earlier.

Source:
Madoc Hyunsu O’Callaghan
Korean American adoptees furious at light sentence for toddler killer
Former NSA Employee Sentenced for Adopted Son’s Death
Former NSA official sentenced to 12 years in death of adopted son
Former NSA official gets 12 years in death of adopted son
Former NSA Official Sentenced to 12 Years in Death of Adopted Special-Needs Son
U.S. school for disabled children to dedicate statue in memory of S. Korean adoptee
Korean-American Adoptees Dedicate Statue in Memory of Killed Boy

Saharah Weatherspoon

Photo of Saharah Weatherspoon, a toddler girl sitting in a pink car seat. She has very curly black hair and brown skin. Name: Saharah Weatherspoon.
Died: January 1, 2014.
Age at death: 23 months.
Cause of death: Head injury.
Location: Ringgold, Georgia, USA.
Disability: Developmental delay.

Details:
When doctors noticed Saharah’s bruises in the months before her fatal head injury, Saharah’s foster mother said Saharah was falling down because of her developmental delay and asked for a helmet. Saharah died of severe head injuries; she had been beaten to death by her foster mother.

Case status:
Clara Louise Edwards (Foster mother), pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter, sentenced to 20 years.

Source:
Former Ringgold foster mom pleads guilty to killing baby, sentenced to 20 years
Defense wraps up its case with afternoon of testimony in Clara Edwards murder trial
Jury Reaches Verdict in Foster Child Death Case

Omaree Varela

Name: Omaree Varela.
Died: December 27, 2013.
Age at death: 9.
Cause of death: Blunt trauma, internal bleeding.
Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA.
Disability: ADHD, PTSD, mild developmental delay.

Details:
Omaree was kicked to death by his mother.

Six months before he died, Omaree called 911 for help; but the investigation came to nothing.

Case Status:
Synthia Varela-Casaus (Mother), convicted of murder, sentenced to 40 years.
Stephen Casaus (Stepfather), convicted of convicted of child abuse resulting in death, sentenced to 30 years; sentence overturned, still in prison in drug charges, but may have his sentence reduced to 10.5 years.

Sources:
Omaree Varela’s parents – All about their troubles with the law
Omaree Varela’s stepfather to be re-sentenced
Omaree death settlement cloaked in secrecy – Albuquerque Journal

Michael Sudkamp

Name: Michael Sudkamp.
Died: December 24, 2013.
Age at death: 53.
Cause of death: Blunt trauma.
Location: Kingman, Arizona, USA.
Disability: Multiple disabilities; “Health issues”.

Details:
Michael was beaten to death by his roommate.

Case status:
Robert John Adkins (Roommate and caregiver), convicted of second-degree murder and vulnerable adult abuse, sentenced to 20 years.

Source:
Kingman man gets 20-year sentence for killing roommate
Kingman caregiver arrested in death of patient

Antonio Brooks

Photo: A young African-American boy wearing a white shirt. He has large brown eyes and a turned-up nose; his hair is very short. Name: Antonio Brooks.
Died: October 28, 2013.
Age at death: 14.
Cause of death: Peritonitis.
Location: Hampton, Virginia, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Antonio’s father kicked him in the stomach, and then neglected to take him to the doctor. Antonio died two days later from his injuries.

Case status:
Anthony Brooks (Father), pleaded no contest to involuntary manslaughter. Due to be released Sept. 2026.

Source:
Hampton man pleads in autistic son’s death
Father arrested after son’s death ruled a homicide
Documents: Hampton father did not get medical attention for son
Testimony: Hampton boy’s death could have been prevented
Autism Memorial: Antonio Brooks

Robert Meredith Jr.

Gravestone reading, Meredith, Robert L Sr, SP4 USA, 1935 2012, Mary Ann, 1938 2012, Robert L Jr,1694, 2013, forever in our hearts. Name: Robert Meredith Jr.
Died: September 22, 2013.
Age at death: 55.
Cause of death: Blunt force injury.
Location: Joliet, Illinois, USA.
Disability: Intellectual disability.

Details:
Robert’s brother punched him and hit him with a stick. He died of his injuries.

Case status:
Francis Zabala (Brother-in-law), charged with murder, convicted of involuntary manslaughter, sentenced to 4-8 years in prison.

Source:
Joliet man gets 8-year sentence for fatal beating
Joliet murder trial testimony: Broken ribs led to man’s death
2013 Joliet murder trial to begin
Joliet murder trial: Wife saw husband beat victim
Update: Murder Victim ID’d, Died from ‘Blunt Force Injuries’: Coroner
Defendant testifies in Joliet murder trial
Joliet man found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in beating of mentally disabled brother-in-law
Joliet man guilty of involuntary manslaughter: jury