Type: Homicide-Suicide – Page 24 – Disability Day of Mourning

Benjamin Barnhard

Photo of a teenage boy with fair skin and brown, curly hair, wearing a black suit and a lei draped around his neck. Name: Benjamin Barnhard.
Died: August 3, 2011.
Age at death: 13.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Kensington, Maryland, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Benjamin was shot to death by his mother, who killed herself one day later.

Case status:
Margaret Ferne Jensvold (Mother), deceased.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Benjamin Barnhard
Autism Tragedy as Psychiatrist Mother Allegedly Murders Son, Commits Suicide in MD
‘She was going to kill me too,’ says ex-husband of psychiatrist who shot her autistic ‘Too Fat For 15’ son before turning the gun on herself
Mother, Son Deaths In Kensington, MD Ruled Murder-Suicide

Karandeep Arora

No Photo Name: Karandeep Arora.
Died: October 25, 2010.
Age at death: 18.
Cause of death: Homicide.
Location: New Delhi, India.
Disability: Visual and mobility impairment.

Details:
Karandeep’s parents either smothered or poisoned him, and then both of them committed suicide.

Case status:
Saminder Singh Arora and Mini Arora (Parents), deceased.

Source:
Couple kill disabled son, commit suicide

Kyle Potts

Photo of Kyle Potts, a young boy with short dark hair, brown eyes, and tanned skin, wearing a white tank top. His wide smile reveals a gap between his front teeth. Name: Kyle Joseph Potts.
Died: October 18, 2010.
Age at death: 9.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Crestline, California, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Kyle’s grandmother shot him and herself in a murder-suicide.

Case status:
Denise Snyder (Grandmother), deceased.

Source:
Crestline woman fatally shoots grandson, self
Crestline woman kills herself and 9-year-old grandson, authorities say
Crestline Murder-Suicide
Kyle Joseph Potts
Autism Memorial: Kyle Potts

Chase Ogden

Portrait photos of two adolescents. One is Chase Ogden, a boy with an awkward smile and a mop of black hair; the other is Olivia Ogden, a girl with shoulder-length brown hair. Both siblings have fair skin. Name: Chase Ogden.
Died: October 4, 2010.
Age at death: 13.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Chase and his twin sister Olivia were killed by their mother, who then shot herself.

Case status:
Rene Ogden (Mother), deceased.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Chase Ogden
Rene Ogden killed twins Chase and Olivia, then committed suicide, says El Paso County coroner
Colo. Police Probe Deaths of Mother, Twin Children
Essex Lane deaths apparent murder-suicide
Coroner: Mother, twins shot in head

Shah Amin Shariffudin

No Photo Name: Shah Amin Shariffudin.
Died: September 26, 2010.
Age at death: 19.
Cause of death: Asphyxia.
Location: Marsiling, Singapore.
Disability: Global developmental delay, mobility impaired (wore leg braces).

Details:
Shah was strangled by his father, who then killed himself. Reportedly, his father had gone into debt and did not want to “burden” the family with Shah’s care.

Case status:
Shariffudin Abdul Kader (Father), deceased.

Source:
Death at Marsiling leads police to second body at hotel
Man kills himself, leaves note confessing to son’s murder
$1m debts led to two deaths

Kenneth Holmes

Black and white side-profile photo of Kenneth Holmes, an African-American boy with his hair in cornrows. Name: Kenneth Holmes.
Died: July 28, 2010.
Age at death: 12.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: New York, New York, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Kenneth was shot to death by his mother, who then committed suicide herself. Police said she was “frustrated over the demands of raising an autistic child”.

Case status:
Michaela Jackson (Mother), deceased.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Kenneth Holmes
JA mom kills autistic son, herself
Mom suspected in murder-suicide involving autistic son posted heart-wrenching blog item before death
It’s Mick’s World

Grace Carlson

Indistinct photo of Grace Carlson, a heavyset teenage girl with dark-brown skin and a white ribbon in her hair. Name: Grace Carlson.
Died: July 17, 2010.
Age at death: 13.
Cause of death: Poisoning.
Location: South Lyon, Michigan, USA.
Disability: “Seriously disabled”; born addicted to crack.

Details:
Grace’s mother poisoned her in a murder-suicide.

Case status:
Donna Carlson (Adoptive mother), deceased.

Source:
Details emerge about South Lyon murder-suicide attempt; police seek charge of murder 1

Christopher Melton

Name: Christopher Melton.
Died: June 4, 2010.
Age at death: 18.
Cause of death: Carbon monoxide poisoning.
Location: Columbia, Maryland, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Christopher’s mother poisoned him and herself with carbon monoxide.

Case status:
Tracy Hawks (Mother), deceased.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Christopher Melton
Columbia, Maryland: Deaths of Tracy Hawks and Christopher Melton, mother and son, ruled murder-suicide
Deaths of mother and son remain a mystery
Columbia deaths of mom and son ruled murder-suicide

Benjamin McLatchie

No Photo Name: Benjamin McLatchie.
Died: April 27, 2010.
Age at death: 22.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Gray, Maine, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Benjamin’s father shot him to death before committing suicide.

Benjamin was “a sweet and gentle boy. He loved Curious George, Winnie the Pooh, Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood, listening to music, reading books, and swinging on his swing.”

Case status:
Daniel McLatchie (Father), deceased.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Benjamin McLatchie
Pondering a murder/suicide in Gray, Maine
Gray shooting done by ‘caring’ father
Daniel and Benjamin McLatchie

Aja Johnson

Name: Aja Danielle Johnson.
Died: March 29, 2010.
Age at death: 7.
Cause of death: Homicide.
Location: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA.
Disability: ADHD, sleep disorder.

Details:
Aja’s abusive stepfather, after losing custody, killed her mother and kidnapped her. Two months later, he killed her and then himself.

Aja’s father called her “Punky.” She wanted to be a cheerleader.

Case status:
Lester Hobbs (Stepfather), deceased.

Source:
Amber Alert: 7-Year-Old Aja Johnson Believed to Be With Accused Murderer
Horrific abuse marked last three years of Aja Johnson’s life
New Info in Aja Johnson Case
Aja Danielle Johnson (2003-2010) – Find A Grave
Command center closing in search for 7-year-old