Type: Fatal Abuse – Page 25 – Disability Day of Mourning

Jocelynn Allison

Photo of a toddler girl with strawberry-blonde hair and pale skin. She has a large forehead. Her wispy hair is pulled into two ponytails on top of her head. She is wearing a purple sweater. Her smile shows her two front baby teeth. Name: Jocelynn Allison.
Died: September 24, 2008.
Age at death: 15 months.
Cause of death: Head injury.
Location: Wasilla, Alaska, USA.
Disability: Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, hydrocephalus.

Details:
Because Jocelynn didn’t want to eat and threw food, her father allegedly slapped her, sending her head backward to collide with her high chair. She died of a head injury. At autopsy, she had injuries consistent with long-term abuse and shaken baby syndrome.

Her family remembers, “Any music would cause her to start singing, clapping and dancing, and would send everyone around her into fits of laughter and joy.”

Case status:
Clayton Allison (Father), convicted of second-degree murder; conviction overturned because the trial had not considered Jocelynn’s Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. Convicted of negligent homicide at retrial, which carries a maximum penalty of 3 years; released because he had already served that much time.

Source:
Retrial jury clears Wasilla man of murder charge in toddler daughter’s death but finds him guilty of negligent homicide
Jocelynn Renee Allison (2007-2008) – Find A Grave…
Murder conviction overturned for Wasilla man charged with killing 15-month-old daughter
Wasilla man convicted of daughter’s murder denies abuse

Ethan Kirby

Photo of a small boy with pale skin and auburn hair, wearing a blue and white checked polo shirt. Name: Ethan Scott Kirby.
Died: August 23, 2008.
Age at death: 3.
Cause of death: Head injury.
Location: Conroe, Texas, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Ethan died of a head injury inflicted by his mother’s boyfriend during a beating.

Case status:
Chase Cannon (Mother’s boyfriend), murder, 50 years.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Ethan Scott Kirby
Conroe man receives 50 years for murder of autistic child
Child murderer sentenced

James Many White Horses

Blurry photo of a baby with light skin and dark-brown hair. Name: James Many White Horses.
Died: Around July 21, 2008.
Age at death: 2.
Cause of death: Suspicious death.
Location: Great Falls, Montana, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
James’s mother abused him, neglected him, and finally put him in her car trunk and left him there. He was found dead in the trunk over a month later.

Case status:
Summer Many White Horses (Mother), convicted of negligent homicide and tampering with evidence, sentenced to 13 years 9 months to 55 years in prison.

Source:
Mother gets 55 years for son’s death
Autism Memorial: James Many White Horses
Family gathers to remember toddler
James Many White Horses
Many White Horses sentenced on federal fraud charges
Summer Many White Horses’ 2-year-old has been found
Affidavit: Mom of Toddler Found Dead in Trunk Told Police Son Died Accidentally Months Before

Kevin Johnson

Name: Kevin Johnson.
Died: July 20, 2008.
Age at death: 12.
Cause of death: Fatal abuse.
Location: Crete, Illinois, USA.
Disability: Intellectual disability.

Details:
Kevin’s foster father physically abused him, and eventually beat him so badly that he was taken to the hospital, unconscious, and died two days later.

His favorite hymn was the gospel song “I Need You To Survive.”

Case Status:
Fred D. Johnson II (Foster father), pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, sentenced to 5-17 years.

Source:
Man charged with beating disabled foster child
Crete murderer seeks reduced sentence
Kevin Johnson
Family mourns loss of Crete boy

Lavender Banks

Photo of Lavender Banks, a little girl in a pink dress and pink hair ribbons. She has a cleft lip. Name: Lavender Banks.
Died: May 2, 2008.
Age at death: 3.
Cause of death: Asphyxia, blunt trauma.
Location: Elk Grove, California, USA.
Disability: Cleft lip/palate.

Details:
Lavender was beaten and smothered by her adoptive mother.

She was an international adoptee from China.

Case status:
Sabrina Banks (Adoptive mother), pleaded no contest to second-degree murder, sentenced to 15 years to life.

Source:
Lavender Banks

Sonya Todd

Name: Sonya Todd.
Died: March 23, 2008.
Age at death: 21.
Cause of death: Traumatic injury and diabetic crisis.
Location: Methil, Fife, Scotland, UK.
Disability: Diabetes, asthma.

Details:
Sonya’s boyfriend beat her during a diabetic episode; the injuries he inflicted on her, in addition to the diabetic crisis, were enough to kill.

She was an academically talented young woman who liked doing volunteer work. She left behind a six-year-old daughter.

Case status:
David Craige (Partner), pleaded guilty to culpable homicide, sentenced to 6 years. Released; now dating another woman with a disability.

Source:
Killer who beat mum to death with dog chain free and has ‘vulnerable’ girlfriend
Horror find at Methil flat
Man jailed for dog chain killing
Jealous Fife man jailed for killing girlfriend
Grieving dad’s anger as daughter’s killer gets six years

Nicolai Emelyantsev

Photo of Nicolai Emelyantsev, a solemn infant in pajamas; he has a wisp of blond hair and a round face with very pale skin. Name: Nicolai Emelyantsev.
Died: March 7, 2008.
Age at death: 14 months.
Cause of death: Skull fracture.
Location: Tooele, Utah, USA.
Disability: Down syndrome.

Details:
Nicolai’s adoptive mother killed him by deliberately slamming him against the floor, causing a skull fracture.

Case status:
Kimberly Emelyantsev (Adoptive mother), pleaded guilty to child-abuse homicide, sentenced to 1-15 years.

Source:
Kimberly Emelyantsev | Murderpedia, the encyclopedia of murderers
Nicolai Emelyantsev

Cheyenne Wolf

Photo of a teen girl with wavy strawberry-blond hair in a half-ponytail; she is smiling for the camera, wearing a pink shirt with black stripes. Name: Cheyenne Wolf.
Died: March or April 2008.
Age at death: 12.
Cause of death: Homicide.
Location: Durant, Oklahoma, USA.
Disability: Spina bifida.

Details:
Cheyenne’s stepmother tied her to a chair and beat her. When she died, her father helped hide the body.

Case status:
Denise Wolf (Stepmother); convicted of child abuse, child abuse by neglect, and unlawful removal of a dead body; sentenced to 5 consecutive life terms.
Able Wolf (Father), pleaded guilty to child abuse, child abuse by neglect, and unlawful removal of a dead body; sentenced to 3 concurrent life terms.

Source:
Sisters testify they saw Cheyenne Wolf abused before she died
Cheyenne Noell Wolf
Bryan County judge sentences stepmother for abuse, calls her ‘unfit for society’

Calista Springer

Portrait photo of a teenage girl with shoulder-length dark auburn hair and pale skin, smiling, wearing a pink polka-dotted turtleneck. Name: Calista Springer.
Died: February 27, 2008.
Age at death: 16.
Cause of death: Fire.
Location: Centreville, Michigan, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Calista’s parents tied her to her bed with zip ties and a dog collar, and when the house caught fire, her entire family left the house; none of them stopped to release her. She died in the fire.

Case status:
Anthony Springer (Father), child abuse and torture, 25-50 years.
Marsha Springer (Stepmother), child abuse and torture, 8-19 years.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Calista Springer
Calista Springer
Calista Springer: Adoption, abuse, neglect and murder
Calista Springer
Protective services workers can’t be sued in Calista Springer case, U.S. Court of Appeals affirms
Unforgotten Angels: Calista Springer

Erianna Beltran

Photo of Erianna Beltran, a toddler girl. Name: Erianna Beltran.
Died: January 27, 2008.
Age at death: 3.
Cause of death: Blunt trauma.
Location: Fresno, California, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Erianna was admitted to the hospital, covered in bruises. She died two days later.

Case status:
Unsolved. Erianna’s mother, Erin Skinner, and her mother’s boyfriend, Mack Lucas, were both arrested because they were the ones in whose custody Erianna had been in; but charges were dropped because of a lack of evidence.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Erianna Beltran
Three-Year-Old Girl Died of Blunt Force Trauma
Charges Dismissed Against Accused Killer
Prosecutors drop charges in autistic girl’s death