Remembering the Disabled Murdered by Caregivers
Fatal abuse.
Name: Kushal.
Died: July 4, 2019.
Age at death: 2.
Cause of death: Head injury.
Location: Aswal, Hunsur taluk, Karnataka, India.
Disability: Epilepsy.
Details:
Kushal’s parents tried to conduct an exorcism to cure him of his epilepsy. Police say they beat him severely with a banana stem. He died of severe head injuries.
Case status:
Parimala and Shashikumar (Parents), arrested.
Name: Noah Tomlin.
Died: July 3, 2019.
Age at death: 2.
Cause of death: Blunt head trauma, battered child syndrome.
Location: Hampton, Virginia, USA.
Disability: Autism.
Details:
Noah’s mother initially reported him missing; but his body was found and his death determined to be murder. Noah had been abused for some time before dying from a head injury.
Case Status:
Julia Tomlin (Mother), pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, sentenced to 55 years.
Sources:
Hampton mom to serve 55 years on murder, abuse charges in son’s death
Mom pleads guilty to murdering two-year-old son who has autism
The autopsy of 2-year-old Noah Tomlin was released: His mother is now charged with murder
Body believed to be missing Virginia 2-year-old found
Autism Memorial: Noah Tomlin
Name: Penny Laine Clark.
Died: May 20, 2019.
Age at death: 45.
Cause of death: Blunt trauma.
Location: Biloxi, Mississippi, USA.
Disability: Epilepsy, mental illness.
Details:
Penny’s boyfriend beat and strangled her, then called police saying she “needed help”; police arrived to find her dead. Her boyfriend’s sister told police that Penny’s boyfriend had a history of abusing her, and that she had been beaten up in the past.
Case Status:
Gary Wayne Wallace (Boyfriend), convicted of first-degree murder, sentenced to life.
Sources:
Biloxi man gets life in prison for girlfriend’s murder in 2019
Arrest warrant reveals disturbing, bloody details in murder of Biloxi woman
“His face was black and blue.” Coast murder trial testimony reveals history of domestic abuse
Name: Steven May.
Died: May 20, 2019.
Age at death: 50.
Cause of death: Blunt trauma, broken ribs.
Location: Deepdale, Preston, England, UK.
Disability: Epilepsy, COPD, alcoholism.
Details:
Steven lived with a lodger, whom he told his family was there for company and prepared some meals for him. The lodger abused him, and eventually beat him to death.
Case status:
Darren Taylor (Lodger), convicted of murder, sentenced to 20 years to life.
Source:
Lodger jailed for life for murder of his vulnerable friend Steven May in Deepdale
Preston man Darren Taylor found guilty of murdering vulnerable Steven May
MURDER INVESTIGATION: Neighbours are ‘shocked and saddened’ over death of 50-year-old man
Preston dad Steven May had suffered 76 rib fractures in the weeks before he died, murder trial told
Name: Andrew “AJ” Freund Jr.
Died: April 24, 2019.
Age at death: 5.
Cause of death: Head injury.
Location: Woodstock, Illinois, USA.
Disability: Parents claimed he had oppositional defiant disorder to justify abuse. Whether AJ had a disability is unknown.
Details:
AJ spent some time in a foster home before being returned to his parents. His foster parents and one of his grandmothers released a statement that said, “This smart little boy loved having books read to him, doing puzzles, his Thomas the Train, playing with his fire trucks, bulldozers, cement mixer and Ninja Turtles. He was very curious and always wanted to learn about everything.”
AJ was regularly abused by his parents. He died of head injuries after having been forced to take a cold shower and beaten because he had lied about having dirty underwear.
Case status:
Joann Cunningham (Mother), pleaded guilty to first-degree murder, sentenced to 35 years with no parole.
Andrew Freund Sr. (Father), pleaded guilty to aggravated battery to a child, involuntary manslaughter, and concealing a homicidal death; sentenced to 30 years.
Source:
AJ Freund’s mother sentenced to 35 years in his beating, cold shower murder
A.J. Freund’s Mom Allegedly Had Video of Beaten Kid on Her Phone, Which Helped Solve Case: Docs
Warrant: AJ’s father says his mother killed the boy
Newly released documents reveal graphic details about AJ Freund case
Video of beaten 5-year-old AJ Freund on mom’s phone helped crack case, search was made for ‘child cpr,’ authorities say
Andrew ‘AJ’ Freund’s foster family releases statement: ‘AJ was loved by us’
Photos of AJ Freund’s Crystal Lake home reveal filthy living conditions
Cell phone video led to father’s confession in the killing of 5-year-old AJ Freund, police say
Grand jury indicts parents of slain Crystal Lake 5-year-old AJ Freund; court hearing scheduled for Friday morning
Name Unknown.
Died: April 10, 2019.
Age at death: 42.
Cause of death: Beaten.
Location: Puerto Rico, Mogan, Spain.
Disability: Mobility impaired.
Details:
This woman was beaten to death, and her partner is accused of the murder. The crime is considered particularly severe because the woman was unable to defend herself, as she was both mobility-impaired and intoxicated at the time. In the weeks before she died, she had been injured twice–both explained away by her partner as falls due to her disability.
Case Status:
Lars E.A. (Partner), charged with murder, aggravated by kinship, gender violence, and cruelty.
Name: Sarah Dubois-Gilbeau.
Died: April 5, 2019.
Age at death: 5.
Cause of death: Blunt trauma.
Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA.
Disability: Autism.
Details:
Sarah’s father beat her to death because she refused to do her schoolwork. Her mother says that her father refused to accept she was autistic.
Sarah liked acting out movie scenes and reading Lego Ninjago comic books.
Case status:
Brandon Reynolds (Father), pled guilty to intentional child abuse resulting in the death of a child; sentenced to 30 years to life.
Source:
ABQ man gets life in beating death of daughter
Autism Memorial: Sarah Dubois-Gilbeau
Mom says 5-year-old allegedly killed by father had autism
New Mexico father beat daughter, 5, to death after she refused to do homework: cops
Mother of murdered little girl says she was autistic, claims dad who beat 5-year-old to death over homework ‘couldn’t deal’ with diagnosis
Dad ‘battered autistic girl, 5, to death with shoe for refusing to do homework’
Father is arrested for allegedly beating 5-year-old autistic daughter to death with shoe for refusing to do homework
Name: Kylee Willis.
Died: March 29, 2019.
Age at death: 4.
Cause of death: Head injury.
Location: Rancho Cucamonga, California, USA.
Disability: Down syndrome.
Details:
Kylee’s mother’s boyfriend was babysitting for her. When she interrupted him, he allegedly beat her severely. She spent several days on life support before dying of her injuries.
Case status:
Adam Hughes (Mother’s boyfriend), charged with murder; convicted, sentenced to 15 years to life.
Corrine Blake (Mother), convicted of cruelty to a child, sentenced to probation.
Source:
Save Down Syndrome: Kylee Willis
Girl, 4, with Down Syndrome ‘beaten to death by mother’s boyfriend’
Calif. Man Allegedly Killed Girl with Down Syndrome, 4, Because He Was Mad She Interrupted Him
Name: Ja’hir Gibbons.
Died: March 18, 2019.
Age at death: 2.
Cause of death: Traumatic injury.
Location: Chicago, Illinois, USA.
Disability: Unspecified; received speech and developmental therapy.
Details:
Ja’hir was allegedly beaten to death by his mother’s boyfriend, whom his mother had allegedly left to babysit him despite knowing he was abusing the boy. His body showed signs of chronic child abuse.
Ja’Hir was given the nickname “Tuga” by his big brother. His favorite superhero was The Hulk.
Case status:
Dejon Waters (Mother’s boyfriend), charged with first-degree murder.
Brittany Hyc (Mother), charged with child endangerment resulting in death.
Source:
Ja’hir Gibbons, Age 2, March 18, 2019, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois
Boy, 5, found covered in bruises in same apartment 2-year-old died from child abuse
Boy, 5, found ‘covered in bruises’ in home where 2-year-old boy was discovered dead from child abuse
Another 2-year-old’s death connected to DCFS, Gov. Pritzker weighs in
2 in custody in connection to death of 2-year-old boy on South Side
After toddler killed, DCFS investigating worker that said boy was ‘safe’ at home
Name Unknown.
Died: March 10, 2019.
Age at death: 5.
Cause of death: Blunt trauma.
Location: Kwadela, Davel, Mpumalanga, South Africa.
Disability: Epilepsy.
Details:
This five-year-old girl’s abusive parents claimed she had fallen out of bed; but her body showed signs that she had been severely abused, and her parents were convicted of her murder.
Case status:
Bheki Hlophe (Mother), convicted of murder.
Sibongile Shongwe (Father), convicted of murder.
Source:
They were arrested for the death of their five-year-old daughter at their home in Kwadela, Davel on 10 March
Father and girlfriend convicted of five-year-old’s murder
Ouers in hof oor dogter se dood