Type: Homicide – Page 73 – Disability Day of Mourning

Victoria Prokopovitz

Name: Victoria Prokopovitz.
Died: April 25, 2013 (Last seen; body not found).
Age at death: 59.
Cause of death: Unknown homicide.
Location: Pittsfield, Wisconsin, USA.
Disability: Depression, dissociative identity disorder, colon cancer survivor, mobility impaired (used walker or cane).

Details:
When Victoria disappeared and her husband reported her missing, police quickly became suspicious because her husband’s new girlfriend lied to police during a hearing to determine whether a crime had been committed. Though how Victoria died was never discovered because her body was never found, a jury concluded that she had been killed by her husband.

Victoria’s husband had access to a sludge pond full of industrial chemicals which could have been used to dispose of a body, and made statements to the effect that Victoria was dead and never coming back. Victoria’s husband was convicted of first-degree intentional homicide. Police say he had a financial motive to want Victoria dead, was tired of caring for her and wanted to be available to be with his new girlfriend.

Case Status:
James Prokopovitz (Husband), convicted of first-degree intentional homicide; charged with domestic abuse, perjury and resisting or obstructing an officer. Sentenced to life without parole.
Kathryn Friday (Husband’s girlfriend), pleaded no contest to perjury, conspiracy to commit perjury, and obstruction; died by suicide before sentencing.

Source:
Daughters beg for answers as James Prokopovitz gets life in prison without parole for killing wife, who’s still missing
Wisconsin man convicted of murdering his missing wife
Missing woman’s son, daughter testify during Day 2 of murder trial
Missing woman murder trial delayed after judge breaks ankle
More witnesses testify on Day 3 of missing woman murder trial
WATCH LIVE: Missing woman’s son takes stand on second day of murder trial
Prosecution, defense make opening statements in missing woman murder trial
Victoria Lynn Prokopovitz – The Charley Project
9 women, 6 men to hear trial of man accused of killing wife
Woman connected to disappearance case dies before sentencing

40-year-old man

No Photo Name Unknown.
Died: April 22, 2013.
Age at death: 40.
Cause of death: Drugged and asphyxiated.
Location: Poissy, France.
Disability: Autism, hypoxic brain injury.

Details:
This 40-year-old man was found dead, drugged and smothered with a plastic bag over his head. His father was found unconscious but alive in a similar state.

Case Status:
His father was charged with murder.

Sources:
Poissy : désespéré, il tue son fils autiste
Autisme : les entendre vivants, ou les comprendre… morts ?

Richard Davenport Jr.

Name: Richard Baxter Davenport Jr.
Died: April 16, 2013.
Age at death: 59.
Cause of death: Blood loss.
Location: North Wilkesboro, North Carolina, USA.
Disability: Leg amputee; used a wheelchair.

Details:
Richard’s neighbor, who served as his caregiver, entered his home and cut his throat, leaving him to die.

He was a military veteran who had been in the Marines.

Case status:
Coy Edward Pack (Neighbor), pleaded no contest to voluntary manslaughter, sentenced to three years and six months to five years and four months in prison
April Pack (Neighbor; Caregiver), pleaded guilty to being an accessory to murder, burglary, and armed robbery, sentenced to 5 years, 6 months to 7 years, 8 months in prison.

Source:
Coy Pack murder trial set
Husband of woman arrested earlier is also charged with murder
Davenport, Richard Baxter, Jr.
Arrest made for murder
Richard Davenport Jr., Marine veteran, dies on April 16
North Wilkesboro man found dead in his home
Eddie Pack pleads guilty to voluntary manslaughter
April Pack is sentenced for being accessory in man’s death

Heidi Good-Swiacki

Name: Heidi Good-Swiacki.
Died: March 25, 2013.
Age at death: 52.
Cause of death: Asphyxiation.
Location: Solvang, California, USA.
Disability: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Details:
Heidi died when her ventilator failed. At the time, she was in the care of her mother and a hired caregiver. The caregiver left to go shopping, and in the meantime, the ventilator failed. Her mother and caregiver were charged with deliberately sedating her and disconnecting the ventilator, but the jury deadlocked on her mother’s trial, and the caregiver’s conviction was overturned.

Heidi wrote a blog using an eye-based input device. In the introduction to her blog, she said, “I will share my ALS story which will hopefully encourage others. It will show that quality of life comes in many forms… Since I have had ALS I have seen many miracles.”

She was a deeply spiritual woman with two children, and she started a company to set up accounting systems for new wineries. Although non-verbal and ventilator-dependent, Heidi saw her life as “filled with laughter, trust and love”.

Case status:
Marjorie Good (Mother); jury deadlocked on involuntary manslaughter charge; charges dropped.
Wanda Nelson (Caregiver), convicted of involuntary manslaughter; conviction overturned because conspiracy could not be proved.

Source:
Case dismissed for caretaker convicted of involuntary manslaughter of ALS patient Heidi Good
Solvang woman acquitted of murdering her daughter
Case dismissed for caretaker convicted of involuntary manslaughter of ALS patient Heidi Good
Tragic Tale of ALS Patient Heidi Good Swiacki’s Death Emerges in Criminal Grand Jury Transcripts
Good Times

Douglas Streeter

Name: Douglas Ivor Streeter.
Died: March 14, 2013.
Age at death: 69.
Cause of death: Shooting.
Location: Natte Yallock, Victoria, Australia.
Disability: Motor neuron disease.

Details:
Douglas and his brother John owned a large sheep farm, which his son was due to inherit when he died. His son shot Douglas and John.

From Douglas’s obituary: “Dougie, an extraordinary person. You always greeted us with wide open arms when we came to visit. Our hearts would melt as we watched you take our little boy out for many drives in your ute with the flashing light.”

Case Status:
Ross Streeter (Son), convicted of two counts of murder, sentenced to 28-37 years.

Sources:
Love and tears for lost brothers
Farm killer stood to inherit $500,000
Killer Ross Streeter ‘sick in the guts’ over shooting murder of father, Douglas, and uncle, John
The Queen v Streeter
STREETER, Douglas Ivor | Death Notices | Melbourne

Susan Walter

Name: Susan Margaret Walter.
Died: March 2, 2013.
Age at death: 47.
Cause of death: Blunt force trauma.
Location: Covington, Georgia, USA.
Disability: Intellectual disability.

Details:
Susan was beaten to death by her caregiver.

Case status:
Cornelius Richardson-Bethea (Caregiver), convicted of malice murder and abuse of a disabled adult, sentenced to life without parole.

Source:
Mentally challenged Newton woman found beaten to death
Caregiver gets life for mentally challenged woman’s beating death

Constance Johnston

No Photo Name: Constance Johnston.
Died: February 19, 2013.
Age at death: 76.
Cause of death: Stabbed.
Location: Richland, Pennsylvania, USA.
Disability: Dementia.

Details:
When Constance began showing signs of early dementia, her grandson took it as evidence that she was evil and stabbed her fatally in the back.

She was a pastor’s wife with 10 grandchildren.

Case status:
Levi Staver (Grandson), pleaded guilty but mentally ill to third-degree murder, sentenced to 10 to 20 years.

Source:
Constance Anita McCall Johnston (1936-2013) -…
Richland man gets 10 to 20 years for fatally stabbing grandmother
Man Allegedly Stabs Grandmother To Death, Blames “Archangel Michael”
Richland Stabbing Victim Remembered as ‘Guiding Hand’ to Husband’s Congregation
Police arrest man for stabbing death in Richland of grandmother
CONSTANCE “CONNIE” (McCALL) JOHNSTON’s Obituary

Breeana Robinson

Name: Breeana Robinson.
Died: January 29, 2013.
Age at death: 21.
Cause of death: Murder.
Location: Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.
Disability: Congenital condition causing blindness.

Details:
Breeana had been a cheerleader for the Gold Coast Titans and wanted to become a dancer on a cruise ship.

Unfortunately, she became involved with a man who had a history of harassing women. He began to send her abusive text messages. He isolated her from her family. Then she was found dead, having fallen from an 11th-floor apartment balcony.

Those who knew her boyfriend immediately suspected that he had driven her to suicide, although her boyfriend insisted that she had committed suicide because she was depressed about her disability.

In 2018, Sunday Night covered the case, and new witnesses came forward. After expert analysis and the new eyewitness testimony, it was alleged that Breeana had not committed suicide after all; she had been pushed from that balcony to her death. In early 2019, almost six years after her death, Breeana’s boyfriend was finally arrested.

Case status:
Dan Shearin, aka Jayden Moorea (Boyfriend). Initially pleaded guilty to text harassment; given a six-month sentence with two months suspended; appealed and had the sentence canceled. Arrested; charged with murder; charges dropped ten years after initial charges because prosecutors decided they did not have a reasonable chance of a conviction.

Source:
Breeana Robinson death: Cruise ship singer’s bizarre musical about girlfriend who fell to her death from his balcony – after murder charges were sensationally dropped
Man who allegedly threw girlfriend off Gold Coast high-rise committed to stand trial
A young cheerleader’s final moments before she fell from a balcony
Cruise ship singer accused with throwing his blind cheerleader girlfriend to her death breaches bail
Entertainer Dan Shearin regrets pleading guilty in Breeana Robinson harassment
Man charged over the alleged murder of his cheerleader girlfriend
‘You pray for this day’: Man charged with murder of Gold Coast cheerleader
Man charged with murder of girlfriend, who fell from balcony six years ago
Ex charged with murdering cheerleader
‘It’s still raw’: Family reveals pain after man charged with cheerleader’s murder
Dan Shearin arrested in relation to the death of Breeana Robinson
Family of cheerleader who plunged to from balcony say she didn’t fall

Mary Baker

Name: Mary Baker.
Died: January 27, 2013.
Age at death: 58.
Cause of death: Prescription drug overdose.
Location: Seffner, Florida, USA.
Disability: Quadriplegic.

Details:
Mary’s boyfriend poisoned her with a lethal dose of her prescription medication.

Case status:
Timothy Neil Harrison (Boyfriend, caretaker), pleaded guilty to manslaughter, sentenced to 10 years; paroled after 5 years 2 months.

Source:
Seffner man accused of killing quadriplegic girlfriend with prescription drugs
Man gets 10 years for death of quadriplegic girlfriend

Lynda Riopel

No Photo Name: Lynda Riopel.
Died: January 24, 2013.
Age at death: 46.
Cause of death: Stabbed.
Location: Maniwaki, Quebec, Canada.
Disability: Muscular dystrophy.

Details:
Lynda’s husband stabbed her to death.

Case status:
Michael Sabourin (Husband); pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, sentenced to 13 years to life.

Source:
Maniwaki: un homme de 51 ans accusé de meurtre
Maniwaki man sentenced to life in prison for killing disabled wife