Type: Homicide – Page 33 – Disability Day of Mourning

Sbusiso Mhlanga

No Photo Name: Sbusiso Quin Mhlanga.
Died: July 28, 2019 (Body found); missing November 20, 2014.
Age at death: Adult.
Cause of death: Homicide.
Location: Vryheid, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
Disability: Unspecified, wheelchair user.

Details:
Sbusiso lived with his younger brother, who allegedly murdered him for “not using the correct dish to relieve himself”. Police say he buried his brother’s body, dumped his wheelchair in the river, and collected his brother’s disability pension for the next few years.

Case status:
His brother, charged with murder, theft, and obstruction of justice.

Source:
Brother arrested for killing his sibling

Brenda Venables

Old-fashioned photo of a woman with brown curly hair and fair skin, wearing a blue jacket, smiling for the camera. There are pink flowers in the foreground. Name: Brenda Venables.
Died: July 12, 2019 (Body found; died May 3 or 4, 1982).
Age at death: 48.
Cause of death: Unspecified homicide.
Location: Kempsey, England, UK.
Disability: Depression.

Details:
Brenda’s body was found hidden in a septic tank, where her husband had hidden it decades earlier. Her husband was convicted of her murder.

Relatives remember her as kind, hospitable, and friendly.

Case Status:
David Venables (Husband), convicted of murder, sentenced to life with a minimum of 18 years.

Sources:
Farmer convicted of wife’s murder 40 years after hiding her body in septic tank
Retired pig farmer David Venables jailed for murdering his wife in 1982 and hiding body in septic tank

Kiyoko Otsuka

Name: Kiyoko Otsuka.
Died: July 7, 2019.
Age at death: 96.
Cause of death: Asphyxia.
Location: Gamagori City, Aichi Prefecture, Japan.
Disability: Mobility impaired.

Details:
Ms. Otsuka had been unable to go outside because of problems with her leg for several months. She lived with her son and daughter-in-law.

Ms. Otsuka was reportedly strangled by her daughter-in-law. Police say she told them she had done it because she couldn’t sleep because she was taking care of Ms. Otsuka.

Case status:
Fumiko Otsuka (Daughter-in-law), charged with murder.

Source:
Aichi: Woman, 70, suspected of killing bedridden mother-in-law

Syamala

No Photo Name: Syamala.
Died: July 7, 2019.
Age at death: Adult.
Cause of death: Traumatic injury.
Location: Pedha Kothapalli, Nagarkurnool, India.
Disability: Mental illness.

Details:
Syamala was a married woman, but when she became mentally ill, her husband left her and she had to move back in with her parents. One night, her father allegedly killed her with a sickle.

Case status:
Eranna (Father), arrested.

Source:
Man hacks disabled daughter to death at Nagarkurnool

Ashamati

No Photo Name: Ashamati.
Died: July 6, 2019.
Age at death: 75.
Cause of death: Burns.
Location: Balangir, Odisha, India.
Disability: Unspecified; bedridden.

Details:
Witnesses reported to police that Ashamati’s son was arguing with her husband, and when her son picked up a piece of wood and started hitting her husband, Ashamati demanded he stop. According to the police, her son then poured kerosene on her and set her on fire. She died from her injuries.

Case status:
Santosh Kharsel (Son), charged with murder.

Source:
Man burns mother to death in Balangir
Man burns bedridden mother to death
Man sets bed-ridden mom on fire, arrested

Desmond Wooding

Name: Desmond Wooding.
Died: June 24, 2019.
Age at death: 80.
Cause of death: Stabbed.
Location: Droitwich, Worcestershire, England, UK.
Disability: Mobility impaired.

Details:
Desmond’s grand-nephew stabbed him to death with a knife.

He was a sociable man who often stopped to chat with neighbors when he rode his red mobility scooter around town.

Case status:
Adam Mason (grand-nephew), convicted of murder, sentenced to 20 years to life.
Mark Mason (Adam’s uncle), convicted of assisting an offender, sentenced to 2 years.

Source:
Man jailed for murdering great uncle aged 80 in Droitwich
Murder suspect, 32, is arrested over killing of disabled pensioner, 80
‘Well known’ pensioner, 80, was stabbed to death in his own home
Man, 80, ‘last seen on mobility scooter’ found stabbed to death in own home
Disabled pensioner, 80, is stabbed to death in his own home as cops launch murder probe
Man ‘stabbed disabled great-uncle, 80, to death and left him in pool of blood’
Man jailed for brutal murder of 80-year-old great-uncle

Shabhana

Photo of an Indian woman with light-brown skin and neatly parted black hair, wearing a white headscarf. Name: Shabhana.
Died: June 23, 2019.
Age at death: Adult.
Cause of death: Blunt injury.
Location: Narol, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India.
Disability: Unspecified.

Details:
Shabhana’s husband was arrested after bludgeoning her to death with a hammer. Her family suspects him of killing two of his previous wives as well and reports that he used to suspect her of having an affair.

Shabhana was the oldest of three sisters.

Case status:
Abdul Razak Shaikh (Husband), convicted of murder, sentenced to life.

Source:
Man murders disabled wife in Narol
Disabled man gets life for killing wife

Brian Hageness

Name: Brian Paul Hageness.
Died: June 19, 2019.
Age at death: 61.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Hot Springs, Arkansas, USA.
Disability: Wheelchair user.

Details:
Brian was shot by his wife.

Case Status:
Elizabeth Hageness (Wife), convicted of murder, sentenced to 20 years in prison; mistrial declared due to juror misconduct; pleaded guilty to manslaughter, sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Sources:
Hot Springs woman pleads guilty in husband’s killing, sentenced to 10 years in prison
Wife changes plea, sentenced to 10 years in husband’s death after mistrial declared
Jury finds woman guilty in husband’s shooting death

91-year-old woman

No Photo Name Unknown.
Died: June 19, 2019.
Age at death: 91.
Cause of death: Blunt trauma.
Location: Shevchenko, Isilkulsky district, Omsk Oblast, Siberia, Russia.
Disability: Blind; frail elder.

Details:
This 91-year-old woman was allegedly beaten to death by her son because he was tired of caring for her.

Case status:
Ivan L. (Son), charged with infliction of bodily harm resulting in death.

Source:
A resident of Omsk region beat to death a blind 91-year-old mother
Житель Омской области досмерти избил свою слепую 91-летнюю мать
Омич устал ухаживать за тяжелобольной слепой матерью и забил ее до смерти — СуперОмск

Wilma Melchert

Name: Wilma Melchert.
Died: June 12, 2019.
Age at death: 85.
Cause of death: Morphine overdose.
Location: Gillespie, Illinois, USA.
Disability: Dementia, diabetes.

Details:
Wilma did a lot of volunteer work and was active in her community, went to church and was a member of the Lions Club. Her daughter, Denise, says that her mother “wanted to live.”

Wilma’s daughter-in-law took her home from her nursing home and poisoned her with a morphine overdose.

Case status:
Amy Melchert (Daughter-in-law), pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter, sentenced to 5 years.

Source:
Woman sentenced in mother-in-law’s death
Metro East woman sentenced for role in overdose death of mother-in-law
Wood River nurse charged with killing mother-in-law in hospice