Category: Type: Homicide

Death due to the actions of another human being.

Madelin Day

Photo of a pale-skinned girl with curly blond hair, lying in a big yellow head-support pillow, fists bunched up next to her face. She has strabismus in one eye. She is smiling.Name: Madelin Anika Day.
Died: November 16, 2022.
Age at death: 4.
Cause of death: Cocaine overdose.
Location: Mattoon, Illinois, USA.
Disability: Unspecified; mobility impaired.

Details:
Madelin died from a cocaine overdose while in the care of her mother and her boyfriend. It is unknown whether she got into the cocaine on her own, or whether it was deliberately administered.

Madeline liked being outdoors, floating in the pool or soaking up the sun. She had a collection of stuffed animals, and loved her grandma’s dog Milo. Her favorite color was blue.

Case Status:
Taylor West (Mother), charged with first-degree murder and drug-induced homicide.
Maverick Bowman (Mother’s boyfriend), charged with first-degree murder and drug-induced homicide.

Sources:
Police: Disabled child dies of cocaine overdose; two individuals arrested
Two Mattoon people arrested for drug-induced homicide, murder of child
Two arrested in connection with 4-year-old’s cocaine overdose death, police say
Madelin Day Obituary (2017 – 2022)

Vincent Roebuck

No PhotoName: Vincent Roebuck.
Died: November 16, 2022.
Age at death: 72.
Cause of death: Stabbing.
Location: Mt. Washington, Pennsylvania, USA.
Disability: Wheelchair user.

Details:
Vincent’s son allegedly broke into his house and stabbed him to death. Vincent’s other son was also stabbed, but survived.

Case Status:
Javon Taylor (Son), charged with criminal homicide, aggravated assault, reckless endangerment, and burglary.

Sources:
Police: Man fatally stabbed father in Mt. Washington because he ‘wanted a cigarette’
Pennsylvania man allegedly killed father and stabbed brother because he was ‘frustrated, cold, and wanted a cigarette’

Alice Matheny

Photo of a smiling elderly woman, with deeply wrinkled fair skin and curly white hair, smiling for the camera. She is wearing wire-rimmed glasses and an orange blouse.Name: Alice Matheny.
Died: November 15, 2022.
Age at death: 93.
Cause of death: Drowning.
Location: Eaton, Ohio, USA.
Disability: Disabled elder.

Details:
Alice’s granddaughter, who had just found out that Alice needed a nursing home and her insurance wouldn’t cover it, allegedly drowned her grandmother in the kitchen sink.

Case Status:
Heidi Matheny (Granddaughter), pleaded guilty to murder.

Sources:
Ohio woman drowns 93-year-old grandmother in sink
Ohio woman pleads guilty to drowning 93-year-old ‘perfect’ grandmother in kitchen sink
Ohio woman confesses to drowning grandmother who needed nursing home: reports
Ohio Woman Allegedly Drowned Her Grandmother In Kitchen Sink Over Cost Of Nursing Home Care
Woman charged with murder accused of drowning grandmother, 93, in Eaton
Eaton woman admits to killing grandma

5-year-old boy

Photo of a small boy with light-brown skin and short black hair, wearing a yellow T-shirt and striped gray and white shorts, sitting on the floor next to a colorful toddler toy.Name Unknown.
Died: November 8, 2022.
Age at death: 5.
Cause of death: Suffocation.
Location: Hat Yai, Songkhla Province, Thailand.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
This five-year-old boy was found dead in his apartment. Police believe that his mother, who had to be hospitalized after a suicide attempt, smothered him with a pillow.

Case Status:
Thitirat Kongkerd (Mother), hospitalized and under investigation.

Sources:
Teacher murders her 5 year old autistic son in southern Thailand
Teacher kills autistic son before consuming toilet cleaner

Teruko Fujiwara

Concrete bridge and white railing above water. A bunch of yellow flowers has been left at the curb.
Flowers left for Teruko Fujiwara at the scene of her death.

Name: Teruko Fujiwara.
Died: November 2, 2022.
Age at death: 79.
Cause of death: Drowning.
Location: Oiso, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan.
Disability: Unspecified; wheelchair user.

Details:
Ms. Fujiwara’s husband had been her caregiver for 40 years since she was injured and started using a wheelchair. The two were planning to enter an assisted-living facility, and Ms. Fujiwara was looking forward to it. But her husband did not want to accept help; he took her to the pier and pushed her out of her wheelchair and into the ocean, where she drowned. Police say he admitted to the murder, saying he was “worn out” from looking after her.

Ms. Fujiwara leaves behind two grown sons.

Case Status:
Hiroshi Fujiwara (Husband), convicted of murder, sentenced to 3 years.

Sources:
Obsession to care for disabled wife by himself led man to kill her
Husband, 82, gets 3 years in drowning death of paralyzed wife
81-year-old Japanese man arrested for murder after pushing wife’s wheelchair into sea
81-yr-old man in Japan arrested for allegedly killing wife he took care of for 40 yrs
Man accused of pushing wife in wheelchair into sea, killing her
Man, 81, pushes wheelchair-bound wife, 79, into the sea as he was ‘too tired of taking care of her’

11-year-old boy

No PhotoName Unknown.
Died: October 29, 2022.
Age at death: 11.
Cause of death: Stab wounds, head injury.
Location: Marseille, France.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
This 11-year-old boy’s mother told police she had lost sight of him and he had gotten lost; but the next day, his body was found on the banks of a river; he had been murdered. Police, who suspected his mother of killing him, arrested her and soon reported that she had admitted to killing her son because she “couldn’t deal with him anymore”.

Case Status:
His mother, age 39 (Arrested).

Sources:
11-year-old boy
Mum ‘admits killing’ autistic son, 11, after dad found his body on riverbank
12-year-old autistic child found dead in Marseille: mother admits killing him
Enfant autiste de 11 ans tué à Marseille : la mère mise en examen pour “meurtre sur mineur”
Enfant autiste tué à Marseille: la mère mise en examen pour meurtre
Infanticide à Marseille : la mère du garçon de 11 ans mise en examen

Hayden Garreffa

Photo of a young man with short brown hair and fair skin, wearing a gray sweater, holding a large, fluffy tabby cat.Name: Hayden Robert Garreffa.
Died: October 22, 2022.
Age at death: 19.
Cause of death: Stabbing.
Location: Ebensburg, Pennsylvania, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Hayden went missing and, two days later, was found dead in a wooded area near his home. Court documents state that he had gotten into a fight with his cousin over his cousin’s girlfriend, and his cousin told his sister that Hayden would be dead by the end of the day. Then, his cousin and eight other people allegedly kidnapped Hayden, took him to the woods, and beat and stabbed him to death.

Case Status:
Isaac Joel Buchkoski (Cousin), charged with conspiracy to commit kidnapping and first-degree kidnapping.
Summer Isabella Settlemyer, charged with conspiracy to commit kidnapping and first-degree kidnapping.
Mia Shai Catalfano, charged with first-degree kidnapping.
Taylyn Nashell Edwards, pleaded guilty but mentally ill to first-degree kidnapping.
Thomas Alan Rivera, charged with first-degree kidnapping.
Jesse Lee Wadsworth, charged with first-degree kidnapping.
Desean Garcia Alvarez, charged with first-degree kidnapping.
Unnamed 14-year-old girl, charged with first-degree kidnapping.

Sources:
Woman Pleads ‘Guilty But Mentally Ill’ To Kidnapping, Killing Autistic Teen
Defendant Pleads Guilty but Mentally Ill for Murder, Kidnapping in Indiana County
Eight individuals – 7 from Johnstown – to stand trial in Indiana County killing of teen
8 People Facing Homicide Charges
Eight people – 7 from Johnstown – accused of kidnapping, killing teenager over ‘personal grievance,’ police say
Eight charged in teenager’s killing
Police: 7 adults, 1 youth arrested in connection with Indiana County teen’s kidnapping, homicide
Missing 19-year-old man killed and left in woods, Pennsylvania cops say. Seven charged
Investigators working to sort out what happened before Ebensburg man’s stabbing death; 8 facing charges
8 charged in kidnapping of Pa. man found dead: ‘You won’t have to worry about him again’ – pennlive.com
Eight charged in teenager’s killing
Autism Memorial: Hayden Garreffa
Fundraiser for a memorial and funeral, organized by Helen Reed

Kannan Kutty

Photo of an Indian man with light-brown skin and dark hair and mustache, wearing a peach-colored dress shirt. He has a streak of red and yellow paint across his forehead.Name: Kannan Mukundan Kutty.
Died: October 21, 2022.
Age at death: 39.
Cause of death: Throat cut.
Location: Palakkad, Kerala, India.
Disability: Diabetes, leg ulcers.

Details:
Kannan’s father killed Kannan, then himself. Neighbors said that Kannan’s health had been deteriorating; they believe that Kannan’s father was tired from taking care of him.

Case Status:
Balakrishnan (Father), deceased.

Sources:
Palakkad man murders diabetic son, kills self
Murder-suicide in Palakkad: Man kills unwell son, then hangs

15-year-old boy

No PhotoName Unknown.
Died: October 17, 2022.
Age at death: 15.
Cause of death: Blunt trauma.
Location: Brownsville, Texas, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
This 15-year-old boy, who cannot be named because his parents have not been located, was staying with his aunt and uncle when he was found dead. When authorities saw the marks on his body, his aunt and uncle were arrested and charged with murder.

Case Status:
Julie Alexadria Brewington (Aunt), pleaded guilty to injury to child by omission.
Noe Garza (Uncle), charged with murder.
Rebecca Garza (Grandmother), charged with failing to report a felony.

Sources:
Woman pleads guilty to lesser charge in murder case for teen with autism
Autopsy report reveals cause of death of Brownsville teen with autism
Autism Memorial: 15-year-old boy
Before death, teen with autism was tied to mattress with dog collar, indictment says
Married couple charged in death of autistic teen in Brownsville
CPS, Brownsville police investigating death of teen boy
BPD: Teen with autism found dead, aunt and uncle charged with murder
Police await autopsy results on autistic teen allegedly killed by relatives
Third Person Charged In Connection With Killing Of Autistic Teen – 710am KURV
Police make third arrest in connection to teen’s death
Pareja es acusada por el presunto homicidio por su sobrino en Brownsville
Police made third arrest in case of teenager’s death

Mae Brown

No PhotoName: Mae Brown.
Died: October 15, 2022.
Age at death: 87.
Cause of death: Beating.
Location: Bronzeville, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
Disability: Disabled elder, wheelchair user.

Details:
Mae was found beaten to death in her apartment. Earlier the same day, police had been called to her apartment twice, first by her daughter who accused her of stealing her disability payments, and then by Mae, who told police her daughter would not leave her apartment. Police arrested Mae’s daughter, who had returned after being forced to leave and beat her mother to death.

Case Status:
Shearly Gaines (Daughter), pleaded guilty to first-degree murder, sentenced to 20 years and must serve 100% of that sentence.

Sources:
Woman pleads guilty to killing 87-year-old mother found dead in wheelchair in Bronzeville apartment
Woman pleads guilty to killing 87-year-old mother found dead in wheelchair in Bronzeville apartment
Death investigation: 87-year-old woman found dead in Bronzeville apartment ruled homicide, ME says
87-year-old woman beaten to death at senior living apartment building on South Side
‘It’s scary’: Woman, 87, found beaten to death in wheelchair at senior home complex, officials say
Woman Charged In Murder Of 87-Year-Old Woman In Douglas Apartment Complex
Garfield Park woman charged with murder of 87-year-old in Bronzeville senior complex
Woman charged with killing 87-year-old mother in CHA senior apartment on South Side
Bond denied for woman charged with killing 87-year-old mother on Chicago’s South Side
No bail for 69-year-old woman accused of murdering her 87-year-old mother at South Side senior apartments
Woman accused mom of stealing disability money before 87-year-old was found beaten to death: court