Type: Fatal Abuse – Page 20 – Disability Day of Mourning

Isaiah Buckner

School photo of Isaiah Buckner, a boy with fair skin and sandy hair, wearing very thick glasses and a striped shirt. His smile shows a gap between his front teeth. Name: Isaiah A. Buckner.
Died: July 10, 2013.
Age at death: 10.
Cause of death: Peritonitis from untreated internal injury.
Location: Athol, Massachusetts, USA.
Disability: Autistic, deaf, visually impaired.

Details:
Isaiah died soon after he was rushed to the hospital with abdominal trauma. His caregiver had kicked him in the stomach, severing his small intestine; then the injury was ignored for several days, killing him.

Isaiah attended Austine School for the Deaf. He was energetic and social and liked to give everyone hugs.

Case status:
Christopher Vinsant (Mother’s boyfriend), pled guilty to involuntary manslaughter, sentenced to 8-10 years.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Isaiah Buckner
Athol man pleads guilty in death of 10-year-old Isaiah Buckner
Man pleads guilty to manslaughter for Athol boy’s death in 2013
Man pleads guilty to manslaughter for Athol boy’s 2013 death
Investigative report details 110 child abuse and neglect deaths, with a third happening under eye of Mass. DCF
Isaiah Buckner | Out of the shadows

Robert Guinyard Jr.

Photo of a small boy with dark-brown skin and a very short buzz cut, wearing a green T-shirt, looking over his shoulder at the camera, and smiling. Name: Robert Guinyard Jr.
Died: July 1, 2013.
Age at death: 4.
Cause of death: Internal bleeding.
Location: Richland County, South Carolina, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Robert was tortured to death by his parents, who beat him so severely and so often that he bled out internally.

Case status:
Robert Guinyard Sr. (Father), sentenced to life without parole.
Courtney Thompson (Mother), sentenced to life without parole.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Robert Guinyard, Jr.
In the Arms Of the Angels: Robert Guinyard Jr.
Doctor: Child Had Multiple Bone Fractures
Richland County parents arrested, charged with homicide in son’s death
DSS Death: “The System Failed Robert”
Prosecutor: DSS ignored many pleas for help as ‘demon’ Richland parents tortured son to death
Parents sentenced to life in prison in 4-year-old son’s death

Joseph Johnson Jr.

No Photo Name: Joseph Johnson Jr.
Died: June 19, 2013.
Age at death: 14 months.
Cause of death: Burns.
Location: Little Rock, Arkansas, USA.
Disability: Unspecified severe birth defects.

Details:
Joseph’s father scalded him with hot water. He died of the burns after just over two weeks in the hospital.

Case status:
Joseph Dwayne Johnson (Father), pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, sentenced to 40 years.

Source:
LR father takes plea in death of toddler
Bail set at $1 million for father charged with killing toddler

Amelia Dew

No Photo Name: Amelia Dew.
Died: June 19, 2013.
Age at death: 2.
Cause of death: Head injury.
Location: Gosport, England, UK.
Disability: Myotonic dystrophy.

Details:
When Amelia was brought to the hospital with a massive head injury, her stepfather, who had been watching her, claimed she had hit her head on a chair she was strapped into during tube-fed meals. Amelia died four days later.

Initially, her stepfather was arrested, but not charged. Two years later, doctors who examined Amelia came forward, stating that her injuries were highly consistent with shaken baby syndrome.

Case status:
Robin Dowse (Stepfather), no charges.
Inquest underway.

Source:
The inquest into the death of two-year-old Amelia Dew has been halted due to police receiving new information
Inquest into Gosport toddler’s death due to restart after police probe ends
Police investigation into Gosport toddler’s death reopened

Levai Bonnar

Photo of a boy with tan skin and straight black hair, smiling for the camera, wearing a blue hoodie. Name: Levai Bonnar.
Died: May 21, 2013.
Age at death: 7.
Cause of death: Head injury.
Location: Sydney, Australia.
Disability: Intellectual disability.

Details:
Levai was beaten, starved, and humiliated by his parents. The abuse eventually proved fatal when Levai died of head injuries.

Levai’s killers nearly escaped justice by claiming the boy had died from falling off a pogo stick.

Case status:
Kayla James (Mother), convicted of manslaughter, sentenced to 10½ years.
Kodi James Maybir (Mother’s boyfriend), convicted of murder, sentenced to 31½ to 38 years.

Source:
Boy spent last months being abused: court
Life term urged for child killer Kodi Maybir
Christian hip-hop producer Kodi Maybir jailed for killing partner’s child

Aliyah Branum

Photo of a toddler with wispy blond hair and fair skin, wearing a green shirt, grinning at the camera. Name: Aliyah Marie Branum.
Died: April 26, 2013.
Age at death: 2.
Cause of death: Blunt force trauma; fractured skull.
Location: Citrus County, Florida, USA.
Disability: Multiple congenital disabilities.

Details:
Aliyah was beaten to death by her mother.

Case status:
Chelsea Huggett (Mother), pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and aggravated child abuse; sentenced to 30 years.

Source:
Chelsea HUGGETT
ANGELIZD’s Place – Child Abuse Pages – Aliyah Marie Branum

Terrilynn Dennis

Photo of a young girl with dark skin and dark braided hair, wearing a pink skirt and a pink T-shirt with a cupcake on it. Name: Terrilynn Destiny Julz Dennis.
Died: April 4, 2013.
Age at death: 7.
Cause of death: Peritonitis.
Location: Newport News, Virginia, USA.
Disability: Spina bifida.

Details:
Terrilynn died of peritonitis from blows to the stomach, complicated by physical and medical neglect. Her parents allegedly waited eight hours after she became unresponsive to take her to the hospital, and she died shortly thereafter.

From her obituary: “Terrilynn had a warm spirit; she enjoyed playing with her sisters and learning about the Bible.”

Case status:
Terri W. Dennis (Adoptive father), charged with murder.
Pamela T. Dennis (Adoptive mother), charged with murder.

Source:
Girl adopted by Terri and Pamela Dennis
Terrilyn Destiny Julz Dennis

Harry Aspley

No Photo
Name: Harry Aspley.
Died: April 1, 2013.
Age at death: 23 months.
Cause of death: Head injury; shaken baby.
Location: Stoney Stanton, England, UK.
Disability: Developmental delay; suspected autism.

Details:
Harry was violently shaken by his foster mother. This caused brain injuries which killed him.

Case status:
Wendy Hardy (Foster mother), pleaded guilty to manslaughter, sentenced to six and a half years.
David Hardy, charged with child cruelty.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Harry Aspley
Death of toddler shaken by foster mum “could have been prevented”
Foster mother jailed for killing toddler by violently shaking him
Woman jailed after death of 23-month-old Harry Aspley

Isabella Wiens

Photo of a baby with pale skin and wispy red hair, smiling and showing her baby teeth. Name: Isabella Wiens.
Died: March 16, 2013.
Age at death: 21 months.
Cause of death: Undetermined, in the setting of abuse.
Location: Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada.
Disability: Developmentally delayed. Removed from her mother absent any evidence of abuse, because her mother is learning disabled.

Details:
Isabella died while in foster care. The autopsy showed evidence of abuse, including a swollen brain and healing fractures, but her cause of death is listed as undetermined.

Case status:
Foster home closed.
Isabella’s mother is suing the province.

Source:
B.C. ministry will review toddler Isabella Wiens’ death in care
B.C. mother sues province after infant daughter dies in foster care
Coroner’s Report

Jamielynn Bleakley

Photo of Jamielynn Bleakley, a heavyset woman with pale skin and curly blonde hair. She is wearing makeup; her expression is solemn. Name: Jamielynn Bleakley.
Died: March 7, 2013.
Age at death: 36.
Cause of death: Head injury, hypothermia.
Location: Denning, New York, USA.
Disability: Multiple sclerosis.

Details:
Jamielynn was beaten, strangled, and left outside in the cold by her fiance. She died of head injuries and exposure.

Before she became disabled, she had been employed in health care; she was a fan of Renegade, NASCAR, and the Yankees.

Case status:
Gerald Babcock (Fiance), convicted of manslaughter, sentenced to 25 years.

Source:
Appeals court upholds Denning resident’s manslaughter conviction in death of his fiancée
Jamielynn Bleakley Online Obituary, December 29, 1975 – March 7, 2013
Denning woman had reported violence in home prior to being killed, police say; boyfriend charged, held without bail
Babcock convicted of manslaughter in death of girlfriend
Saratoga native, 37, allegedly killed by boyfriend in domestic violence incident
Cause of girlfriend’s death disputed
Savage beating leaves Denning woman dead
Denning man gets 25-year prison term for killing girlfriend