Type: Homicide – Page 75 – Disability Day of Mourning

Gertrudes Alwardt

Photo of the gravestone of Gertrudes Alwardt. It reads, "Alwardt, Theodore R, Gertrudes G.", and gives birth and death dates for both. Name: Gertrudes Marcaida “Gigi” Alwardt.
Died: July 2, 2012.
Age at death: 82.
Cause of death: Head injury.
Location: East Poultney, Vermont, USA.
Disability: Chronic illness (elderly disabled).

Details:
Gigi was bludgeoned to death by her son, who struck her head against the table and then beat her with a wine bottle. Initially he claimed she had fallen; then he said he had done it because he thought she was possessed. In reducing the charge from murder to manslaughter, the judge noted that the killer was mentally ill and was “stressed” by caring for Gigi, whose health had been failing.

She had worked as a secretary for the Phillippine government, and had traveled the world during her lifetime. She enjoyed reading.

Case status:
Roderick Geronimo (Adoptive son), pleaded guilty to manslaughter, sentenced to 8-15 years in prison.

Source:
Man admits beating his mother to death with wine bottles
Obituary for Gertrudes Marcaida “Gigi” Alwardt
Adoptive son charged with killing mother
Man admits killing mother
Man who thought mom was possessed pleads guilty in her death
Poultney man who beat his mother to death gets eight years

Ruben Johnson

Photo of Reuben Johnson, a man with light-tan skin. He is wearing sunglasses and a pink and white sweatshirt; his face and head are both clean-shaven. Off to the side of the photo is a young girl with brown hair and light-tan skin. Name: Ruben Johnson.
Died: May 30, 2012.
Age at death: 56.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: San Carlos, California, USA.
Disability: Prostate cancer.

Details:
Soon after his diagnosis of prostate cancer, Ruben Johnson was shot to death by his wife. She also shot their daughter, fourteen-year-old Aaliyah.

Case status:
Regina Renee Johnson (Wife), convicted of two counts of second-degree murder, sentenced to 80 years to life.

Source:
Woman sentenced for murdering her daughter, husband
DA: San Carlos mother ‘ambushed’ and ‘executed’ husband, teenage daughter
Woman Accused of Ambushing Husband and Teen Daughter in Fatal Slayings — Though Defense Says It’s More Complicated
Woman Accused of Fatally Shooting Teen Daughter, Husband, to Stand Trial
Mom: I killed husband after he shot daughter
Woman ordered tried in death of husband, daughter
San Carlos Woman Convicted of Murder for Shooting Daughter, Husband
Mom Convicted of Slaying Daughter, Husband in Double Killing

Beth Spaulding

Name: Beth Marie Spaulding.
Died: April 2, 2012.
Age at death: 31.
Cause of death: Methadone poisoning.
Location: Fremont, Ohio, USA.
Disability: Chronic illness, ovarian tumor.

Details:
Beth’s husband poisoned her with methadone.

Beth was talented at photography and make-up, and used these skills to help others develop their confidence. She was a Humane Society volunteer who fostered a dog named Sweetie Pie, a poodle/schnauzer mix rescued from a puppy mill. When Sweetie Pie needed a $1500 cancer surgery from having been forced to have litter after litter for years, Beth raised the money and saved the dog’s life. After Beth was murdered, her mother adopted Sweetie Pie.

Case status:
Jason Risenburg (Husband), pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter, sentenced to 11 years.

Source:
Husband enters plea to reduced charge
Beth Spaulding Murder: How Did She Die? Who Killed Beth Spaulding?
Mother of woman killed in her sleep by husband ‘outraged’ at plea deal
Photos of Beth Marie “Beffy” Spaulding
Mother demands justice after daughter’s husband pleads not guilty to murder

Daniel Corby

Photo of Daniel Corby, a small boy with short brown hair and fair skin, smiling and covering his mouth with his hands. Name: Daniel Corby.
Died: March 31, 2012.
Age at death: 4.
Cause of death: Drowned.
Location: San Diego, California, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Daniel’s mother drowned him in the bathtub. She said she had killed him because he was autistic, she was sick of taking care of him, and she had gone $70,000 into debt for autism treatment.

Daniel learned all of the letters of the alphabet when he was three.

Case status:
Patricia Corby (mother) pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to 15 years to life.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Daniel Corby
Woman sentenced in tub drowning of autistic son, 4
Murder of Daniel Corby
Mom gets 15 years in autistic son’s tub drowning
Mother admits she drowned autistic son, 4, in bathtub because ‘she was sick of taking care of him’ and was $70,000 in debt after paying for his care
‘She felt like she had no life’: Mother drowns autistic four-year-old
Mother who drowned 4-year-old autistic son sentenced to life term

Linda McNeely

No Photo Name: Linda McNeely.
Died: March 14, 2012.
Age at death: 52.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Bothell, Washington, USA.
Disability: Brain cancer.

Details:
Linda’s husband shot her in the head, killing her.

Case status:
Donald McNeely (Husband), pleaded guilty to 2nd-degree murder, sentenced to 2 years.

Source:
Washington Man Sentenced to 2 Years in Prison For Killing Terminally Ill Wife
Washington Husband Killed Wife Who Had Brain Cancers
Bothell man gets 2 years for slaying terminally ill wife
Bothell man sentenced to 2 years for killing terminally ill wife

Masanori Honda

No Photo Name: Masanori Honda.
Died: March 9, 2012.
Age at death: 71.
Cause of death: Cyanide poisoning.
Location: Kaizuka, Osaka Prefecture, Japan.
Disability: Diabetes.

Details:
Mr. Honda moved in with a woman he had met through a dating service. Shortly afterward, he suffered heart failure while riding his motorcycle and died. His death was initially ruled natural, as was that of Minoru Hioki, 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:
Wikipedia: Chisako Kakehi
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

Thomas Hayden

Name: Thomas Hayden.
Died: January 18, 2012.
Age at death: 62.
Cause of death: Gunshot likely (Body not found).
Location: Dover Township, Pennsylvania, USA.
Disability: ALS.

Details:
Thomas disappeared and his wife tried to make it look like he was still alive. Years later, some of his blood and tissue was found, enough to make it clear that he was dead. His wife was arrested for murdering him.

Case status:
Virginia Hayden (Wife), pleaded no contest to third-degree murder and tampering with evidence; sentenced to 20 years in prison and 7 years probation.
Connie Pender (Virginia’s daughter), pleaded guilty to tampering with public records and conspiracy, sentenced to 4 years probation.

Source:
Killed, mutilated and hidden: Woman sentenced to prison in husband’s 2011 death
Woman accused of killing husband, still missing, appears in York County court
Scalp, hair found in bag in 2011 leads to homicide charges against 67-year-old woman
Mystery starts to unravel 5+ years after bloody bag of skin and hair found in York County
A human scalp found in a FoodSaver bag baffled police. Now, a grandmother has been charged with murder.

Julie Kuhn

Name: Julie Betty Kuhn.
Died: January 16, 2012.
Age at death: 75.
Cause of death: Suffocation.
Location: Armadale, Western Australia, Australia.
Disability: Stroke, arthritis.

Details:
Julie was found suffocated at her house. Her husband was arrested; neighbors commented they believed it had been a “mercy killing”.

Case Status:
Herbert Bernard Erickson (Husband), charged with aggravated grievous bodily harm; died by suicide before trial.

Sources:
‘Beautiful carer’ charged over his partner’s death
Tragic end to mercy killer’s life

Gloria Martin

No Photo Name: Gloria Martin.
Died: January 7, 2012.
Age at death: 55.
Cause of death: Stabbed.
Location: Northport, Alabama, USA.
Disability: Blindness.

Details:
Gloria was stabbed to death by her nephew.

Case status:
Kevin Demar Stines (Nephew), murder and robbery, life without parole.

Source:
Alabama man escapes death penalty after pleading guilty to 2012 murder of aunt

Nalecia Hines

No Photo Name: Nalecia Hines.
Died: November 28, 2011.
Age at death: 4.
Cause of death: Smothered, stabbed.
Location: Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
Disability: Down syndrome.

Details:
Nalecia was smothered and stabbed to death by her mother.

Case status:
Carulus Hines (Mother). Shot by police.

Source:
Police shoot, kill mother stabbing child