Type: Homicide – Page 50 – Disability Day of Mourning

Dadirai Mashonga

No Photo Name: Dadirai Mashonga.
Died: July 13, 2017.
Age at death: 40.
Cause of death: Traumatic injury.
Location: Magunje, Zimbabwe.
Disability: Deaf.

Details:
When a local businessman offered him $4000 for a human head to use for a ritual, Dadirai’s brother allegedly waited until she was alone, killed her with an axe, and decapitated her.

Case status:
Robert Tazvireva, charged with murder.
Samuel Mashonga (Brother), charged with murder.

Source:
Beheading haunts family
Tempers flare at Karoi ritual murder funeral
Hurungwe man beheads sister
Man beheads sister, two bodies decompose in huts
Villagers burn ritual murder suspect’s business complex
Zimbabwe: Man offered $4,000 for human head, beheads sister
20-year-old offered $4,000 for human head, beheads his 40-year-old sister
Man who beheaded sister for $4000 and businessman appear in court
HORROR RITUAL MURDER: Court Told How Man Stabbed, Beheaded Sister For Local Businessman

No Photo Name: James Walker.
Died: July 11, 2017.
Age at death: 72.
Cause of death: Traumatic injury.
Location: Glendale, Arizona, USA.
Disability: Disabled veteran; wheelchair user.

Details:
James was murdered by his stepson because he refused to get out of bed.

Case status:
Heath Allen McConkey (Stepson), convicted of second-degree murder, sentenced to 13 years.

Source:
Glendale man accused of beating disabled stepfather to death
Glendale police: Man beat disabled stepfather to death
Glendale man allegedly beat disabled stepdad to death
Final release order and order regarding counsel
Glendale man accused of fatally beating disabled stepfather
Arizona Man Allegedly Beat Disabled Stepdad to Death for Not Getting Out of Bed
Glendale man accused of beating disabled stepfather to death pleads not guilty
Glendale Man Pleads Not Guilty to Fatally Beating Stepfather

Omar Omran

Memorial left outside Omran Omar's apartment, consisting of flowers, stuffed animals, and notes. In the foreground is a sign that says, "Rest in peace, precious little boy." Name: Omar Omran.
Died: July 10, 2017.
Age at death: 3.
Cause of death: Stabbed.
Location: Kimmage, Dublin, Ireland.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Omar was stabbed to death by his mother.

Neighbors left flowers, notes, and toys outside his apartment building. One neighbor remembered that Omar used to throw his toys over his balcony, and his neighbor used to bring them back to him.

Case status:
Maha Al Adheem (Mother), charged with murder; found not guilty by reason of insanity, committed to mental hospital.

Source:
Mother of boy stabbed to death in Dublin is Iraqi doctor
Doctor arrested after son, 3, is found stabbed to death
Boy (3) killed in Kimmage ‘not a stranger to anyone’, says father
Mum accused of killing autistic son told police ‘it was my knife’
Doctor is held over fatal stabbing of autistic son, 3
Doctor ‘arrested after her autistic toddler is stabbed to death in their flat’
Mum arrested over toddler son found dead with stab wounds in apartment
Detectives investigating fatal stabbing of toddler (3) arrest woman
Stab victim Omar (3) laid to rest after ‘final kiss’ from father
Heartbroken father of stabbed Irish tot kisses him goodbye as he is laid to rest
Tearful Father Of Omar Omran Lays Stabbed Son To Rest
Doctor accused of murdering son was ‘amazing’ mother, neighbour tells court
Doctor who stabbed her son (3) to death in their south Dublin home found not guilty of his murder
Doctor found not guilty of murdering son (3) by reason of insanity

Leona Twiss

Black and white photo of Leona Twiss, a young woman in old-fashioned clothing. She has curly hair and light skin and is wearing a white blouse and flight attendant's cap. Name: Leona Twiss.
Died: July 9, 2017.
Age at death: 95.
Cause of death: Asphyxia.
Location: Fort Ann, Florida, USA.
Disability: Early dementia, frail elder.

Details:
Not long after Leona’s grandson moved into her house to help care for her, he and his wife conspired to kill her; he strangled her with a towel.

Case status:
Kevin L. Gonyea (Grandson), pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, sentenced to 15 years to life.
Melissa Gonyea (Grandson’s wife), pleaded guilty to hindering prosecution and tampering with physical evidence and other charges related to being an accomplice, sentenced to 3 1/3 to 10 years.

Source:
Gonyea sentenced to 15 years to life for strangling his grandmother
Fort Ann man charged with murder
Fort Ann grandson and his wife charged in death of 95-year-old grandmother
Local police travel to Florida for murder investigation
New York man charged with strangling his 95-year-old grandma
Man accused of killing grandmother, 95
Sheriff’s Office: Fort Ann woman found murdered, family members arrested
Murder suspect has new attorney, court date
Fort Ann couple indicted in connection with 95-year-old’s killing
Family: Woman in murder case deserves life, too
Videos show woman’s implication of husband, others in murder case
Wife of Fort Ann murder suspect pleads guilty
Murder case hearing postponed as subpoena issues debated
Gonyea mulling plea offer in grandmother’s murder
Fort Ann murder suspect talks plea deal again
NY man pleads guilty to strangling grandmother, 95
Following death of 95-year-old woman, two more family members charged
Police were suspicious of Twiss relatives at murder scene
Documents claim former guard told of killing inmates
Defense claims defendant is ‘immune’ in murder case

Peggy Schroeder

Photo of Peggy Schroeder, a middle-aged woman with wavy brown hair, fair skin, and glasses. Name: Peggy Schroeder.
Died: July 8, 2017.
Age at death: 53.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Morrison, Illinois, USA.
Disability: Deaf.

Details:
Peggy was shot to death by her teenage daughter. Her daughter and her friend then set the house on fire to hide the crime.

She was a faithful churchgoer and avid gardener.

Case status:
Anna Schroeder (Adopted daughter), pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, sentenced to 20 years.
Rachel Helm (daughter’s girlfriend), pleaded guilty to concealing a homicidal death and arson, sentenced to 11.5 years.

Source:
Rachel Helm gets over a decade in prison for helping Morrison teen hide mother’s death
‘I’m the child who shot and killed her own mom’: Morrison teen sentenced to 20 years in prison in mother’s 2017 death
“It’s kind of slap in the face”; Police upset with judge’s decision not to charge Anna Schroeder with 1st-degree murder
Neighbors react to fire, death investigation of Morrison resident
Community healing begins after Morrison murder
Teen girl asks DEAF mother to cover face before shooting her in the head, enlists friend to cover up murder by setting house on fire, hides gun in cemetery
Teenage girl posts ‘love you’ after allegedly killing mom
Fundraiser started for Morrison mom’s funeral expenses
Anna Schroeder: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know
Inside the prosecution debate: When kids kill

Mahalakshmi

Name: Mahalakshmi.
Died: June 28, 2017.
Age at death: 28.
Cause of death: Asphyxia.
Location: Bengaluru, Karnataka, India.
Disability: Depression.

Details:
When Mahalakshmi’s mother died, she became depressed, and her younger brother took care of her. But he became convinced that because of his sister, he would never be able to get married; so he allegedly strangled her when she lay down to take her afternoon nap.

Case status:
Shiv Kumar (Brother), charged with murder.

Source:
Bengaluru: Man kills unwed, ‘troubled’ sister
Bengaluru man murders ‘fat’, ‘depressed’ sister for standing in the way of his marriage
Police book man for murder of his elder sister

Ariful Islam

No Photo Name: Ariful Islam aka Arif Hossain.
Died: June 24, 2017.
Age at death: Unknown.
Cause of death: Homicide.
Location: Hajipur, Bihar, India.
Disability: Unspecified physical disability.

Details:
Ariful was murdered by his uncle. His uncle’s family had been in a fight with another family, and his uncle reportedly wanted to frame the other family. He is accused of killing Ariful, then bringing his body to the hospital and claiming the other family had done it.

Case status:
Yakut Ali (Uncle) and Md Tofail Ahmed (Accomplice), charged with murder.

Source:
Man murders disabled nephew to frame opponents

Henry Johnson Jr.

No Photo Name: Henry Lee Johnson Jr.
Died: June 13, 2017.
Age at death: 57.
Cause of death: Pneumonia secondary to major brain damage.
Location: Pine Bluff, Arkansas, USA.
Disability: Stroke.

Details:
Henry lived with his girlfriend. His girlfriend’s brother hit her, and Henry tried to intervene. Her brother turned on him, beat him severely, and then wouldn’t let Henry’s girlfriend call paramedics for several hours. After being taken to the hospital, Henry lived for 11 days before dying of his injuries.

Case status:
Allen Clagget (Girlfriend’s brother), convicted of second-degree murder and domestic battery; sentenced to 15 to 60 years in prison.

Source:
Appeals court upholds Claggett conviction
Claggett guilty in 2017 murder, domestic battery
Bond set for man accused in beating death
Obituary for Henry Lee Johnson at Henson-Holcomb Mortuary

Lam Mei-kam

No Photo Name: Lam Mei-kam.
Died: June 6, 2017.
Age at death: 76.
Cause of death: Asphyxia.
Location: Hong Kong.
Disability: Stroke, wheelchair user, chronic illness.

Details:
Lam was strangled to death by her husband, who said that he had been worried no one would look after her if he died.

Case status:
Wong Kwok-man (Husband), pleaded guilty to manslaughter, sentenced to 2 years, released on time served, reduced for good behavior.

Source:
‘A tragic case’: Judge frees elderly man who killed disabled wife due to fear no one would care for her if he died
Hong Kong man who ‘strangled disabled wife feared no one would take care of her if he fell sick’
Man ‘strangled his disabled wife to end her suffering’

Shakira Hicks

Photo of Shakira Hicks. She has dark-brown skin and bushy dark-brown hair. She is smiling at the camera, showing large front teeth. Name: Shakira Hicks.
Died: June 3, 2017.
Age at death: 35.
Cause of death: Burns.
Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.
Disability: Cerebral palsy.

Details:
As she sat in her wheelchair, Shakira’s brother doused her with rubbing alcohol and set her on fire. She died of her injuries.

Case status:
Nasif Salaam Hibbler (Brother), convicted of first-degree intentional homicide; sentenced to 43 years to life.

Source:
State of Wisconsin v. Nasif Salaam Hibbler
Inmate charged with spitting on guard
Milwaukee man accused of setting sister with cerebral palsy on fire
Man charged for death of disabled sister after he confesses to setting her on fire
Man accused of setting wheelchair-bound sister on fire
“I set my sister on fire:” Man accused of killing woman with cerebral palsy spoke of “voices”
Man Allegedly Set Sister In Wheelchair On Fire
‘I just set my sister on fire:’ Jury convicts man in death of Shakira Hicks, who had cerebral palsy