Type: Homicide – Page 76 – Disability Day of Mourning

Dana Turner

Photo of Dana Turner, a young woman with long, bushy brown hair and fair skin, wearing a suit jacket and brown bead necklace, smiling at the camera. Name: Dana Turner.
Died: October 9, 2011.
Age at death: 31.
Cause of death: Stabbed, strangled.
Location: Innisfail, Alberta, Canada.
Disability: Bipolar disorder.

Details:
Dana was studying theology and wanted to become a minister. Her mother said she would “give away anything to anybody who needed it”.

She was stabbed and strangled to death by her boyfriend.

Case status:
Mark Lindsay (Boyfriend), convicted of second-degree murder, sentenced to 16 years to life.

Source:
Convicted murderer Mark Lindsay loses appeal of murder conviction
Innisfail remains identified as Dana Turner
Former Edmonton police chief’s son found guilty of second-degree murder in girlfriend’s slaying

Noe Medina Jr.

Name: Noe Medina Jr.; also called Noe Hermosillo Jr.
Died: August 25, 2011.
Age at death: 7 months.
Cause of death: Fall injury.
Location: La habra, California, USA.
Disability: Congenital muscular torticollis, plagiocephaly (Twisted neck, flat head).

Details:
Noe’s mother thought his congenital conditions made him unacceptable; she threw him off a four-story parking garage to his death.

Case status:
Sonia Hermosillo (Mother); found guilty of first-degree murder and assault of a child causing death, sentenced to 25 years to life.

Source:
Mother who hurled disabled baby son to his death could get PAROLE
California mother gets 25-to-life for pushing infant son off parking structure
Jury: Mom who dropped 7-month-old son to his death from parking garage was sane at the time
Mom convicted of murder for dropping her baby off parking garage
California mom convicted of murder after baby dropped from hospital’s parking garage
California mom who pushed disabled baby son to his death didn’t love him, murder trial hears
Baby Noe Medina Jr. allegedly tossed from hospital roof dies, mother Sonia Hermosillo to face a murder charge
California mother to stand trial in 4-story drop that killed baby

Jori Lirette

Photo of Jori Lirette, a young boy with fair skin and short blond hair in a buzz cut, wearing an orange striped polo shirt. Name: Jori Lirette .
Died: August 15, 2011.
Age at death: 7.
Cause of death: Decapitation.
Location: Thibodaux, Louisiana, USA.
Disability: Cerebral palsy.

Details:
Jori Lirette was killed and decapitated by his father, who had been talking about killing him to “put him out of his misery” since Jori was born.

Case status:
Jeremiah Wright (Father); not guilty by reason of insanity.

Source:
Hundreds mourn murdered boy, 7
Court: Dad threatened to kill slain son as baby
Man Who Decapitated 7-Year-Old Son, Left His Head In Driveway Learns His Fate

Christina Sneary

Portrait photo of a solemn teenage girl with brown skin and black hair, wearing large hoop earrings and a black-and-white outfit. Name: Christina Sneary.
Died: August 3, 2011.
Age at death: 14.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Ferry Pass, Florida, USA.
Disability: Developmentally disabled.

Details:
Christina’s older foster sister shot her.

Case status:
Elena Rendell (Foster sister, age 17), convicted as a youthful offender of manslaughter, sentenced to 1 year in jail and 5 years probation.

Source:
Former Northview Student Convicted Of Killing Younger Adoptive Sister; Will Serve One Year In Jail

Julie Cirella

Name: Julie Cirella .
Died: July 23, 2011.
Age at death: 8.
Cause of death: Anaphylaxis.
Location: Plainview, Nassau County, New York, USA.
Disability: Cerebral palsy, severe peanut allergy.

Details:
Julie was asphyxiated by her mother. Her mother initially said she had given Julie peanuts, to which Julie had a severe allergy; however, though medics found the girl had died of asphyxiation, they found no peanuts in her system–but they also found no Benadryl or epinephrine, both medications which her mother claimed to have administered. How Julie died may never be known, but she was either actively killed by her mother, or else died because her mother refused to use her EpiPen or antihistamines when she had a deadly allergic reaction.

Julie’s mother made a suicide gesture, which she survived; she was found with a ligature around her neck, and a suicide note nearby that read “her daughter should die”.

8-year-old Julie Cirella died on the day she was supposed to be a flower girl in her uncle’s wedding. Her uncle was the one who found her body.

Case status:
Veronica Cirella (Mother), pleaded guilty to manslaughter, sentenced to 12 years, released after 6 years.

Source:
Veronica CIRELLA

Ruth Pyne

Photo of Ruth Pyne, a woman with layered blonde hair, tanned skin, and a teal V-neck shirt. She is smiling. Name: Ruth Pyne.
Died: May 27, 2011.
Age at death: 51.
Cause of death: Traumatic injury.
Location: Detroit, Michigan, USA.
Disability: Bipolar disorder.

Details:
Ruth’s son bludgeoned her unconscious, then stabbed her to death.

Case status:
Jeffrey Pyne (Son), convicted of second-degree murder, sentenced to 20-60 years.

Source:
“48 Hours”: Does the way Ruth Pyne was killed prove premeditation?
Ruth Pyne Obituary

Lylah Johnson

Photo of a girl with light-brown skin, her dark-brown hair done in two braids. She is leaning back against a pillow with her eyes closed; she is wearing light makeup. Next to her on the pillow is a doll with matching light-brown skin and dark-brown hair. Name: Lylah Johnson.
Died: March 11, 2011.
Age at death: 8.
Cause of death: Carbon monxide poisoning.
Location: San Leandro, California, USA.
Disability: Cerebral palsy, scoliosis.

Details:
Lylah’s mother poisoned her with car exhaust from the family van.

Case status:
Christel Johnson (Mother), convicted of second-degree murder; declared insane; committed to state psychiatric hospital for 15 years to life.

Source:
People Vs. Christel Irene Johnson
Update: Mother Arrested on Murder Charge In Daughter’s Death
Mother Charged with Killing Disabled Daughter Had Received Medical Malpractice Settlement Related to Girl’s Birth
San Leandro mother convicted of murder in death of disabled daughter, 8

Brandy Ardon

No Photo Name: Brandy Ardon.
Died: March 6, 2011.
Age at death: 2 months.
Cause of death: Morphine poisoning, fire.
Location: Reno, Nevada, USA.
Disability: Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome.

Details:
Brandy’s mother drugged her with morphine; then she put the baby in a bag, took her to a field, doused her with gasoline, and burned her. The coroner confirmed that there was smoke in the baby’s lungs; she had been alive when she was set on fire.

Case status:
Suceli Ardon (Mother), pleaded guilty to arson, given time served and ordered to get 5 years of mental health counseling.

Source:
GUILTY NV – Randi Ardon, 2 mos, body found burned, Sparks, 6 March 2011
Police: Baby burned alive by mother in Nevada

Yasushi Yamamoto

No Photo Name: Yasushi Yamamoto.
Died: March 5, 2011.
Age at death: 77.
Cause of death: Unspecified homicide.
Location: Tokyo, Japan.
Disability: Unspecified mental illness.

Details:
Mr. Yamamoto’s family took him out of the hospital where he was being treated. His son, a doctor, killed him later that day. Prosecutors say that they considered Mr. Yamamoto to be “burdensome” because of his illness.

Case Status:
Junko Yamamoto (Wife), convicted of conspiracy to murder, sentenced to 11 years.
Naoki Yamamoto (Son), convicted of murder, sentenced to 13 years.
Yoshikazu Okubo (Doctor; acquaintance), charged with murder.

Sources:
Woman gets 11 yrs for murder of mentally ill husband with son’s help in Japan
Woman denies killing mentally ill husband with help of doctor son
Kyoto court hands ex-doctor 13 yrs in prison for murdering father
Doctors held over ‘mercy killing’ accused in another death

Rene Vera

No Photo Name: Rene Vera.
Died: March 2, 2011.
Age at death: 38.
Cause of death: Traumatic injury.
Location: Flushing, New York, USA.
Disability: Cerebral palsy.

Details:
Rene was stabbed and smothered by his mother.

Case status:
Migdalia Vera (Mother), pleaded guilty to manslaughter, sentenced to 7 years.

Source:
A Queens Woman Is Accused of Murdering Her Ailing Son
Mom allegedly kills wheelchair-bound son
Sentenced to 7 years