Type: Fatal Abuse – Page 27 – Disability Day of Mourning

Brandon Williams

Name: Brandon Williams.
Died: March 22, 2007.
Age at death: 5.
Cause of death: Blunt trauma.
Location: Pima County, Arizona, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Brandon died after regular abuse by his mother and two of her housemates. He had been beaten and poisoned with overdoses of Tylenol.

Brandon loved watching the Disney Channel, especially “Lilo & Stitch”.

Case status:
Diane Marsh (Mother), convicted of child abuse and negligent homicide; sentenced to 10 years; paroled after 3.8 years.
Mark Moss (Housemate), failing to report child abuse, charges dropped.
Flower Thompson (Housemate), convicted of murder, sentenced to 10 years.

Source:
People You’ll See in Hell: Diane Marsh, Flower Tompson And Mark Lee Moss
Murderpedia: Diane Marsh
Brandon Williams
Autism memorial: Brandon Williams

Summer Phelps

Photo of Summer Phelps, a small girl with red hair, wearing a fancy yellow dress. Name: Summer Phelps.
Died: March 10, 2007.
Age at death: 4.
Cause of death: Drowned.
Location: Spokane, Washington, USA.
Disability: Developmentally disabled.

Details:
Summer was made to clean her soiled clothing for ten hours, then drowned by her stepmother in the dirty water.

Case status:
Adriana Lytle (Stepmother), plead guilty to homicide by abuse, sentenced to 65 1/2 years.
Jonathan Lytle (Father), found guilty of homicide by abuse, sentenced to 75 years in prison.

Source:
Angelizd’s Place: Summer Phelps
Abuse Angels: Summer Phelps

Kawliga Potts

No Photo Name: Kawliga Potts.
Died: January 27, 2007.
Age at death: 3.
Cause of death: Head injury.
Location: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
Disability: Developmental delay, possible fetal alcohol syndrome.

Details:
Kawliga was deprived of food and clothing by his foster parent. He died of injuries from being hit in the head.

Case status:
Lily Choy (Foster mother), convicted of manslaughter, sentenced to 8 years.

Source:
Alberta foster boy’s death a direct result of child welfare failure: judge
New sentence for woman in death of foster child
Report to the Minister of Justice and Solicitor General – Public fatality inquiry into the death of Kawliga Potts

Bobby Äikiä

Name: Bobby Äikiä.
Died: January 14, 2006.
Age at death: 10.
Cause of death: Asphyxiation due to abuse.
Location: Nässjö, Jönköping County, Sweden.
Disability: Fragile X.

Details:
When Bobby moved away to a shack in the country with his mother and her boyfriend, his life became one of constant abuse. He died because his mother and her boyfriend stripped him naked and buried him in the snow, then took him back inside and put him in bed. There, he aspirated his vomit and died because he was too frozen to turn his head.

In happier times, Bobby visited his stepmother on her farm. He loved riding and grooming their pony, and happily rode on a tractor with her husband.

Case Status:
Niina Äikiä (Mother), convicted of manslaughter and child abuse, sentenced to ten years, served six.
Eddy Larsson (Mother’s boyfriend), convicted of manslaughter and child abuse, sentenced to ten years, served six.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Bobby Äikiä
Murder of Bobby Äikiä
The Murder of Bobby Äikiä
Bobby Äikiä (1995-2006) – Find A Grave Memorial
Bobby fallet – Wikimini, encyclopedin för barn
Fallet Bobby – extramamman Inger berättar om sorgen
Bobbys mamma har fått barn – som omhändertagits

Nikolas Chavez III

Black and white photo of Nikolas Chavez, a toddler with wispy, curly blonde hair, wearing a onesie and a puzzled expression. Name: Nikolas Chavez III.
Died: November 30, 2005.
Age at death: 3.
Cause of death: Blunt trauma.
Location: North Brunswick, New Jersey, USA.
Disability: Developmental disability.

Details:
Nikolas was beaten to death by his godfather.

Case status:
Robert Knutsen (Godfather); sentenced to 7 years, served 4 years and released.

Source:
Nikolas Tyler Chavez III
Trial begins of N.B. man accused of beating his godson to death

B. L.

No Photo Name: B. L. (Initials; full name unknown.)
Died: November 26, 2005.
Age at death: 13 months.
Cause of death: Brain damage; shaken baby.
Location: Alberta, Canada.
Disability: Developmental delay.

Details:
B. L. died of shaken baby syndrome, caused by his foster father.

Case status:
His foster father pleaded guilty to manslaughter; he was sentenced to five years, paroled within 2 years.

Source:
Learning from a sad, short life

Talia Williams

Photo of Talia Williams, a young girl in pigtails decorated with plastic barrettes; she has brown skin and she is smiling. Name: Talia Williams.
Died: July 16, 2005.
Age at death: 5.
Cause of death: Abuse.
Location: Wheeler Army Airfield, Hawaii, USA.
Disability: Incontinence.

Details:
Talia was beaten to death by her father and stepmother.

Case status:
Naeem Williams (Father), murder, life without parole.
Delilah Williams (Stepmother) murder, sentenced to 20 years.

Source:
Talia Williams

Adrianna Cram

Photo of a little girl in a white dress; she has fair skin and her brown hair is cut in bangs and pulled into a messy half-ponytail. She is smiling at someone off the side of the image. Name: Adrianna Maria Cram.
Died: June 13, 2005.
Age at death: 4.
Cause of death: Abdominal injury, head injury.
Location: Omealca, Mexico.
Disability: Thyroid condition; speech delay; developmental delay.

Details:
Adrianna’s adoptive parents beat her to death.

Case status:
Elizabeth Romero Marin (Adoptive mother), convicted of aggravated murder, sentenced to 45 years.
Hector de Jesus Luna (Adoptive father), convicted of aggravated murder, sentenced to 2 years.

Source:
Adrianna Maria Cram
Oregon’s investigation into foster child’s death ends at state line
Adrianna Maria Romero Cram

Christoffer Gjerstad

Portrait photo of Christoffer Gjerstad, a small blond boy biting his lip as he looks at the camera. Name: Christoffer Kihle Gjerstad.
Died: February 2, 2005.
Age at death: 8.
Cause of death: Head injury, skull fracture.
Location: Norway.
Disability: ADHD.

Details:
Christoffer’s stepfather beat him to death; his mother knew he was being beaten but did not help him.

Case status:
Kim Morten Larson (Stepfather), sentenced to 8 years.
Christoffer’s mother, name not known, sentenced to two and a half years.

Source:
Christoffer Gjerstad

Brittany Legler

Portrait photo of Brittany Legler, a girl with short brown hair, fair skin, and glasses, smiling politely. Name: Brittany Legler.
Died: May 9, 2004.
Age at death: 15.
Cause of death: Heart attack.
Location: Millcreek, Pennsylvania, USA.
Disability: Intellectual disability, congenital heart defect.

Details:
Brittany’s mother physically and emotionally abused her; the stress of the abuse caused Brittany, who had a congenital heart defect, to die of a heart attack after a beating.

She enjoyed watching movies and riding her bicycle.

Case status:
Lisa Larussi (Mother), pleaded no contest to aggravated assault and endangering the welfare of a child; sentenced to 14 years.

Source:
Brittany A. Legler
Brittany Legler