Henry Sochalski

Black and white photo of Henry Sochalski. He has dark hair and fair skin, and is wearing a policeman's uniform and glasses. He has a bushy mustache.Name: Henry A. “Butch” Sochalski.
Died: May 19, 2016.
Age at death: 64.
Cause of death: Asphyxia.
Location: Daytona Beach, Florida, USA.
Disability: Recent hypoxic brain injury; back problems.

Details:
Henry went to the hospital for elective surgery to help with his back problems, but the surgery went badly and Henry went into cardiac arrest. He was resuscitated, but his brain had been injured from lack of oxygen.

Henry’s wife, who had worked as a nurse for forty years, first tried to kill him by getting the nurses to give him a medication that would have depressed his breathing, but they refused. Then she pressed the button on his patient-administered pain medication over and over, trying to poison him, but the device automatically limited itself to a safe dose. In the end she allegedly lay across his chest, pinched his nose, and suffocated him.

Henry Sochalski was a retired police officer. He loved riding his motorcycle.

Case status:
Jan Sochalski (Wife), charged with second-degree murder, died before trial.

Sources:
Murder defendant found dead in her Palm Coast home
Sochalski Obituary
A man was suffocated to death in the hospital. The suspect? His wife, a retired nurse.
Florida woman accused of killing husband in hospital bed
Florida woman allegedly murdered husband by plugging his nose
Henry & Jan Sochalski: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know
Palm Coast wife accused of killing husband at Florida Hospital held on $250,000 bail
Wife charged with killing former N.J. cop in Fla.

Ruby Knox

Photo of Ruby Knox. She is a young woman with shoulder-length brown hair and pale skin, wearing a black, white, and red shirt.Name: Ruby Isabella Knox.
Died: May 16, 2016.
Age at death: 20.
Cause of death: Asphyxia.
Location: Blenheim, New Zealand.
Disability: Autism, intellectual disability, spina bifida.

Details:
Weeks before the murder, Ruby Knox’s mother self-published a book about caring for her disabled daughter. In it, she said that she had “thoughts of ‘blowing up the hospital’ or of taking ‘serious violent action’.”

Her mother made good on those statements when she drugged and then smothered Ruby to death.

In her book, Ruby’s mother briefly mentions Ruby playing on the piano.

A review of the services available to Ruby and her mother found they were adequate.

Case status:
Donella Knox (Mother), pleaded guilty to murder, sentenced to 4 years, scheduled to be released after less than two years.

Source:
The one voice that might have saved Ruby Knox
Blenheim mum Donella Knox jailed for murdering autistic daughter Ruby
Mother jailed for murder of autistic daughter
The Big Read: Case of Donella Knox who murdered autistic daughter Ruby a ‘once in a generation case’
Donella Knox published harrowing book a month before murdering autistic daughter
Blenheim woman Donella Knox details the struggles caring for her autistic daughter
Blenheim mother murdered autistic daughter after tolerating years of abuse
Protest for parents of autistic children after Donella Knox sentencing
Supporters plan protest to get Donella Knox out of jail and improve services after she murdered her autistic daughter
Murder of disabled daughter a ‘once in a generation’ case
Outrage as mum who murdered autistic daughter is jailed for four years
Autism Memorial: Ruby Knox
Autistic girl’s murder sparks external review
Blenheim woman Donella Knox shuts down protests, wants to ‘move on’
Donella Knox: A mother forced to fight for too long
Independent review of Donella and Ruby Knox’s treatment set for May
Donella Knox who killed autistic daughter is jailed
Autism NZ calls for respite care overhaul after Donella Knox case
On Donella Knox, her disabled daughter, and the so-called ‘mercy killing’
No Excusing the Murder of Autistics!
Health service review prompted by murder of autistic daughter to begin
Ruby Knox murder case: DHB reveals review details
Review of disability services about to start following Ruby Knox murder
‘Mercy killing’ mother Donella Knox to read review prompted by daughter’s death
Review prompted by Ruby Knox murder blasts NZ’s disability care
Mum who killed autistic daughter to be released from prison

Carolyn Hager

Portrait photo of Carolyn Hager, an elderly woman with pale blond hair.Name: Carolyn Hager.
Died: May 16, 2016.
Age at death: 78.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Port St. Lucie, Florida, USA.
Disability: Arthritis, lung cancer, chronic illness.

Details:
Carolyn’s husband shot her in the head.

Carolyn’s neighbors remember her as an artistic woman who maintained a beautiful garden and could often be seen outside tending her plants.

Case status:
William J. Hager (Husband), pleaded no contest to manslaughter, sentenced to nine years.

Source:
Port St. Lucie man who killed ailing wife in ‘act of love’ gets 9 years
Police: Man killed wife because he couldn’t afford medications
Florida Man Says He Killed Sick Wife Because He Couldn’t Afford Her Medicine, Sheriff Says
Port St. Lucie man accused of shooting wife because she was in pain & he couldn’t afford medications
Port St. Lucie man charged with murder in wife’s killing
Police: Man kills wife, blames high medication prices
Man says he killed sick wife because he couldn’t afford her medication

Leslie Denn

No PhotoName: Leslie John Denn.
Died: May 9, 2016.
Age at death: Adult.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Borrowdale, Zimbabwe.
Disability: Depression.

Details:
Leslie was shot in the back of the head. His fiance claimed he had been suicidal, and he had indeed been under treatment for depression, but police ruled it a murder. Leslie’s fiance was charged with murder, having been with him when he died, having burned the mattress on which he was lying, and having reported his death as a suicide; however, she was acquitted at trial due to an inability of the prosecution to bring sufficient evidence to convict her.

Leslie was a businessman who had been the board chairman of CMED and managing director of Nemchen.

Case status:
Pilary Ashton (Fiance), acquitted of murder. The judge’s statement in the case berated the police, prosecution, and forensics department for failure to follow protocol, including failure to analyze crucial gunshot residue samples, which may have led to a “serious miscarriage of justice”.

Source:
CMED Boss Found Dead, Girlfriend Accused Of Murdering Him Set Free As Judge Yet Again Blasts The Police And NPA For A Shoddy Job
‘CMED boss murdered’
Zimbabwe: Fiancee in the Line of Fire… Inquest Into Cmed Boss’ Death Opens
Zimbabwe: CMED Chairman Commits Suicide
Zimbabwe: CMED Boss Was ‘Suffering From Depression’
Leslie John Denn CMED boss shot dead not suicide
Shock twist to death of CMED Official who allegedly committed suicide
CMED boss commits suicide

Patricia Gordon

No PhotoName: Patricia Gordon.
Died: April 28, 2016.
Age at death: 63.
Cause of death: Smothered.
Location: Troon, Scotland, UK.
Disability: Health anxiety, depression, lung cancer.

Details:
Patricia hated doctors and didn’t want to go to see one, but was worried that she had lung cancer. One day when she was in pain, instead of taking her to a doctor, her husband smothered her to death with a pillow.

Although he admitted to killing her, the murder charge was dropped after a family member explained to the court how sick Patricia had been and how hard it had been for her husband to care for her.

Case status:
Ian Gordon (Husband), convicted of culpable homicide, sentenced to 3 years, 4 months; sentence overturned, released.

Source:
Pensioner cleared of murder after smothering his wife
Husband who smothered wife to death with pillow cleared of murder
Troon pillow killer Ian Gordon jailed for three years
Judges overturn sentence for man who killed his wife
Husband jailed for culpable homicide over ‘mercy killing’ of terminally wife admonished following appeal

Laraine Rayner

Photo of Laraine Rayner. She is a middle-aged woman with short strawberry-blonde hair. She is wearing hoop earrings and a red sweater.Name: Laraine Rayner.
Died: Two weeks before April 24, 2016 (Body found).
Age at death: 52.
Cause of death: Sharp trauma.
Location: Wisbech, UK.
Disability: Mental and physical health problems; OCD; mobility impaired.

Details:
Laraine was stabbed to death by her boyfriend.

Case status:
Steven Stocks (Boyfriend), convicted of murder, sentenced to 20 years to life.

Source:
Laraine Rayner murder: Disabled woman’s partner jailed for life
Man left dying stabbed partner to rot in shrine, court hears
Wisbech carer ‘stabbed girlfriend to death, then wrote letter apologising for mess’, court hears
Man ‘fatally stabbed his disabled partner and left her body under makeshift shrine for two weeks’

Patricia Myers

Close-up photo of Patricia Myers, a middle-aged African-american woman.Name: Patricia Myers.
Died: April 23, 2016.
Age at death: 69.
Cause of death: Beaten, stabbed.
Location: Bronx, New York, USA.
Disability: Chronic lung disease.

Details:
Patricia was a retired nurse.

Her nephew had just been released from prison, so Patricia welcomed him into her home. Then she disappeared, leaving behind the oxygen tank and mask she needed to breathe, and police dogs found blood in her apartment. Her nephew confessed to beating and stabbing her to death and burying her body in a suitcase.

Case status:
Andros Topping (Nephew), pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, sentenced to 15 years to life.

Source:
Ex-con gets 15 years to life for killing his aunt in her Bronx home and stuffing her body in a suitcase
Ex-con charged with murder reportedly confesses to beating aunt to death
Nephew of missing retired Bronx nurse charged with murder, manslaughter for her death

Cecilia Madray

Photo of an older woman in a turqoise top; she has olive skin and black hair with gray roots. She is wearing glasses.Name: Cecilia “Suzy” Madray.
Died: April 21, 2016.
Age at death: 76.
Cause of death: Blunt trauma.
Location: Mahaicony, Guyana.
Disability: Unspecified; bedridden following an accident.

Details:
Suzy’s son bludgeoned her to death with a piece of wood. 

Case status:
Terrence Madray (Son), pleaded guilty to manslaughter, sentenced to 21 years.

Source:
Man gets 21 years for killing bedridden mother
21 years in jail

Inaya Ahmed

Photo of Inaya Ahmed. She is a toddler girl with light skin and dark brown hair and eyes. She is wearing a red and black checked headscarf.Name: Inaya Ahmed.
Died: April 20, 2016.
Age at death: 14 months.
Cause of death: Asphyxia.
Location: Glasgow, Scotland, UK.
Disability: Prematurity, feeding difficulties.

Details:
Inaya’s mother was accused of smothering her with a pillow.

Case status:
Sadia Ahmed (Mother), charged with murder; jury returned “not proven” verdict (insufficient evidence to convict; different from a “not guilty” verdict); acquitted.

Source:
Inaya Ahmed murder trial: Mother cleared of smothering toddler with pillow
Sadia Ahmed ‘murdered baby by placing a cushion over head’ | Daily Mail Online
Mother, 26, who suffered with post-natal depression ‘murdered toddler’
Toddler murder trial told of screams

Jack May

No Photo
Name: Jack May.
Died: April 16, 2016.
Age at death: 89.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Lecanto, Florida, USA.
Disability: Wheelchair user.

Details:
Jack’s son shot him in the back as he sat in his wheelchair.

Case status:
James Troy May (Son), convicted of second-degree murder, sentenced to 25 years.

Source:
James May is accused of fatally shooting his 89-year-old father inside their Lecanto home
Florida Offender Search