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

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

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