Type: Homicide – Page 64 – Disability Day of Mourning

Carolyn Hyatt

Photo of Carolyn Hyatt. She is a middle-aged woman with dark hair and fair skin, wearing a pink hat and blue-and-yellow tank top. Name: Carolyn Hyatt.
Died: August 28, 2015.
Age at death: 43.
Cause of death: Stroke secondary to burn injury.
Location: Shirebrook, Derbyshire, England, UK.
Disability: Intellectual disability from having meningitis as a child; diabetes, mobility impairment from stroke.

Details:
Carolyn’s boyfriend poured alcohol over her as she lay in bed, then lit her on fire. Carolyn managed to put out the fire and call emergency services before collapsing on her bed. She was found with burns to 20 percent of her body and taken to the hospital, where she stayed for three weeks before another massive stroke, brought on by her burn injuries, killed her.

Case status:
David Dunstan (Boyfriend), convicted of murder, sentenced to 25 years to life.

Source:
Mansfield man murdered girlfriend he had been seeing for just a month
David Dunstan who murdered special needs girlfriend Carolyn Hyatt is jailed for life
Family pay tribute to murdered sister

Sharon Johnson

No Photo Name: Sharon R. Johnson.
Died: August 27, 2015.
Age at death: 65.
Cause of death: Stabbed.
Location: Fairview, Mississippi, USA.
Disability: Unspecified.

Details:
Sharon was stabbed to death by her caregiver.

Case status:
Jimmy Carpenter (Caregiver), convicted of murder, sentenced to life without parole as a habitual offender.

Source:
Itawamba County murder suspect found guilty
Stabbing suspect charged with murder

Jody Meyers

Photo of Jody Meyers. She has fair skin and blond hair with darker roots. She is holding a cell phone in a leopard-print cover, and wearing a silver ring and a peach sweater. Name: Jody Meyers.
Died: August 26-28, 2015.
Age at death: 20.
Cause of death: Asphyxia.
Location: Mannum, South Australia, Australia.
Disability: Partially deaf.

Details:
Jody’s boyfriend strangled her; then he buried her under a concrete slab in the yard, reported her missing, and pretended to help search for her.

Case status:
Neil Archer (Partner), pleaded guilty to murder, sentenced to 22 years to life.

Source:
Vile murderer’s plea for special treatment
Jody’s grieving family: throw the key away
22 years for ultimate act of betrayal

Joyce Taylor

Photo of Joyce Taylor. She is a young woman with long blond hair and glasses, wearing a wide-brimmed black hat. Name: Joyce LaDonna McIntire Keys Taylor.
Died: August 17, 2015.
Age at death: 26.
Cause of death: Asphyxia.
Location: Amarillo, Texas, USA.
Disability: Unspecified (Mental illness, possibly depression).

Details:
Joyce’s husband suffocated her.

She was pregnant when she died. Her four-month-old fetus, a boy, died with her.

Case status:
Allen Taylor (Husband), convicted of murder, sentenced to 20-40 years.

Source:
Man indicted in killing of pregnant wife
Man Charged with Murdering Pregnant Wife
Obituary | Joyce LaDonna McIntire Keys Taylor | Rector Funeral Home

Melisha Mosier Ludwick

Name: Melisha K. Mosier Ludwick.
Died: August 11, 2015 (Body found); died July 2015.
Age at death: 38.
Cause of death: Asphyxia.
Location: Hilham, Tennessee, USA.
Disability: Unspecified; attended special education classes, received disability benefits; under the care of a psychiatrist.

Details:
Melisha was killed by her live-in boyfriend and Social Security payee. He strangled her and dismembered the body.

Case status:
Edward Walsh (Boyfriend), convicted of first-degree murder and abuse of a corpse, sentenced to life, died in prison.

Source:
Murderer Describes Killing In Own Words
State of Tennessee v. Edward Walsh | Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts
Eight testify in Celina murder trial
Brutal murder case goes to grand jury

Jason Corbett

Name: Jason Corbett.
Died: August 2, 2015.
Age at death: 39.
Cause of death: Blunt trauma.
Location: Abbotts Creek, North Carolina, USA.
Disability: Depression, thyroid disease.

Details:
Jason’s wife and father-in-law allegedly beat him to death with a baseball bat and a concrete brick.

Case status:
Molly Martens (Wife), convicted of second-degree murder, sentenced to 20-25 years. New trial granted.
Thomas Martens (Father-in-law), convicted of second-degree murder, sentenced to 20-25 years. New trial granted.

Source:
Thomas Martens, Molly Corbett retrial now scheduled for November
PHOTOS: Hearing for the retrial of Molly Corbett and Thomas Martens in the death of Jason Corbett
Thomas Martens, Molly Martens Corbett Found Guilty In Jason Corbett Trial
Molly Corbett, Tom Martens released on bond after hearing in Davidson County
Martens facing 20-25 years in jail for murder
Jason Corbett murder trial verdict: Guilty
Why was Limerick man Jason Corbett killed?

Thandazile Mpunzi

No Photo Name: Thandazile Mpunzi.
Died: August 1, 2015.
Age at death: 20.
Cause of death: Asphyxia.
Location: Kwazulu-Natal (Manguzi), South Africa.
Disability: Albinism.

Details:
Believing that albino body parts would make them rich, Thandazile’s boyfriend, a local healer, and two other men decided to kill her. Her boyfriend lured her out to a remote spot, where she was strangled and dismembered.

Case status:
Mandla Mabuza, pleaded guilty to murder, 20 years.
Lindokuhle Khumalo, pleaded guilty to murder, 20 years.
Bhekukufa Gumede (healer), convicted of murder, sentenced to life.
Siyabonga Gwala (Boyfriend), sentenced to 18 years.

Source:
KZN witchdoctor gets life for murder of woman with albinism
Boyfriend jailed for albino muti murder
KZN albino murder: 2 suspects plead guilty
Commission outraged at killing of albino woman

Luc Baeyens

Photo of a middle-aged, balding man with lightly tanned skin, wearing glasses.. Name: Luc Baeyens.
Died: July 29, 2015.
Age at death: 48.
Cause of death: Smothered.
Location: Tremelo, Flanders, Belgium.
Disability: Down syndrome.

Details:
Luc was smothered by his stepfather.

Case status:
Aloïs De Smedt (Stepfather), convicted of murder, sentenced to 12 years; eligible for release in 3 years.

Source:
Twaalf jaar voor moord op gehandicapte stiefzoon
Tranen maken even Plaats voor Lach op Afscheid Luc Baeyens (48)

Meredith Jessie

Name: Meredith Jessie.
Died: July 18, 2015.
Age at death: 6.
Cause of death: Stabbed.
Location: Lakeland, Florida, USA.
Disability: Diagnosed (possibly incorrectly) with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

Details:
Meredith’s mother was afraid that her fiancé was going to leave her. She saw Meredith as an impediment to her relationship with her fiance. Twice she had Meredith hospitalized for psychiatric issues, though it’s unknown whether Meredith actually had a mental illness or whether her mother was just obsessed with the idea that she did.

Meredith’s mother stabbed Meredith to death; she also killed her father.

Case status:
Cheyanne Jessie (Mother), convicted of two counts of murder, sentenced to life in prison without parole.

Source:
Cheyanne Jessie sentenced to life in prison for murder of father and daughter
Polk jury begins deliberations in murder trial of Cheyanne Jessie, Lakeland woman accused of killing her daughter, 6, and dad
Family wants death penalty for Lakeland woman accused of…

Baby Boy

No Photo Name: Never named.
Died: July 15, 2015.
Age at death: 3 days.
Cause of death: Potassium chloride poisoning.
Location: Chongming, Shanghai, China.
Disability: Cleft lip.

Details:
This newborn boy, who may not have been given a name, was killed by his grandfather because he had a cleft lip. His grandfather went to a doctor to get potassium chloride and instructions on how to use it, and then injected the substance into the newborn boy’s head, killing him.

Case status:
The baby’s grandfather, surnamed Peng, sentenced to seven years.
A doctor surnamed Zhu, who supplied the potassium chloride, sentenced to five years.

Source:
Chinese man kills grandson for being born with a cleft lip
Cleft Lip Stigma Cost Infant His Life