Category: Type: Homicide

Death due to the actions of another human being.

Rookiya

No PhotoName: Rookiya.
Died: August 25, 2017.
Age at death: 5 months.
Cause of death: Drowning.
Location: Amruthanagar, Andhra, India.
Disability: Hydrocephalus.

Details:
Rookiya’s mother had no money for big-city medical treatment, and Rookiya’s neighbors had started referring to her as a “demon child” because of her large head. When her father came home to find Rookiya drowned in the washtub, police arrested and questioned her mother, who, they say, confessed to killing her daughter.

Authorities noted that the area has a district hospital and four children’s homes that are meant to help children like Rookiya.

Case status:
Shaik Fatima (Mother), charged with murder.

Source:
Too poor to afford her medical care, Andhra mother kills her own baby girl

Margaret Sims

Photo of Margaret Sims, an elderly woman with pale skin and dark-gray hair pulled back in a hair band. She is wearing a black shirt and a gold pendant necklace.Name: Margaret Rose Sims.
Died: August 20, 2017.
Age at death: 70.
Cause of death: Strangled.
Location: Stanford-le-Hope, England, UK.
Disability: Alzheimer’s disease.

Details:
Margaret was strangled by her daughter.

Case status:
Keeley Barnard (Daughter), convicted of murder, sentenced to 18 years to life.

Source:
Daughter allegedly strangled mother, 70, to death
Daughter’s ‘rage’ behind mother murder
A Chelmsford woman has denied murdering her own mum
Woman appears at Crown Court after elderly woman “strangled”
Inquest opens into death of Margaret Sims, of Clacton, as murder probe continues
Daughter accused of mum’s murder tells court ‘I did not strangle her, I massaged her throat to revive her’
Daughter who strangled own mother jailed

Vivian Nelson

Photo of Vivian Nelson, an elderly woman with pale skin and short curly white hair. She is thin, wearing a floral blouse and blue slacks, and sitting in a big beige chair with one leg propped up on the chair.Name: Vivian Nelson.
Died: August 13, 2017.
Age at death: 94.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Corpus Christi, Texas, USA.
Disability: Dementia; frail elder.

Details:
Vivian’s son took her home from the nursing home where she lived. He made her a cup of coffee, then shot her in the head.

Case status:
Leslie Charles Nelson (Son), convicted of murder, sentenced to 15 years.

Source:
Texas Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Killing Mother
CCPD: Woman, 94, found shot dead in wheelchair; son arrested
Medical examiner identifies Corpus Christi woman allegedly killed by son
Vivian Nelson Obituary
Medical examiners release name of elderly woman shot in the head
Trial set for man accused of killing wheelchair-bound mother
Leslie Nelson convicted of murder in elderly mother’s death

Donita Elliott

Photo of Donita Elliott, a middle-aged woman with fair skin and very long dark-brown hair, wearing glasses, a white sweater, and a gold necklace. She is smiling broadly at the camera.Name: Donita Elliott.
Died: August 8, 2017.
Age at death: 47.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Lafayette, Indiana, USA.
Disability: Bipolar disorder.

Details:
Donita was shot by her husband, who claimed he had done it in self-defense because she had bipolar disorder and was coming at him with a knife. Later on, a recording on his cell phone recording proved that he had shot her, refused to help as he watched her die, and planted the knife himself.

She was a devout Presbyterian and avid cook who loved cats and kittens.

Case status:
Patrick Elliott (Husband), convicted of murder, sentenced to 54-75 years.

Source:
Elliott sentenced to 75 years for killing his wife
Husband guilty of murder for killing his mentally ill wife
Patrick Elliott in letter to church: ‘My choice included her death’
Donita Marie Elliott: Obituary
Ind. Man Allegedly Recorded Himself Shooting Wife and Watching Her Die as She Begged for Help
Police called to victim’s house hours before fatal fight
Husband shot wife and watched her die, police said
Husband Claims Self-Defense In Murder Of His Wife
Suspect recorded killing of his wife on his cellphone, sheriff says

Courtney Turney

Photo of Courtney Turney, a young woman with dark-brown hair and tan skin. She is smiling for the camera.Name: Courtney Ann Nemea Turney.
Died: August 5, 2017.
Age at death: 33.
Cause of death: Torture.
Location: Seaside, California, USA.
Disability: Unspecified special needs due to complications during birth.

Details:
Courtney moved in with a friend, only to have her so-called friend imprison her, force her to perform physical labor, starve her, and abuse her for around a decade before killing her. She weighed 54 pounds and had a fractured skull.

Case status:
Corrie Denise Arriaga (Housemate), charged with first-degree murder, in addition to torture, human trafficking, false imprisonment of a dependent adult and theft from a dependent adult; pleaded guilty to first-degree murder, sentenced to life without parole.
Manuel Jesus Lopez Jarquin, pleaded guilty to abuse of a dependent adult and accessory after the fact, sentenced to 7 years 8 months.

Source:
Monterey County DA: Seaside man played a role in death of woman prisoner
Seaside woman pleads guilty to murder by torture of dependent adult
Courtney Ann Nemea Turney (1984-2017) – Find A Grave
Calif. woman arrested for torture, murder of special needs woman
DA: Seaside woman arrested for murder, torture of special needs woman
Seaside woman arrested for torture, murder of special needs woman

Savannah Leckie

Photo of Savannah Leckie, a teenage girl with fair skin and light-brown hair, wearing a knit cap and sweatshirt. She is holding two black-and-white goat kids.Name: Savannah Leckie.
Died: August 4, 2017.
Age at death: 16.
Cause of death: Unknown homicide.
Location: Ozark County, Missouri, USA.
Disability: Autism, depression, ADHD.

Details:
Exactly how Savannah died is unknown because her body was burned and only bone fragments were found. Her birth mother was convicted of abuse of a corpse.

She was a junior firefighter who liked to do volunteer work and care for farm animals.

Case status:
Rebecca Ruud (Birth mother), convicted of abuse of a corpse for burning Savannah’s body; acquitted of murder because suicide could not be ruled out as a cause of death; sentenced to 4 years, released on time served.
Robert Peat Jr. (Birth mother’s boyfriend), charged with first-degree murder and child abuse; charges dropped after he testified against Ruud.

Source:
Missouri Woman Sentenced to Time Served for Abandoning 16-Year-Old Daughter’s Corpse
Autism Memorial: Savannah Leckie
Missouri woman acquitted of murder in teen daughter’s death after judge deliberates for nearly a month
Missouri woman acquitted for killing her austic daughter
Ozark County woman Rebecca Ruud found not guilty of murder in daughter’s death
What happened to Savannah Leckie? Case explored as Rebecca Ruud is acquitted of murder in 2017 death of daughter
Missouri woman acquitted of murder in 2017 death of autistic teen daughter she gave up for adoption as a baby
Missouri woman acquitted of murder in teen daughter’s death after judge deliberates for nearly a month
Mum dragged ‘dead’ daughter onto fire – then knocked her out when she screamed
Trial set to begin for Ozark County mom accused of killing 16-year-old autistic daughter
Missouri Supreme Court says recording with attorney can be used against Ozark County murder suspect Rebecca Ruud
Recording Allowed as Evidence in Mother’s Alleged Slaying of Daughter
Candlelight vigil planned for murder victim Savannah Leckie
Savannah Leckie murder case broadens out of state
Teenage murder victim remembered
Husband, wife indicted in death of Ozark County teenager
Amid allegations of torture, Ozarks boyfriend and mother charged with murder of teen girl
Southern Missouri couple indicted in death of woman’s teen daughter who had autism
Adoptive mom, boyfriend at Leckie murder arraignment
Adoptive mother of Minnesota girl killed in Missouri asks, ‘What if?’
New trial date for woman accused of killing daughter
Suspect in Savannah Leckie homicide to be released after ‘developments’ in case

Mathew Dunbar

Photo of Mathew Dunbar, a middle-aged man with a receding hairline, gray eyes, and a friendly smile.Name: Mathew Dunbar.
Died: August 2, 2017.
Age at death: 42.
Cause of death: Suffocated due to helium inhalation.
Location: Walcha, New South Wales, Australia.
Disability: Depression, leg injury.

Details:
Mathew was a farmer who used his land to raise sheep.

After he made her the sole heir of his large property, Mathew’s partner made up a cocktail of sedatives and fed it to Mathew; when he was unconscious she gassed him with helium. She claimed that Mathew had committed suicide due to his depression, but when police checked her computer, they found evidence that they say shows she had been researching how to commit murder. Mathew’s partner had also been arrested and charged with attempted murder years ago for setting the house on fire with her previous husband inside, but that charge was withdrawn.

Case status:
Natasha Beth Darcy (Partner), convicted of murder, sentenced to 40 years in prison.

Source:
Natasha Beth Darcy found guilty of murdering partner after saying he had taken his own life | Daily Mail Online
NSW woman ‘not upset’ at partner’s death
Nutribullet used to blend cocktail of drugs in grazier murder: court
Woman charged over death of NSW farmer allegedly searched ‘murder’ before his death

Olivia Kray

Close-up photo of Olivia Kray, a young woman with olive skin and long, dark brown hair. She is smiling.Name: Olivia Kray.
Died: July 21, 2017.
Age at death: 19.
Cause of death: Strangled.
Location: Herne Bay, England, UK.
Disability: Anxiety disorder, mental illness.

Details:
Olivia’s father strangled her to death; then he went after Olivia’s mother, who escaped and ran to a neighbor’s to call the police. The killer claimed that he was so stressed by Olivia’s mental illness that he had “snapped” and “couldn’t let her suffer any more”.

Case status:
Richard Kray (Father; employed as caregiver to autistic children in a special school), pleaded guilty to manslaughter by diminished responsibility and attempted murder, sentenced to 10 years, to be partially served in a psychiatric unit.

Source:
Desperate father who strangled teenage daughter sectioned
Dad who strangled daughter to death before trying to kill ex-wife is jailed
Dad gets 10 years for strangling daughter

Jonathan Crabtree

Photo of Jonathan Crabtree, a young man with light skin and brown hair, wearing a T-shirt.Name: Jonathan Crabtree.
Died: July 18, 2017.
Age at death: 26.
Cause of death: Opiate poisoning.
Location: Upper Coomera, Queensland, Australia.
Disability: Developmental disability, TBI from car accident.

Details:
Jonathan and his two disabled sisters were allegedly abused by their mother, who repeatedly sedated them with prescription drugs, likely worsening the effects of their disabilities. Jonathan’s sister Erin died in 2012, a victim of an opiate overdose; but her death had initially been ruled a suicide.

After Jonathan was hurt in a car accident, he had to take opiates and became addicted. His mother allegedly encouraged his addiction and even manipulated him into robbing a pharmacy for Tramadol. He died of an overdose of opiates, which police say his mother gave him after forging a suicide note.

Jonathan’s other sister survived their ordeal and was rescued when the murders were discovered.

Case status:
Maree Crabtree (Mother), charged with two counts of murder, grievous bodily harm, torture, fraud, and armed robbery.

Source:
Dramatic turn in court for mum accused of murdering kids, torturing woman
Mum’s strange decision before deaths
Witness claims mum accused of murdering children wished son was dead: court
Gold Coast mum Maree Mavis Crabtree accused of murdering her two disabled children
‘Very controlling’: Chilling allegations against Qld mum accused of killing her disabled kids
Mum’s strict rules before alleged murder
Mom murdered her two adult children for insurance payouts, police say
Australian mother arrested after she allegedly poisoned her disabled kids
Gold Coast mother killed two adult children for financial gain, police allege
Maree Crabtree ‘told disabled son to hold up a chemist’ | Daily Mail Online
Mum, 51, charged with murdering her kids told one to rob a chemist
Mother accused of poisoning her disabled adult children to death bagged $500k in insurance
‘Killer mum’ claimed $500k in insurance for disabled kids
Mum allegedly poisoned two children, prepared suicide note
Queensland mother allegedly murdered her two children with disabilities for money
Mother charged over children’s murders
QLD mother charged with murder, torture after allegedly poisoning two children to death
Friend says murdered Jonathon Crabtree was ‘full of life’
Jonathan Crabtree tried to call best mate an hour before his death
Australian mother arrested for the alleged murder of her two disabled children
Gold Coast mother killed two adult children for financial gain, police allege
Son of murder-accused had been ‘trying to pick up his life’ before he was found dead
Pictured: Disabled siblings ‘poisoned to death by rat-loving mother’
Australian mum ‘poisoned, killed disabled children for financial gain’, police claim
Murder-accused mother used prescription drugs to control children: police
Police say murder-accused mum helped son secure $200,000 disability benefits, then staged his suicide
Mum accused of disabled kids’ murder said one got Autism from a needle
Australian woman kills two ‘disabled’ adult children for financial gains
Mum partied as Erin died alone
Father of murdered siblings tried to have his son put in care
The missing Sprite cup in the police case against an accused double murderer

Ozlem Karakoc

Photo of Ozzie Karakoc, a woman with dark-brown hair and light freckled skin, wearing a bright pink jacket.Name: Özlem “Ozzie” Karakoç.
Died: July 14, 2017.
Age at death: 34.
Cause of death: Drowned.
Location: Dandenong, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Disability: Bipolar disorder.

Details:
Ozzie’s ex-boyfriend killed her because she had ended the relationship and wanted to marry another man. He drowned her in the bathtub, and then claimed that they had had a suicide pact (there is no evidence that they ever did).

Case status:
Murat Davsanoglu (Ex-boyfriend), convicted of murder, sentenced to 18-23 years.

Source:
Man jailed for drowning girlfriend after she told him she was marrying someone else
Man jailed for drowning girlfriend after she told him she was marrying someone else
‘Suicide pact’ man facing murder trial for girlfriend’s bath drowning
‘You left us too soon’: Family pays tribute to young mum found dead in Lalor
Melbourne man ‘drowned partner in the bath in suicide pact’
Vic man to stand trial over bath murder
Tributes pour in for Melbourne mum allegedly murdered by partner
Mother allegedly dumped in abandoned house in ‘suicide pact’