Remembering the Disabled Murdered by Caregivers
Death due to the actions of another human being.
Name: Rahima Khatun.
Age at death: Young adult.
Name: Amirul.
Age at death: Child.
Died: January 21, 2017.
Cause of death: Unspecified homicide.
Location: Angiadi, Bangladesh.
Disability: Unspecified.
Details:
Rahima Katun and her son Amirul were both killed by her husband.
Case Status:
Najrul Islam (Husband), convicted of murder, sentenced to death.
Source:
Man sentenced to death for killing disabled wife, son
Man sentenced to death for killing disabled wife and son
Name: Peter Abrahams.
Died: January 18, 2017.
Age at death: 97.
Cause of death: Blunt head trauma.
Location: Red Hills, St. Andrew, Jamaica.
Disability: Unspecified; wheelchair user.
Details:
After Peter objected to the way his aide’s husband had used his credit card, the man became angry, threw him out of his wheelchair, and bashed his head against the floor until he died.
Peter was a novelist, journalist, and political commentator who was born in South Africa, lived in the UK, and finally moved to Jamaica. His work focused on political and social issues, especially racism.
Case status:
Norman Tomlinson (Husband of Peter’s aide; lover?), pleaded guilty to manslaughter, sentenced to 7 years.
Source:
Wikipedia: Peter Abrahams
Murder accused alleges gay affair with Peter Abrahams — sources
Investigators Give Details On Murder Of Peter Abrahams
Suspect reportedly admits to killing Peter Abrahams
Sleep on Sir Abrahams
Peter Abrahams
Name: Alex Santiago.
Died: January 17, 2017.
Age at death: 21.
Cause of death: Traumatic injury.
Location: Berryville, Arkansas, USA.
Disability: Autism.
Details:
Alex had already survived one murder attempt by his brother, who had locked him in a gasoline-drenched bedroom and lit a match. Alex was airlifted to a hospital, where he spent three days before going home. Eight months later, his brother finally succeeded in killing him by bludgeoning him with a baseball bat and stabbing him with a sword.
Case status:
Joseph Santiago (Brother), convicted of murder, sentenced to 25 years to life.
Source:
Autism Memorial: Alex Santiago
17-year-old arrested after killing autistic brother with baseball bat, sword
17-Year-Old Accused Of Killing Autistic Brother With Bat And Sword
Carroll County murder victim was suspect’s autistic brother; Bat, sword were weapons
House Fire Victims by Taylor Santiago
Arkansas teen pleads innocent in brother’s death
Juvenile, for now, pleads not guilty in death of autistic brother
Murder suspect identified: Enters ‘not guilty’ plea in brother’s slaying
Carroll County teen pleads not guilty to capital murder, other charges
Mental evaluation Judge orders exam for Santiago, accused of slaying brother
Carroll Co. Murder Suspect to Undergo Mental ExamCarroll Co. Murder Suspect to Undergo Mental Exam
Arkansas Teen Sentenced to Life for Killing Brother
Name: Victoria Cherry.
Died: January 15, 2017 (Body Found); missing October 2015.
Age at death: 44.
Cause of death: Likely strangulation.
Location: Bolton, Manchester, England, UK.
Disability: Epilepsy, depression, drug abuse.
Details:
Vicky’s boyfriend claimed she had moved away and stole her benefits for some time. Her body was found fifteen months later, stuffed into a cupboard. It was impossible to tell exactly how she had died, but damage to her neck implied Vicky had probably been strangled.
Case status:
Andrew Reade (Boyfriend), pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice and preventing a lawful burial, sentenced to 4 years, 4 months.
Source:
Man jailed for hiding girlfriend’s body in cupboard for more than a year
Victoria Cherry: Man arrested on suspicion of murder after police find body
Tributes to mum found dead at flat
Tributes paid to Preston woman Victoria Cherry
Police searching for missing woman Victoria Cherry for over a year find body in Bolton house
Man hid body of dead girlfriend in airing cupboard for 15 months
Man, 43, hid his dead girlfriend’s body in his airing cupboard for 15 months
Vicky Cherry death: Boyfriend jailed over airing cupboard body
Name: Perleen June Bode.
Died: January 4, 2017.
Age at death: 67.
Cause of death: Broken neck.
Location: Bremerton, Washington, USA.
Disability: Chronic lung disease, congestive heart failure.
Details:
Perleen was an extrovert who liked cars and spending time with her friends. She was retired from a government job, and had two sons and four grandchildren.
After Perleen’s husband died, she found a new boyfriend who became her caretaker. Her boyfriend abused her for a long time until finally killing her; she died of a broken neck from manual strangulation.
Case status:
Richard Raul Heller (Boyfriend), charged with second-degree murder; pleaded guilty to second-degree manslaughter, sentenced to 70 months.
Source:
Bremerton man gets prison time for death of girlfriend
Caretaker, boyfriend charged in woman’s death from January
Perleen June Bode, 66
Bremerton police arrest man in death of 67-year-old woman
As murder trial started, man accused of killing girlfriend pleaded guilty to manslaughter
Name: Sonia Riang.
Died: December 25, 2016.
Age at death: 45.
Cause of death: Stabbing.
Location: Clinton Township, Michigan, USA.
Disability: Mobility impaired due to car accident; used wheelchair and cane.
Details:
Sonia was stabbed to death by her daughter on Christmas day.
She was a fan of Korean soap operas.
Case status:
Delilah Evans (Daughter), convicted of first-degree murder, guilty but mentally ill; sentenced to life without parole.
Source:
Teen Arrested Monday in Connection With Christmas Day Murder
Daughter arrested in fatal stabbing of disabled mother in Clinton Township
Clinton Township teen may be arraigned in mother’s death
Daughter Arrested in Christmas Day Murder of Disabled Mother
17-year-old charged in murder of disabled mother
17-year-old daughter arraigned in mother’s stabbing death on Christmas
17-Year-Old Girl Charged With Murder In Mother’s Fatal Stabbing Christmas Day
Clinton Township Girl Arraigned In Mother’s Death
Teen arraigned in disabled mother’s stabbing death
Teen charged with murder in stabbing death of mother
17-Year-Old Girl Murders Mom On Christmas Day, But Family Upset About Murder Charges
Clinton Township teen seeking insanity verdict for stabbing mother to death
Teen gets life for stabbing disabled mom 120 times on Christmas Day
Teen who killed disabled mom on Christmas gets life in prison
Metro Detroit teen gets life without parole for stabbing her disabled mom 120 times, killing her
Clinton Township teen who killed mother gets life without parole
Daughter sentenced to life in prison for mother’s fatal stabbing on Christmas
Teen girl stabs disabled mother 120 times, killing her, on Christmas Day
Name: Kathryn Breen.
Died: December 23, 2016.
Age at death: 74.
Cause of death: Burns.
Location: Beaverton, Oregon, USA.
Disability: Unspecified; elder disabled.
Details:
Kathryn Breen suffered burn injuries in a fire set in her bedroom by her caretaker. She was taken to the hospital with third-degree burns over 25% of her body and died a month later.
Case status:
Celia Schwab (Live-in caretaker), charged with murder, arson, and assault, died of natural causes before conviction.
Maria Meisner (Neighbor), pleaded guilty to murder, sentenced to 25 years to life.
Source:
Caretaker accused of setting elderly woman on fire found unfit to stand trial for now
Beaverton woman gets life in prison for setting elderly neighbor on fire, killing her
Name: Phyllis Baccus Mansfield.
Died: December 14, 2016.
Age at death: 72.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Elizabeth City, North Carolina, USA.
Disability: Dementia.
Details:
Phyllis’s husband killed her by shooting her in the head and chest. He told police he had done it because he didn’t want to put her in a nursing home. A grand jury refused to indict him for first-degree murder, but some time later another agreed to indict for second-degree murder instead.
Case status:
Samuel Frank Mansfield (Husband); charged with second-degree murder; pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter. Died before sentencing on December 17, 2019.
Source:
Mansfield released after grand jury fails to indict on murder charge
Phyllis Mansfield
Grand jury decides not to indict NC man in wife’s shooting death
Mansfield indicted in wife’s death
Elderly man pleads guilty to shooting wife of 53 years
74-year-old NC man guilty of killing wife to prevent life as ‘caged animal’ in nursing home
Name: Natasha Wild
Died: November 28, 2016.
Age at death: 23.
Cause of death: Stabbed.
Location: Syke, Rochdale, Manchester, England, UK.
Disability: Cerebral palsy.
Details:
Natasha’s boyfriend was possessive and abusive. He hit her and accused her of faking her cerebral palsy. Convinced that she was sleeping with someone else, he stabbed her in the neck, killing her.
She was a third-year student at Liverpool Hope University, working her way through university as a cafeteria worker at the local high school.
Case status:
Lloyd Brackenbury (Boyfriend), convicted of manslaughter on grounds of diminished responsibility and detained in a psychiatric hospital.
Source:
Mum’s agony over student stabbed to death by paranoid boyfriend
Student stabbed to death by paranoid boyfriend who thought she was having affair
Name: Riba Dewilde.
Died: November 26, 2016.
Age at death: 51.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Tok, Alaska, USA.
Disability: Mental illness.
Details:
Riba was an artist who would go out hunting and trapping to gather materials for her art.
Riba’s son shot her with a hunting rifle.
Case status:
Eli Simpson (Son), charged with first- and second-degree murder. Convicted; sentence unknown. Currently incarcerated.
Source:
Prisoners charged in riot, occupation of Fairbanks Correctional Center
21-year-old Tok man faces murder charges in Alaska artist’s death
Alaska artist Riba DeWilde shot and killed in Tok; son in custody
Artist Riba DeWilde Murdered; Emergency Fundraiser Planned