Type: Homicide – Page 26 – Disability Day of Mourning

April Zavala

No Photo Name: April Heather Zavala.
Died: June 14, 2020.
Age at death: 24.
Cause of death: Strangled.
Location: Elko, Nevada, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
April’s mother strangled her because she wanted to dress herself instead of letting her mother dress her. She said that caring for April during the COVID pandemic had become too stressful. At the time of her death, April had not seen a doctor in several years.

Case status:
Judith I. Zavala (Mother), convicted of second-degree murder, sentenced to 10-25 years in prison.

Source:
Autism Memorial: April Zavala
Elko woman convicted of 2nd degree-murder in 24-year-old daughter’s death
Mom bound over to district court in daughter’s death
Mom says stress led to daughter’s strangulation

Emi Yamamoto

No Photo Name: Emi Yamamoto.
Died: June 13, 2020.
Age at death: 44.
Cause of death: Drowning.
Location: Yokkaichi, Mie Prefecture, Japan.
Disability: Unspecified.

Details:
Emi’s mother allegedly took her to a hotel and drowned her in the bathtub. Police say she told them she wanted to “ease [Emi’s] suffering”.

Case status:
Ryoko Yamamoto (Mother), arrested on suspicion of murder.

Source:
71-year-old woman arrested over murder of disabled daughter

Sherrell Martin

Name: Sherrell “Bud” Martin.
Died: June 13, 2020.
Age at death: 71.
Cause of death: Trauma.
Location: Wilmington, Illinois, USA.
Disability: Unspecified; used walker.

Details:
According to police, Bud and his ex-sister-law had been arguing for a few days–an argument she ended by beating him around the head with his own walker. Before he died a few hours later, Bud told police who had beaten him.

He was a retired machinist who liked fishing and playing cards.

Case status:
Donna Reynolds (Ex-sister-in-law), convicted of aggravated battery; sentenced to 3 years; released on parole after 1 year 3 months in custody.

Source:
Wilmington Woman Charged With Attacking Disabled Ex-Brother-In-Law Who Later Died
Disabled Man Dies After Attack, Wilmington Woman Arrested: WPD

Billy Hopson

No Photo Name: Billy R. Hopson.
Died: June 7, 2020.
Age at death: 94.
Cause of death: Suffocation.
Location: Lewiston, Idaho, USA.
Disability: Alzheimer’s disease.

Details:
Police say Billy’s son suffocated him because he “had no dignity left and he couldn’t watch him any longer.” Billy fought hard to survive, biting his son on the hand and making it impossible for the killer to pretend he had died in his sleep. The killer, hand bleeding and unnerved by Billy’s determination to survive, immediately confessed to his sister and was arrested.

Case status:
Mark L. Hopson (Son), pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and failure to report a death, sentenced to 7 1/2 to 25 years.

Source:
Lewiston man gets 7½ years in prison
Lewiston man pleads guilty in death of his father
Hopson told sister he smothered father
Lewiston man accused of killing his father will stand trial Feb. 1

28-year-old woman

No Photo
Name Unknown.
Died: June 3, 2020.
Age at death: 28.
Cause of death: Trauma.
Location: Smuts Ngonyama Informal Settlement, Butterworth, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa.
Disability: Unspecified.

Details:
While her caregiver was away, this 28-year-old woman’s brother allegedly killed her, leaving her under a blanket with “upper body injuries”. Medics were called but declared her dead at the scene.

Case status:
Her brother, age 24, charged with murder.

Source:
Disabled woman murdered in EC – brother arrested
Media Statement, South African Police Service, Office of the Provincial Commissioner Eastern Cape

Waylon Mittens

Name: Waylon Lee Mittens.
Died: June 2, 2020.
Age at death: 39.
Cause of death: Stab wound to the heart.
Location: Blackfeet Indian Reservation, Montana, USA.
Disability: Wheelchair user; leg amputee.

Details:
Waylon was stabbed to death by his girlfriend.

Waylon “enjoyed WWF, WW5, 4 wheeling, fishing, ranching, bbqing, golfing, mud anything, and had an eclectic romantic life.”

Case status:
Daniell Marie ComesAtNight, aka Danielle Marie Marceau (Girlfriend), pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter, sentenced to 8 years 1 month.

Source:
Browning Woman Sentenced to Prison for Stabbing Death
Browning woman pleads guilty to manslaughter for stabbing a disabled man
Browning woman charged with murder of disabled man on Blackfeet Reservation
Waylon Lee Mittens Obituary

Alejandro Ripley

Name: Alejandro Ripley.
Died: May 22, 2020.
Age at death: 9.
Cause of death: Drowning.
Location: Miami, Florida, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Alejandro’s mother allegedly tried to kill him by pushing him into a canal; but some passers-by saw the boy fall in and rescued him. Later that day, he was pushed into a different canal; this time, no one saw, and Alejandro drowned. Police say Alejandro’s mother tried to claim he had been kidnapped, but when witnesses reported the earlier murder attempt, she confessed to the lie.

Case status:
Patricia Ripley (Mother), charged with first-degree murder and other felonies.

Source:
Miami-Dade mother accused of drowning autistic son in 2020 gets new judge
Autism Memorial: Alejandro Ripley
Trial Date Set for Miami-Dade Mom Accused of Drowning Autistic Son
Tax Dollars To Help Defend Miami Mom Patricia Ripley, Accused Of Drowning Autistic Son
9-year-old boy with autism kidnapped in front of mom found dead in Miami
Non-verbal 9-year-old with autism found dead after abduction from Florida Home Depot, police say
Mother who reported abduction of 9-year-old son with autism now charged in his murder
Dead boy’s mother had attempted to kill him before, prosecutors say
Florida mom charged with the murder of son with autism
‘In a better place.’ Miami mother of drowned autistic boy admits leading him to canal, cops say
Mother Of SW Miami boy found dead charged with murder
Police Investigate Mother In Death Of SW 9-Year-Old Autistic Boy
Florida mom arrested on suspicion of killing 9-year-old son with autism after falsely reporting him kidnapped
After death of boy with autism, Miami special needs group sees rise in crisis calls
Neighbors saved autistic boy, 9, from canal an hour before ‘mom pushed him AGAIN to his death and faked kidnap’
‘He never made a sound’: Witness says she saw autistic boy fall into canal. Days later, his mother is arrested for felony murder. [Update]
Possible motive revealed in autistic boy’s murder, mother charged

Umesh Balagi

Name: Umesh Balagi.
Died: May 18, 2020 (News story published).
Age at death: Adult.
Cause of death: Bludgeoned.
Location: Dharwad, Karnataka, India.
Disability: Unspecified.

Details:
Umesh’s brother allegedly gathered a group of men, ambushed him as he rode his three-wheeled scooter to go shopping, and bludgeoned him to death. The motive was a dispute over property. The killer also chased Umesh’s wife, who witnessed the attack; she escaped unhurt.

Case status:
Channabasappa Balagi (Brother) and several accomplices, charged with murder.

Source:
Man bludgeons brother suffering with disability; murder over property caught on camera

Gulshan Ali

No Photo Name: Gulshan Ali.
Died: May 17, 2020 (Body found May 21).
Age at death: 10.
Cause of death: Strangulation.
Location: Jaipur, Rajasthan, India.
Disability: Intellectual disability.

Details:
Gulshan’s brother gathered some friends, and together they allegedly raped and strangled her. Police say he confessed to the crime, saying he felt she was a burden because she was incontinent and could not do household chores.

Case status:
Zishan Ali (Brother), arrested on suspicion of murder.
Sajid Ali, arrested on suspicion of murder.
Amjad Ali, arrested on suspicion of murder.
Wajid Ali, arrested on suspicion of murder.

Source:
Brother with three of his friends gang raped and murdered a 10 year old disabled girl
Shocking! Mentally Disabled Minor Gangraped, Strangulated to Death by Brother, 3 Friends
Jaipur: Man gangrapes, murders mentally challenged 10-year-old sister with his 3 friends
भाई ने 3 दोस्तों के साथ मिलकर 10 साल की बहन का गैंगरेप किया, फिर मार डाला; चारों आरोपी गिरफ्तार
Disgusting Jaipur Gangrape – Zishan Ali, friends rape his sister – Drishtikone

Louise Smith

Name: Louise Smith.
Died: May 8, 2020.
Age at death: 16.
Cause of death: Blunt trauma.
Location: Havant, Hampshire, England, UK.
Disability: Mental illness.

Details:
Louise’s uncle killed her by punching her in the face repeatedly until she died. Police described the murder as “sexually motivated.”

Case status:
Shane Mays (Uncle), convicted of murder, sentenced to 25 years to life.

Source:
‘A monster’: Uncle jailed for life over 16-year-old’s ‘sexually motivated’ murder
Louise Smith murder: Social workers probed after uncle found guilty
Uncle jailed for life for ‘sexual murder’ of Louise Smith, 16, in woods