Remembering the Disabled Murdered by Caregivers
Homicide followed by completed suicide.
Name: Georgianne Woolum.
Died: December 3, 2014.
Age at death: 90.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Keller, Texas, USA.
Disability: Stroke, congestive heart failure, colectomy.
Details:
Georgianne’s husband shot her in a murder-suicide.
Case status:
Joe Woolum (Husband), deceased.
Name Unknown.
Died: November 10, 2014.
Age at death: 21.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Udon Thaini, Muang district, Thailand.
Disability: Autism.
Details:
This 21-year-old man lived with his parents and ten-year-old sister. His father came in from his rice field, had dinner, and then, at 2 o’clock at night, shot his son and then killed himself. The young man’s grandfather-in-law found them the next morning.
Case status:
His father, deceased.
Source:
Autism Memorial: 21-year-old male, Name unknown
Father shoots son dead in suspected murder suicide
Music teacher kills autistic son, self
Name: Joan Stack.
Age at death: 82.
Disability: Terminal cancer, arthritis.
Name: Mary Stack.
Age at death: 57.
Disability: Autism.
Name: Francis “Frankie” Stack Jr.
Age at death: 48.
Disability: Autism; sciatica.
Died: August 30, 2014.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Chicago, Illinois, USA.
Details:
Joan Stack and her children, Mary and Francis Jr., were shot by her husband, their father, in a murder-suicide.
Joan Stack was a deeply religious Catholic homemaker known for keeping the house tidy and making dinner every night.
Frankie and Mary lived in group homes. Frankie was non-verbal, but Mary could say a few words.
Mary was a fan of action movies, and liked to look at magazines, especially magazines with photos of babies in them.
Case status:
Francis Stack Sr (Father, husband), deceased.
Source:
Autism Memorial: Mary Stack and Francis Stack Jr.
Four Dead In Elmhurst Murder-Suicide
Disabled children killed in Elmhurst murder-suicide
Elmhurst couple in murder-suicide were doting parents: neighbors
Four Bodies in Elmhurst
Name: Katharine Renai Mihok.
Died: July 23, 2014.
Age at death: 8.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Norfolk, Virginia, USA.
Disability: A rare chromosomal disorder affecting movement and intellectual development.
Details:
Katharine’s mother shot her to death, then killed herself.
From Katharine’s obituary: “Katharine was an energetic and happy child. She loved throwing kisses in the air, posing for pictures, being outdoors discovering, dancing to music, being in the pool, going to school, Girl Scouts and earning badges, and visiting with people. Most of all, she loved her family and her big sister.”
Case status:
Karla M. Mihok (Mother), deceased.
Source:
UPDATE: Norfolk mother kills 8-year-old daughter before taking her own life; woman now identified
Obituary: Karla Mae and Katharine Renai Mihok
Region sees 2 murder-suicides by women – rare tragedy
Name: Barbara Poucher.
Died: May 23, 2014.
Age at death: 86.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Ormond Beach, Florida, USA.
Disability: Alzheimer’s disease.
Details:
Barbara was shot dead in her bed by her husband in a murder-suicide.
Case status:
John Poucher (Husband), deceased.
Source:
Caregivers who kill their spouses share traits, experts say
2 dead in apparent murder-suicide in Ormond Beach
Police: Ormond man, 89, shoots, kills wife with Alzheimer’s, then himself
Double-Killing in Ormond Beach: Not Murder-Suicide, But Mercy and Heroism
Name: Mary Myatt.
Died: April 27, 2014.
Age at death: 59.
Cause of death: Massive trauma.
Location: Oneida, New York, USA.
Disability: Cognitive impairment after brain aneurysm.
Details:
Mary’s husband drove her to the train tracks and waited until the train hit them, killing them both.
Mary had worked as a teacher’s aide, medical office receptionist, and manager of a college bookstore. She had two sons and four grandchildren.
Case status:
Earl Myatt Jr. (Husband), deceased.
Source:
Grandparents Killed By Train Ruled Murder-Suicide
NY husband steps in front of train with ill wife, leaves behind a mystery
The love that led a couple to stand in front of a train
Name: Caitlin Wentzel.
Died: April 21, 2014.
Age at death: 12.
Cause of death: Smothered.
Location: Mesa, Arizona, USA.
Disability: Osteogenesis imperfecta.
Details:
Caitlin’s mother poisoned her, then smothered her to death, before killing herself.
Caitlin enjoyed learning about cultures, reading, art and swimming. She was a proficient reader who read above her grade level.
Case status:
Marcia Wentzel (Mother), deceased.
Source:
Mother ‘overdosed and smothered’ her wheelchair-bound daughter, 12, who was suffering from a rare genetic disorder before ending her own life in murder-suicide
Marcia & Caitlin Wentzel Obituary – Mesa, AZ
Name: Robert Robinson.
Died: April 3, 2014.
Age at death: 16.
Cause of death: Tranquilizer poisoning.
Location: Prince Rupert, British Columbia, Canada.
Disability: Autism.
Details:
Robert was poisoned by his mother, who also took her own life.
Robbie and his mother liked to hike a trail by the ocean.
Case status:
Angie Robinson (Mother), deceased.
Source:
Autism Memorial: Robert Robinson
Prince Rupert RCMP confirm murder-suicide in Ebert Street deaths
Social services for families with autistic children called into question following murder-suicide involving mother and son
Murder-suicide of B.C. autistic teen by his mother reignites debate over caregiver support
Prince Rupert mom left murder-suicide note saying she could no longer care for severely autistic son
Name: Vincent Phan.
Died: January 30, 2014.
Age at death: 24.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Lawrenceville, Georgia, USA.
Disability: Autism.
Details:
Vincent was shot by his mother, who then killed herself.
Case status:
Thuy Phan (Mother), deceased.
Source:
Autism Memorial: Vincent Phan
Gwinnett Police investigating possible murder/suicide in Lawrenceville
Cops: Woman shoots autistic son, herself in murder-sucide in Gwinnett County
Police: Lawrenceville mother shots autistic son, herself
Police: Mother Kills Autistic Son, Then Herself
Name: Damien Veraghen.
Died: January 20, 2014.
Age at death: 9.
Cause of death: Asphyxia.
Location: Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA.
Disability: Autism, epilepsy.
Details:
Damien was drugged and suffocated by his mother in a murder-suicide.
Damien liked playing catch, and loved sports in general. He played in the Miracle League of Green Bay. Every week, Damien played a game with friends in the league. He loved the baseball bats.
He also liked to run the vacuum cleaner at home; neighbors would hear the vacuum cleaner and know it was Damien.
Case status:
April Veraghen (Mother), deceased.
Source:
Autism Memorial: Damien Veraghen
April and Damien Veraghen, Obituary
Mother-son deaths at west-side apartment ruled murder, suicide
Friends remember victims of murder-suicide
Mother-son murder-suicide investigation closed