Type: Homicide – Page 69 – Disability Day of Mourning

Amoe Stevens

Photo of Amoe Stevens, an older Asian woman with tan skin and short black curly hair, wearing a teal suit. Name: Amoe Seline Stevens.
Died: October 18, 2013.
Age at death: 64.
Cause of death: Internal injuries.
Location: Neasden, London, UK.
Disability: Mobility/speech impairment after stroke.

Details:
Amoe was raped and murdered by her son-in-law.

Case status:
Mohammed Yassin Yusuf (Son-in-law), convicted of murder, sentenced to 25 years to life.

Source:
Remorseless killer jailed for causing an ‘agonising death’
Neasden stroke victim murdered by son-in-law’s violent sex assault
Man who murdered mother-in-law in sexual assault so violent she bled to death jailed for life
Mohammed Yassin Yusuf jailed for killing mother-in-law Amoe Seline Stevens in sexual assault
Man jailed for ‘horrifying’ murder by sexual assault on mother-in-law

Minoru Hioki

No Photo Name: Minoru Hioki.
Died: September 20, 2013.
Age at death: 75.
Cause of death: Cyanide poisoning.
Location: Muko City, Kyoto, Japan.
Disability: Lung cancer.

Details:
Mr. Hioki moved in with a woman he had met through a dating service. When he went to take his health supplements, he did not know his wife had poisoned the capsules. When he began gasping for breath and passed out, his wife refused resuscitation on his behalf, telling medics that he was dying of lung cancer and had no children, even though his lung cancer was in remission and he had several children. Mr. Hioki’s death was initially ruled natural, as was that of Masanori Honda, who had also been living with the same woman. However, when she made the mistake of killing a healthy man whose death could not be written off, an autopsy was done and cyanide poisoning was discovered in all three bodies.

Case Status:
Chisako Kakehi (Common-law Wife), convicted of three murders, sentenced to death.

Sources:
The 74-year-old ‘Black Widow’ killer who murdered her lovers with cyanide
Alleged black widow gets second cyanide charge
‘Black Widow’ charged in Japan over death of husband No. 4

Yu

Blurry photo of a baby boy lying asleep on a red blanket; he has tan skin and black hair, and is wearing a red top and blue jeans. Name: Yu (Family name unknown).
Died: September 9, 2013.
Age at death: 16 months.
Cause of death: Poisoned, smothered.
Location: Shenyang, Liaoning province, China.
Disability: Club foot.

Details:
Yu’s father allegedly poisoned him with pesticides, then smothered him and threw his body off a bridge. The police concluded that the boy’s disability, along with an unhappy marriage, had caused the father to become depressed and become unable to resist the impulse to murder his son.

Case status:
Feng (Father); charged with homicide.

Source:
Young father poisons toddler, smothers him and throws him from bridge

Virginia Chumbley

Name: Virginia “Jenny” Chumbley.
Died: August 28, 2013.
Age at death: 44.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: London, Kentucky, USA.
Disability: Breast cancer.

Details:
Jenny’s husband shot her in the head as she slept. He claimed he had done it to “stop her suffering”.

Case status:
Ernest Christ Chumbley (Husband), pleaded guilty to manslaughter, sentenced to 13-15 years.

Source:
Man who says he killed wife to stop suffering given 15 years

Melissa Torres

Photo of Melissa Torres, a woman with light brown skin, dark brown hair, and glasses. She wears large earrings and a maroon-and-gray sweater; in the foreground is a joystick for controlling her power wheelchair. Name: Melissa Torres.
Died: August 4, 2013.
Age at death: 32.
Cause of death: Asphyxia.
Location: New York City, New York, USA.
Disability: Quadriplegic.

Details:
Melissa’s boyfriend strangled or suffocated her.

Melissa had a two-year-old son who was in the apartment at the time. Though he was alone for most of the next day, the little boy was found safe and now lives with his grandmother.

Case status:
Angelo Sanchez (Boyfriend), convicted of and sentenced to 25 years to life.

Source:
Quadriplegic Woman Found Dead In Her Williamsburg Bathroom, Boyfriend Charged
Boy left with murdered mom’s body still thinks she’s just sleeping
NYC man gets 25 years to life for suffocating quadriplegic girlfriend, leaving son with body

Matthew Hafer

No Photo Name: Matthew Hafer.
Died: Several days before July 27, 2013.
Age at death: 28.
Cause of death: Prescription drug overdose.
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Matthew’s mother poisoned him with an overdose of prescription drugs.

Case status:
Joann Hafer (Mother), pled guilty to second-degree murder; sentenced to 10 years to life.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Matthew Hafer
Woman accused of killing son who had autism set for court
Police: Vegas woman drugged adult son to death
Mom accused of fatally drugging son appears in court
Police: Woman survives suicide attempt, arrested in death of disabled son
Court case

Terry Smith

Photo: A boy with brown hair and light-brown skin, smiling; he is wearing a blue striped shirt. Name: Terry “JuJu” Smith.
Died: July 5-6, 2013 (Exact day unknown).
Age at death: 11.
Cause of death: Head injury.
Location: Menifee, California, USA.
Disability: ADHD; possibly autistic.

Details:
Terry was killed by his half-brother.

Terry loved picnics. His favorite color was blue.

Case status:
Skylor Atilano (Half-brother), pled guilty to voluntary manslaughter, sentenced to 12 years; spent 5 years in a juvenile detention center before being released.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Terry “JuJu” Smith
Teen Gets 12-Year Sentence for Half Brother’s Murder
Brother imprisoned for Terry Smith’s 2013 death is released
Terry Smith Murder
Terry Smith Jr. – The strange, sad story of a murdered 11 year old boy in Menifee, California
Terry Smith’s Brother: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know

Monica Schemm

Photo of Monica Schemm, a woman with fair skin and strawberry-blonde hair pulled back in a ponytail. She is smiling; she is wearing glasses and a Christmas sweater. Name: Monica Schemm.
Died: June 12, 2013.
Age at death: 49.
Cause of death: Suffocation.
Location: Crescent, Oklahoma, USA.
Disability: Brain cancer survivor; traumatic brain injury from a fall.

Details:
Monica’s husband tied her to a chair, then tied a plastic bag over her head to suffocate her. He initially tried to disguise it as a home invasion, but when found out, claimed it was a “mercy killing”.

Case status:
Mark Schemm (Husband), convicted of first-degree murder, sentenced to life without parole.

Source:
Husband arrested for robbery claim, murder of wife
Oklahoma court upholds man’s life sentence in wife’s death

Alex Spourdalakis

Photo of a teenage boy, smiling, with fair skin and dark hair in a buzz cut; he is wearing a gray striped shirt. The photo is propped up with a bunch of yellow roses. Name: Alex Spourdalakis.
Died: June 9, 2013.
Age at death: 14.
Cause of death: Stabbed.
Location: River Grove, Illinois, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Alex’s mother and caregiver tried to kill him with an overdose of painkillers; when that didn’t work, they stabbed him to death.

Case status:
Dorothy Spourdalakis (Mother), pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter, sentenced to 4 years; released immediately on credit for time served.
Jolanta Agatha Skrodzka (Godmother), pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter, sentenced to 4 years; released immediately on credit for time served.

Source:
Autism Memprial: Alex Spourdalakis
Suburban mom admits to stabbing autistic son to death
Mother, godmother plead guilty to involuntary manslaughter of severely autistic teen
Mother, godmother who killed autistic teen released from prison
How Murder Victims With Disabilities Get Blamed For Their Own Deaths
New Report Discovers That the Media Normalizes the Murders of People with Disabilities

Miss Seo

No Photo Name: Seo (First name unknown).
Died: June 2013.
Age at death: 4.
Cause of death: Asphyxia.
Location: Yeosu, South Korea.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
This four-year-old girl’s mother strangled her to death.

Case status:
Ms. Seo (Mother); sentenced to 3 years.

Source:
Seo, 4-year-old female, name unknown
Korean Mother Kills Her Autistic Child, Gets 3 Years in Prison