Remembering the Disabled Murdered by Caregivers
Death due to the actions of another human being.
Name Unknown.
Died: September 1, 2022.
Age at death: 70.
Cause of death: Beaten.
Location: Ratmalana, Western Province, Sri Lanka.
Disability: Unspecified; bedridden.
Details:
This man’s son was arrested after having allegedly beaten him to death and injured his wife.
Case Status:
His son has been arrested.
Name: Leon Apler.
Died: August 29, 2022.
Age at death: 6.
Cause of death: Drowning, head injury.
Location: St. Johann, Tirol, Austria.
Disability: SYNGAP1.
Details:
Leon’s father claimed that he had been mugged, and that Leon had fallen into the River Ache, where he was found dead from drowning and a head injury. However, investigators believe Leon’s father faked the mugging in order to cover up Leon’s murder.
Leon’s favorite toy was a huge stuffed lion. He loved bubbles and “everything that spins”.
Case Status:
Florian Apler (Father), charged with murder.
Sources:
Drowned in Ache – Leon (6) begins his last journey
Dad who claims he was mugged has been arrested for murder of his disabled son
Austria tragedy as disabled boy, 6, drowns after his father was ‘knocked unconscious’
Name: Joanna Parker.
Died: August 22, 2022.
Age at death: 72.
Cause of death: Burns.
Location: Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA.
Disability: Wheelchair user.
Details:
Joanna’s son allegedly poured gasoline on her and set her on fire. Emergency responders were able to extinguish the fire, but she died at the hospital.
Case Status:
James Parker (Son), charged with murder.
Sources:
Woman dies after being set on fire in Winston-Salem by son, police say
Name Unknown.
Died: August 4, 2022.
Age at death: 81.
Cause of death: Unspecified homicide.
Location: To Kwa Wan, Hong Kong.
Disability: Chronic kidney disease.
Details:
This 81-year-old woman was found dead in her bed. Police saw that her intubation tube had been cut open, and arrested her husband on suspicion of having killed her.
Case Status:
Her husband, age 86, charged with manslaughter.
Sources:
Hong Kong man, 86, in suspected manslaughter case after wife dies in hospital
Man, 86, arrested for manslaughter in death of 81-year-old sick wife at To Kwa Wan home
Name: Driti Balakrishna.
Died: August 4, 2022.
Age at death: 4.
Cause of death: Fall.
Location: Bengaluru, Karnataka, India.
Disability: Autism, intellectual disability, hearing loss.
Details:
Driti died after falling from her fourth-floor balcony. After watching CCTV footage, police arrested her mother, who was allegedly upset because she had to care for Driti instead of working.
Case Status:
Sushma Bharadwaj (Mother), charged with murder.
Sources:
Autism Memorial: Driti Balakrishna
Bengaluru woman charged with murder for throwing her child off apartment
Bengaluru: Police charge dentist with murder for throwing autistic child from apartment
Caught on Cam: B’luru woman throws deaf and mute daughter to death from 4th floor
Woman throws 4-year-old daughter to death in Bengaluru
Bengaluru: 4-year-old dies as dentist mother throws her off fourth floor
Name: Tejaswini.
Died: August 1, 2022.
Age at death: 1.
Cause of death: Drowning and/or fall injury.
Location: Jangaon, Telangana, India.
Disability: Intellectual disability.
Details:
Tejaswini’s mother claimed that a robber had tried to steal her gold necklace, and that when she refused, the robber had thrown the baby into a water sump. Neighbors rushed the child to the hospital, but she was dead on arrival. Police, who checked CCTV camera footage, say that there was never a robber, and Tejaswini’s mother threw the baby into the sump herself because she was frustrated that Tejaswini’s disability was not being cured, and tired of the financial burden of caring for her. At the police station, Tejaswini’s mother allegedly confessed to killing her.
Case Status:
Prasanna (Mother), charged with murder.
Sources:
Jangaon woman kills 1-year-old disabled daughter
Woman kills her infant girl child in Jangaon
Telangana: Big twist in Janagama child death case.. Police shocked to hear mother’s truth..!
Name: Shanelle Colquhoun.
Died: July 24, 2022.
Age at death: 26.
Cause of death: Stabbed.
Location: Brooklyn, New York, USA.
Disability: Wheelchair user.
Details:
Shanelle was stabbed to death; her brother was arrested on suspicion of having killed her.
Case Status:
Her brother, age 17, has been arrested.
Sources:
Emotionally disturbed teen stabs older sister to death at their Brooklyn home
Brooklyn stabbing: Woman killed at home, teen brother in custody
Name: Elenora Bernard.
Died: July 23, 2022.
Age at death: 77.
Cause of death: Beating.
Location: Brooklyn, New York, New York, USA.
Disability: Dementia.
Details:
Elenora was getting older and starting to experience memory loss, so she invited a young man to live with her and help her. However, she was beaten to death, and the young man was arrested on suspicion of murder.
She had a pet dog named Baby Girl. A fixture of her neighborhood, she was always out looking for someone to chat with.
Case Status:
Andre Hooper (Tenant; housemate), charged with murder.
Sources:
77-year-old woman found beaten to death in NYC apartment, cops say
Man arrested for fatally beating ‘frail’ 77-year-old NYC granny he lived with
Woman, 77, dies after found bruised and swollen in Brooklyn home
Elderly woman found bruised and dying in her Brooklyn home was suffocated by angry tenant: NYPD
Name: Prakash Thakur.
Died: July 12, 2022.
Age at death: 26.
Cause of death: Head injury.
Location: Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh, India.
Disability: Deaf.
Details:
Prakash and his cousin were drinking together when his cousin became angry at him and allegedly killed him by hitting him in the head with a rock.
Case Status:
Pradeep Thakur (Cousin), arrested.
Name: Gulabi Kerketta.
Died: July 11, 2022.
Age at death: 23.
Cause of death: Beaten.
Location: Alipurduar, West Bengal, India.
Disability: Intellectual disability; Deaf.
Details:
Gulabi’s brother allegedly beat her to death because she couldn’t make it to the toilet and had an accident in her room.
Case Status:
Ajit Kerkatta (Brother), charged with murder.