Remembering the Disabled Murdered by Caregivers
Fatal abuse.
Name: Shoko Takahashi.
Died: March 4, 2020.
Age at death: 82.
Cause of death: Fatal beating.
Location: Hiratsuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan.
Disability: Unspecified; bedridden.
Details:
Shoko’s son allegedly beat her to death because she wouldn’t take her medicine. He said he was “tired of being her caregiver”.
Case status:
Noboru Takahashi (Son), arrested on suspicion of murder.
Source:
52-year-old man charged with killing 82-year-old mother
Name: David Allsopp.
Died: February 15, 2020.
Age at death: 67.
Cause of death: Blunt trauma.
Location: Derby, England, UK.
Disability: Dementia.
Details:
David was exploited by a woman who moved in with him as his caregiver. She beat him on a regular basis and told his friends and family that the bruises were from falls. The beatings eventually killed him.
David leaves behind a twin sister.
Case status:
Magdalena Kissova (Caregiver, roommate), pleaded guilty to murder, sentenced to 24 years.
Source:
Face of killer carer who savagely beat Derby man to death
‘Carer’ exploited and murdered vulnerable Derby man
Evil woman battered dementia OAP she was paid to care for to death
Name: Derrick Christophe.
Died: February 14, 2020.
Age at death: 40.
Cause of death: Internal bleeding.
Location: Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA.
Disability: Developmental disability.
Details:
Derrick died of internal bleeding. Police allege that his father, who was regularly abusive, had been beating him with a broom handle.
Case status:
Ellsworth Hull (Father), charged with second-degree murder.
Source:
Bond set for father accused of killing his mentally handicapped son
Elderly dad turns himself in after accusations he beat his disabled son to death, cleaned the scene
Name: Rosalia Garofalo.
Died: January 29, 2020.
Age at death: 52.
Cause of death: Trauma-related pneumothorax and respiratory failure.
Location: Marsala, Sicily, Italy.
Disability: Stroke.
Details:
Rosalia’s husband allegedly beat her to death over the course of three days. She had been abused by her husband many times over the years of her marriage.
Case status:
Vincenzo Frasillo (Husband), charged with voluntary homicide, domestic abuse, and assault.
Source:
Omicidio Rosalia Garofalo. Rinviato a giudizio il marito Vincenzo Frasillo
Processo femminicidio Mazara del Vallo, sentiti investigatori della Polizia
Man indicted for beating to death disabled wife
Al via processo per l’omicidio della mazarese Rosalia Garofalo uccisa un anno fa dal marito
Name: Ishanth.
Died: January 28, 2020.
Age at death: 3.
Cause of death: Trauma.
Location: Korukkupeet, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
Disability: Intellectual disability, mobility impaired, unspecified disorder of the nerves.
Details:
When her son was taken to the hospital, Ishanth’s mother claimed that he had tripped and fallen while playing. He died of his injuries three days later. However, the autopsy and investigation found that he could not have tripped, because he could not walk yet. His mother admitted during questioning that she had beaten him because she did not want a child with a disability.
Case status:
Nadiya (Mother), charged with murder.
Source:
Stressed over son’s learning disability, Chennai mother kills toddler, held after 11 months
Chennai woman admits to murdering 3-year-old son who had disability
Chennai: Mother arrested for special kid’s death after 11 months
Name: Thomas Valva.
Died: January 17, 2020.
Age at death: 8.
Cause of death: Hypothermia.
Location: Long Island, New York, USA.
Disability: Autism.
Details:
Thomas lived with his father and his father’s fiancee. He and his brother were starved and made to sleep in the unheated garage. One freezing night, Thomas died, and medical examiners determined he had died from hypothermia.
Thomas was a friendly, well-liked second-grader who enjoyed playing outside. When he was two, he spoke his first words–“Ball” and “go”–while playing with a therapist, rolling a ball back and forth. He also liked puzzles.
Case status:
Michael Valva (Father), convicted of second-degree murder and child endangerment, sentenced to 25 years to life.
Angelina Pollana (Father’s girlfriend), convicted of second-degree murder and child endangerment, sentenced to 25 years to life.
Source:
‘Pure Evil’: Angela Pollina Found Guilty In Death Of Thomas Valva, 8
Stepmom Guilty of Murder in 8-Year-Old Long Island Boy’s Freezing Death
Thomas Valva: Ex-Cop’s Former Fiancée GUILTY in Death of His 8-Year-Old Son
Angela Pollina gets 25 years for murder in hypothermia death of 8-year-old autistic boy Thomas Valva
Thomas Valva Froze In Icy Garage ‘For The Sin Of Being Autistic’: ADA
Murder trial of woman accused in 8-year-old Thomas Valva’s hypothermia death begins
Ex-cop Michael Valva, found guilty of killing son with autism, sentenced
‘Truly sorry’: ex-NYPD cop Michael Valva WEEPS after 25-year sentence for killing autistic son Thomas Valva
Ex-cop Michael Valva gets maximum sentence for murder of son, 8, in freezing LI garage
Former New York Police Officer Convicted in Freezing Death of Son
Educators Testify In Trial Of Ex-NYPD Cop Accused Of Son’s Freezing Death: ‘He Told Me His Heart Was Pounding’
Thomas Valva: Detective Says Autopsy Results Changed Case from Non-criminal to Murder for Cop Dad Accused of Killing Autistic Son
Court Denies Immunity To Child Protection Workers Who Allowed An NYPD Officer To Abuse His Son To Death
Judge rules parts of $200M Thomas Valva death lawsuit can go forward
Thomas Valva’s Mother Can Press $200M Wrongful Death Suit
Autism Memorial: Thomas Valva
NYPD Officer Michael Valva, charged with murder after his autistic son froze to death in garage, quits police force
Thomas Valva’s brother details brutal life with NYPD cop dad accused of murder
A Dozen Calls to Child Abuse Hotline Did Not Save 8-Year-Old Boy
House of Horrors Boy ‘Made the Ultimate Sacrifice’
NYPD officer and fiancée charged with murder of cop’s 8-year-old autistic son who froze to death in garage
NYPD Dad Charged In Frigid-Garage Death Of Boy, 8: Cops
NYPD cop Michael Valva abused son Thomas Valva for years before his death, mom claims
‘I’m Not Surprised,’ Nanny Says Of 8-Year-Old’s Horrific Death
Child services ignored complaints about cop before his son died
NYPD officer Michael Valva, fiancée charged with murder in death of cop’s 8-year-old son
Father, His Fiancée Face Murder Charges In Death Of 8-Year-Old Long Island Boy
NYPD Cop & Fiancee Accused of Killing 8-Year-Old Boy
Name: Mohd Amjad.
Died: December 22, 2019.
Age at death: 8.
Cause of death: Traumatic injury.
Location: Hyderabad, Telangana, India.
Disability: Physical disability.
Details:
Mohd was brought to the hospital and declared dead on arrival. His injuries prompted the police to arrest his mother and her partner, who allegedly beat him to death for “bothering” them.
Case status:
Sultana Begum (Mother), charged with murder.
Ismail (Mother’s partner), charged with murder.
Source:
Woman, partner beat handicapped child to death in Cyberabad
Name: Kyrell Matthews.
Died: October 20, 2019.
Age at death: 2.
Cause of death: Abdominal trauma, torn liver.
Location: Thornton Heath, London, England, UK.
Disability: Autism.
Details:
Kyrell was regularly beaten by his mother and her boyfriend. After a particularly severe beating, emergency services found him dying from internal injuries.
Kyrell’s grandmother remembers him as “the most loving little boy, always smiling”.
Case Status:
Kemar Brown (Mother’s partner), found guilty of murder, sentenced to 25 years.
Phylesia Shirley (Mother), found guilty of manslaughter, sentenced to 13 years.
Sources:
Mum and partner jailed for killing autistic toddler son
Kyrell Matthews: Man found guilty of murdering partner’s two-year-old son who died with 41 rib fractures
Kyrell Matthews: Man jailed for 25 years for murdering partner’s two-year-old son, who was treated ‘like a punchbag’
Mum’s partner jailed for 25 years for horrific killing of her autistic son
Name: Gael Francisco Baumea.
Died: September 26, 2019.
Age at death: 6.
Cause of death: Drowned.
Location: Pascua Yaqui, Arizona, USA.
Disability: Unspecified special needs.
Details:
Gael and his mother were members of the Yaqui tribe, though his father was not.
His father, attempting to “perform an exorcism”, allegedly killed the boy by forcing his head under hot water, burning or drowning him. Police say he told them he “saw something evil” inside the boy.
Case status:
Pablo Martinez (Father), charged with first-degree murder.
Source:
Gael Baumea Obituary – Tucson, AZ
Arizona man killed a 6-year-old boy trying to ‘cast the demon out,’ police say
Arizona man charged after 6-year-old son dies during attempted exorcism
Authorities: Tucson man killed son while trying to exorcise demon
Man kills son to ‘cast out demon’
Dad from hell killed six-year-old son by pouring hot water down throat to ‘exorcise demons’
Name: Jakie Toole.
Died: September 11, 2019 (Body found), last seen April 2019.
Age at death: 5.
Cause of death: Blunt trauma.
Location: Meridian, Mississippi, USA.
Disability: Unspecified special needs; mobility and communication impairment.
Details:
Jakie’s mother left him with a family friend to serve as a caregiver. His body was found in a garbage bag in her basement, and an autopsy showed he had died of trauma from a beating. The caregiver had led police to the body and told them she had burned him in a bathtub and beaten him for crying.
Case status:
Celeste Louise Smith (Caregiver), convicted of murder, sentenced to life.
Source:
Missing child’s caretaker charged with capital murder after body found in basement of Meridian home
Capital murder charge filed in Meridian basement body discovery case
Meridian woman charged with capital murder following discovery of a child’s remains
Body of special needs child found in garbage bag was beaten and burned, autopsy confirms
Autopsy: Body of special needs child found in garbage bag was beaten and burned
Body of child found in basement: Autopsy shows beating; chief says he was also burned
Mother of special needs child who was killed, found in bag, faces neglect charges
Mother charged with child neglect in case of missing special needs child