Remembering the Disabled Murdered by Caregivers
Fatal abuse.
Name: Yat-ming Lai.
Died: September 2, 2022.
Age at death: 5.
Cause of death: Beating.
Location: Kowloon, Hong Kong.
Disability: Developmental disability.
Details:
Yat-ming was found dead, his body covered in bruises.
Case Status:
Shing-tai Lai (Mother), charged with murder.
His aunt, charged with child neglect.
Sources:
Mother of murdered 5 year old boy was remanded in a mental health facility in Hong Kong
Name: Brayden Aaron Butcher.
Died: August 12, 2022.
Age at death: 8.
Cause of death: Blunt trauma to head and torso.
Location: Tucson, Arizona, USA.
Disability: Autism, scoliosis, rheumatoid arthritis.
Details:
Brayden died of blows to the head and torso. His parents were arrested on suspicion of child abuse.
Brayden was a Star Wars fan who loved Darth Vader.
Case Status:
Joshua Aaron Butcher (Father), charged with murder and child abuse.
Mercedes M. Caho (Mother), charged with murder and child abuse.
Sources:
Pima County couple accused in death of special needs child
GoFundMe: Brayden’s Funeral
Brayden Aaron Butcher
Autism Memorial: Brayden Butcher
Name: Hsieh (Family name; given name unknown).
Died: August 4, 2022.
Age at death: 3.
Cause of death: Head injury.
Location: Taoyuan City, Taiwan.
Disability: Developmental delay, poor balance.
Details:
When three-year-old miss Hsieh refused to take her bath, her father beat her and then forced her to stand on a stool, from which she fell. She died of a brain injury; her body showed signs of regular beatings.
Case Status:
Mr. Hsieh (Father), convicted of child abuse resulting in death, sentenced to 9 years.
Sources:
Court sentences man for abuse, death of daughter
Supreme Court upholds man’s 9-year sentence for causing daughter’s death
Name: Jackie Thrasher III.
Died: July 22, 2022.
Age at death: 5.
Cause of death: Traumatic injury.
Location: Frederick, Maryland, USA.
Disability: Autism, epilepsy.
Details:
Jackie was brought to the hospital with a major head injury and died shortly afterward. When authorities saw the bruises on his body, they arrested his mother and her boyfriend.
Case Status:
Catherine Thrasher, charged with child abuse resulting in death, assault, child neglect, and child sexual abuse.
Timothy Lee Haselden II, charged with child abuse resulting in death, assault, and child neglect, and child sexual abuse.
Sources:
Washington County man charged with first-degree child abuse and death of 5-year-old boy
Md. couple accused of sexually assaulting and abusing autistic 5-year-old child, resulting in death
Washington County mother charged in death of 5-year-old son
Man and Woman Charged With Death Of 5-Year-Old Boy In Hagerstown
2 adults face numerous child abuse, sex abuse charges after 5-year-old dies
Cases of two charged in fatal child abuse moved to circuit court; rape charges dropped
Washington County couple face new charges in child abuse case that left boy dead
Autism Memorial: Jackie Thrasher III
Name: Adam Kortes.
Died: July 21, 2022.
Age at death: 27.
Cause of death: Asphyxia; torso compression.
Location: Danville, Pennsylvania, USA.
Disability: “Special needs” (Multiple disabilities).
Details:
Adam died from being restrained, his chest compressed so that he could not take a breath. Police say his parents would restrain him when he had “episodes”, and that his father had sat on Adam. The death was registered as a homicide and his parents were charged.
Neighbors remember Adam as a young man who used to walk around the neighborhood, and never bothered anyone.
Case Status:
Kristine Kortes (Mother), charged with neglect of a dependent person and involuntary manslaughter.
Richard Kortes (Father), charged with neglect of a dependent person and involuntary manslaughter.
Sources:
Parents face charges after son’s death in Montour County
Parents charged after death of son with special needs
Parents of Danville man charged for his death
Parents charged in son’s July death
Name: Timothy Ferguson.
Died: July 6, 2022.
Age at death: 15.
Cause of death: Malnutrition, hypothermia.
Location: Norton Shores, Michigan, USA.
Disability: Autism with speech and motor impairment.
Details:
Timothy died from a combination of starvation and hypothermia. His mother had been feeding him very little, often just bread soaked in hot sauce, and had been forcing him to take ice baths. His mother insisted that he was “faking” his disability.
Case Status:
Shanda Vander Ark (Mother), convicted of murder and first-degree child abuse; sentenced to 50-100 years for child abuse and life without parole for murder.
Paul Ferguson (Brother), pleaded guilty to first-degree child abuse, sentenced to 30-100 years.
Sources:
Man who helped mum torture disabled brother to death begs mercy at sentencing
Killer jailed for disabled younger brother’s death after tearful ‘mercy’ plea
Michigan man faces up to 100 years in jail for torturing and starving autistic brother to death
Muskegon Man Sentenced to 30 Years for Starvation Death of Disabled Brother in Michigan
3 things to know before mom is sentenced for torturing son to death
Michigan law clerk is jailed for life for torturing her disabled son
Mum who tortured and starved disabled son expressionless as jailed for life
Michigan woman sentenced to life in prison in starvation death of 15-year-old son – CBS Detroit
‘We know who you are’: Judge and victim’s siblings call out mom who fatally tortured son
MI v. Shanda Vander Ark: Tortured Son Murder Trial
Tortured Son Murder Trial: Shanda Vander Ark Cross-Examination
Testimony begins in trial of Norton Shores mom accused of killing her teen with special needs
Hot sauce, ice baths, motion sensors | What prosecutors accuse a Norton Shores mom of doing to slain son
Michigan mom found guilty of starving her disabled son to death
Michigan woman found guilty of murder and child abuse in starvation death of son
Michigan mother found guilty of murder in starvation death of her disabled 15-year-old son – CBS News
Norton Shores mother heads to trial for murder, child abuse of teenage son
Norton Shores mom accused of torturing, killing son faced ‘similar allegations’ in custody case
Woman charged with homicide, child abuse of teenage son in Norton Shores
43-year-old woman arrested for open murder of teen in Norton Shores
Woman charged with murder, abuse in death of underfed teen
MI Woman Charged After Son Dies, Tortured With Ice Baths and More
A mother charged with the death of her child
Autism Memorial: Timothy Ferguson
‘Sadistic’: Mother charged with abuse, murder of teen
Name: Katherine Sokolich.
Died: July 3, 2022.
Age at death: 63.
Cause of death: Head injury.
Location: Ballwin, Missouri, USA.
Disability: Unspecified.
Details:
Katherine’s brother, who was her court-appointed guardian and responsible for taking care of her, beat her because he was frustrated with taking care of her. After he called 911 and reported that she was injured, Katherine was hospitalized, but later died of a brain bleed due to head trauma.
Case Status:
Anthony Sokolich (Brother, guardian), pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter, sentenced to probation.
Sources:
Police say 70-year-old Missouri man killed disabled sister
Man accused of beating disabled sister to death
70-Year-Old Missouri Man Beat His Disabled Sister to Death: Authorities
Disabled woman dies after attack by ‘frustrated’ caretaker brother near Ballwin, police say
Name: Luis Benítez.
Died: June 12, 2022.
Age at death: 38.
Cause of death: Head trauma.
Location: Posadas, Misiones, Argentina.
Disability: Schizophrenia, anemia, breathing problems.
Details:
Luis lived with his sister and her husband, who did not want him to leave the house. One night, when he tried to do so, his brother-in-law allegedly slammed his head against the doorway. Luis was found dead in his home the next day.
Case Status:
Pedro Walter E. (Brother-in-law), arrested on suspicion of murder.
Sources:
From natural death to homicide after autopsy
De muerte natural a homicidio luego de la autopsia
Name: Sara McKeddie.
Died: January 22, 2022.
Age at death: 32.
Cause of death: Brain injury.
Location: Arnprior, Ontario, Canada.
Disability: Injuries from car accident; required caregiver.
Details:
Sara was badly beaten by her husband, suffering broken ribs, internal injuries, and a brain injury that would lead to her death about a month later.
Her two boys, ages 5 and 3 when she died, are being raised by her sister.
Case Status:
David Michael Dubois (Husband), pleaded guilty to manslaughter, sentenced to 12 years minus time served.
Sources:
David Dubois to serve almost 10 years for manslaughter near Arnprior
McNab/Braeside man charged with murder 9 months after woman’s death
Obituary of Sara Jean McKeddie
Name: Paramjeet Singh.
Died: January 9, 2022.
Age at death: 30.
Cause of death: Beaten.
Location: Bharat Nagar, Delhi, India.
Disability: Quadriplegic after injury in traffic accident.
Details:
Paramjeet’s family came home to find him injured and brought him to the hospital, but it was too late, and he died. They told police that Paramjeet’s father had come home drunk and beaten him with a wooden rod.
Case Status:
Ajmer Singh (Father), charged with murder.
Sources:
Paralysed man beaten to death by drunk father in Delhi
Delhi: 30-year-old paralysed man beaten to death by father