Type: Homicide – Page 20 – Disability Day of Mourning

Ekadashi Swain

No Photo Name: Ekadashi Swain.
Died: July 4, 2021.
Age at death: 38.
Cause of death: Beaten.
Location: Khasadi village, Kendrapara, Odisha, India.
Disability: Unspecified; physically challenged.

Details:
Ekadashi was on his way home from the field when his cousin and some accomplices allegedly ambushed him and bludgeoned him to death with a plank. Police say the motive was a property dispute.

Case Status:
Santosh Swain (Cousin), wanted for murder.
Nidhiram Swain (Relative), wanted for murder.
Unnamed woman, wanted for murder.

Source:
Disabled Person Beaten To Death By ‘Cousin’ In Kendrapada | Odisha (Caution: Censored graphic image.)
Differently-abled man stoned to death over land dispute

Elsie Pinder

Name: Elsie Pinder.
Died: July 3, 2021.
Age at death: 66.
Cause of death: Fire.
Location: Southend, Essex, England, UK.
Disability: Stroke; mobility impaired.

Details:
Elsie died in a house fire started by her son deliberately in order to kill her. Her son, also her sole caretaker, knew that she would be unable to escape a burning house. Firefighters were able to rescue Elsie from the house, but she died from her injuries at the hospital.

Her other son, Paul, describes Elsie as kind-hearted, generous, loving, and witty, a “bottle of champagne waiting to pop”.

Case Status:
Andrew Wilding (Son), found guilty of murder and arson with intent to endanger life, sentenced to 27 years to life.

Sources:
Carer who left disabled mum to die in fire jailed for 27 years
Carer son started fire to kill disabled mother – then went for a milkshake
Son ‘murdered disabled mum in fire after watching Jeffrey Dahmer video’
Accused murderer texted boyfriend he ‘fancied McDonalds’ as mum died in fire
Man appears in court charged with murdering woman in fire
Everything we heard during first week of Southend arson and murder trial

Deborah Diamond

No Photo Name: Deborah Diamond.
Died: June 30, 2021.
Age at death: 73.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Sheffield, Ohio, USA.
Disability: Chronic illness, chronic pain.

Details:
Deborah’s husband shot her. She was hospitalized, but died 23 days later from her injuries.

Case Status:
Ronald Diamond (Husband), pleaded no contest to aggravated murder, murder, and felonious assault; sentenced to life without parole.

Sources:
Court rejects Sheffield man’s appeal in wife’s 2021 murder
Lorain County Safe Harbor: Silent Witnesses

Jallen McConnie

Photo of a young Black teenage boy, wearing jeans, black T-shirt, and baseball cap, sitting in a lawn chair. In the background is a neatly mown lawn and some parked cars. Name: Jallen McConnie.
Died: June 28, 2021.
Age at death: 15.
Cause of death: Beaten.
Location: New York City, New York, USA.
Disability: PTSD, ADHD, oppositional-defiant disorder, possible autism.

Details:
Jallen lived in Georgia, but he was visiting his cousins in New York City’s Upper West Side. An ambulance was called to the apartment; medics found Jallen unresponsive, his body battered, and brought him to the hospital where he was declared dead. His cousin–who had allegedly beaten him for interrupting him while he was watching TV–was arrested. Further investigation revealed that Jallen had been abused while staying with his cousins.

Case Status:
Johnette Booker (Cousin), convicted of first-degree manslaughter and gang assault.
Mitcaux Booker (Cousin), charged with assault, endangering the welfare of an incompetent or physically disabled person, and acting in a manner injurious to a child.

Sources:
Johnette Booker Found Guilty for Death of Special Needs Teen Cousin
Disabled teen’s cousin guilty of brutally killing him in her Manhattan apartment
Woman convicted of beating special needs cousin to death in Upper West Side apartment
Cousin Tortured Autistic Teen To Death, DA Says | NYC Top Stories
Autistic Teen Tortured To Death By UWS Cousin, DA Says
Shocking crime: New York woman found guilty in murder of autistic teen cousin
NYC Man Allegedly Beat His Teen Cousin to Death for Interrupting Netflix
Jallen Terrell McConnie | The Wilson Times
15-year-old boy found dead in Manhattan apartment a homicide; man arrested
Disabled teen mercilessly beaten to death in Upper West Side apartment for interrupting cousin’s Netflix time, police say
Man Charged With Assault In Death Of 15-Year-Old Boy On UWS: NYPD

Janet Kotopka

Gravestone reading, "Janet R Kotopka, 1943 to 2021." Name: Janet Kotopka.
Died: June 23, 2021.
Age at death: 78.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Lincoln, Nebraska, USA.
Disability: Alzheimer’s disease.

Details:
When he was arrested for shooting her, Janet’s husband told investigators he was “exhausted and couldn’t take care of her any longer,” and that he worried about the cost of moving her to a nursing home.

Case Status:
John Kotopka (Husband), charged with first-degree murder; died before trial.

Source:
Lincoln man accused of killing his wife with Alzheimer’s dies in hospital
Lincoln man accused of fatally shooting his wife who had Alzheimer’s pleads not guilty to murder
Lincoln man accused of killing wife who had Alzheimer’s charged with first-degree murder
80-Year-Old Resented Taking Care Of Wife Who Suffered From Alzheimer’s. So He Killed Her
80-year-old kills wife of 57 years because she had Alzheimer’s, Nebraska cops say
Lincoln man accused of killing ailing wife now charged with murder
Husband Who Shot His Elderly Wife Now Faces Murder Charge | Nebraska News | US News
Nebraska man charged in fatal shooting of wife of 57 years

Winifred Grover

No Photo Name: Winifred Grover.
Died: June 21, 2021.
Age at death: 89.
Cause of death: Smothered.
Location: Grays, Essex, England, UK.
Disability: Dementia.

Details:
Winifred’s daughter killed her mother by smothering her. In court, she admitted to the killing, but claimed that she was so depressed from the stress of caregiving that she should not be blamed for her actions.

Case Status:
Cheryl Banks (Daughter), charged with murder; cleared of murder but pleaded guilty to manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility, sentenced to 2 years in prison, suspended for 2 years, and a 90 day rehabilitation order.

Sources:
Daughter sentenced for killing dementia-stricken mother in ‘truly tragic case’
Daughter killed mum over false fears she was going to prison, court hears
Essex woman smothered dementia-stricken mum to death, court hears
Woman, 60, ‘smothered mother, 89, to death’, court hears
Court told how daughter killed her dementia-stricken mother at their Grays home and then tried to kill herself
Woman, 60, cleared of murder after smothering dementia-stricken mother, 89

Lauri Deatherage

Photo of a smiling woman with straight auburn hair and fair skin. Name: Lauri Anne Deatherage.
Died: June 18, 2021.
Age at death: 48.
Cause of death: Shot.
Location: Robbinsdale, Minnesota, USA.
Disability: Disabled veteran.

Details:
Less than a week after her second marriage, Lauri was allegedly shot and killed by her ex-husband.

Lauri made custom cards and dresses for the Renaissance fair.

Case Status:
Robert D. McCloud (Ex-husband), charged with second-degree intentional murder, died before trial.

Source:
Brooklyn Center man suspected of killing ex-wife dies
Air Force vet allegedly killed by ex-husband just days into new marriage
Minn. Woman Allegedly Shot and Killed by Ex-Husband Less Than a Week After Getting Remarried
Obituary for Lauri Anne Deatherage (Winkelman) at Gearty-Delmore – Robbinsdale Chapel
Man Allegedly Murders His Ex-Wife Days After Attending Her Wedding to New Husband

Rahim Sahikh

No Photo Name: Rahim Gulab Sahikh.
Died: June 8, 2021.
Age at death: 67.
Cause of death: Strangled; throat cut.
Location: Pune, Maharashtra, India.
Disability: Unspecified chronic illness.

Details:
Rahim was found in his home, having been killed two days earlier by strangulation and having his throat cut. Police, who arrested his son, say Rahim’s son said he had done it to “rid him of his suffering”. Rahim’s son had a history of violence; his wife had left him after he attacked her with a knife.

Case Status:
Nayeem Rahim Shaikh (Son), accused of murder.

Source:
Pune: Man Kills Bedridden Father After COVID-19 Test, Keeps Body At Home For Two Days

72-year-old woman

No Photo Name Unknown.
Died: June 7, 2021.
Age at death: 72.
Cause of death: Suffocation.
Location: Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin, USA.
Disability: Parkinson’s disease, diabetes.

Details:
The 72-year-old woman was found in her burning house; she had been dead for several days. Her granddaughter was arrested on suspicion of smothering her and setting the house on fire.

She enjoyed listening to music from the 1950’s; on TV she watched the evening news, the Price is Right, Law and Order, Forensic Files and Jeopardy.

Case Status:
Elizabeth M. Durkee (granddaughter), pleaded guilty to first-degree intentional homicide and arson; sentenced to 22 years to life.

Source:
Fort Atkinson woman sentenced to life in prison for killing grandmother, setting fire to house
Homicide defendant alleges grandmother’s death was mercy killing
Homicide charges filed against Fort woman accused of killing grandmother in fatal house fire
Homicide charges filed against Fort Atkinson woman after fatal house fire
Woman facing murder, arson charges in connection to fatal Fort Atkinson fire
Fort Atkinson woman charged with arson and homicide in grandmother’s death, discovered after fire

Eileen Pearce

No Photo Name: Eileen Pearce.
Died: June 5, 2021.
Age at death: 89.
Cause of death: Smothered.
Location: Bexleyheath, London, England, UK.
Disability: Dementia.

Details:
Eileen’s son smothered her.

Case Status:
Kevin Pearce (Son), pleaded guilty to manslaughter by diminished responsibility, sentenced to “240 days of unpaid work and a 30-day rehabilitation requirement”.

Sources:
Bexleyheath son who smothered mum with dementia to death is spared jail
Son Spared Jail for “Mercy Killing” of Dementia-Suffering Mother
Carer admits smothering his dementia-suffering mum, 89, in her own bed
Bexleyheath carer admits to killing his dementia-suffering bedbound mum at home