Category: Type: Homicide

Death due to the actions of another human being.

Suellen Pike

Photo of an elderly woman with white hair and pale skin, wearing a bright pink blouse.Name: Suellen Pike.
Died: August 12, 2010 (Last seen).
Age at death: 62.
Cause of death: Missing, presumed dead.
Location: Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.
Disability: Hyperthyroidism, schizophrenia, depression, anxiety, insomnia, migraines and arthritis.

Details:
Soon after she signed her house into his name, Suellen’s son killed her and dumped the body, which has not been found.

Case Status:
Stephen Jonathon Pike (Son), convicted of manslaughter, sentenced to 10-and-a-half years, 80% of which must be served before parole.

Sources:
Suellen PIKE
R v Pike
Stephen Pike jailed for 10-and-a-half years for killing mother, whose body has never been found, after she changed her will

Esther Moraa

No PhotoName: Esther Moraa.
Died: August 2, 2010.
Age at death: 4 months.
Cause of death: Suffocated.
Location: Bokimweri, Nyamache District, Kenya.
Disability: Albinism.

Details:
Esther’s father convinced her mother to kill her because she had been born with albinism. Her mother suffocated her, then dumped her body in the river.

Case status:
Sara Kemunto Nyabuto (Mother), sentenced to one year in prison. Esther’s father fled and was not arrested.

Source:
Mother jailed for killing albino baby
Kenya : Woman kills albino child to avoid bad omen
Kenya : When mother finds it easy to kill her child
Woman kills albino child to avoid bad omen

Louis Lockett

No PhotoName: Louis “Nap” Lockett.
Died: July 16, 2010.
Age at death: 73.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: St. Louis, Illinois, USA.
Disability: Cancer.

Details:
Louis’s wife shot him in the chest and killed him. She claims that she had intended only to hit him in the head with the gun, and it went off while she was hitting him.

Case status:
Josephine Lockett (Wife), convicted of involuntary manslaughter of a family member, sentenced to 3 years in prison.

Source:
Josephine Lockett kills husband during argument over $87
People vs. Josephine Lockett

Tomislav Svetina

No PhotoName: Tomislav Svetina.
Died: July 8, 2010.
Age at death: 74.
Cause of death: Traumatic injury.
Location: Doncaster, Victoria, Australia.
Disability: Frail elder; bowel cancer survivor, heart disease, gout, tremor.

Details:
Tomislav told a family friend that he was afraid of his son, so he kept a hatchet by his bed for protection. His son cut the power to the house, entered his father’s bedroom, grabbed the hatchet from his father, and killed him with it. Though Tomislav had been violent toward his wife in the past, the court determined that he posed no threat to his son in his frail state, and that killing him with the hatchet had been a disproportionate response.

Before retirement, Tomislav worked as an electrician.

Case Status:
Zlatko “Boris” Svetina, convicted of defensive homicide, sentenced to 7-11 years in prison.

Sources:
R v Svetina
Son jailed for killing dad with axe

Diane Stewart

Photo of a middle-aged woman sitting at a desk; she has brown, curly hair and fair skin.Name: Diane Stewart.
Died: June 25, 2010.
Age at death: 47.
Cause of death: Suffocation.
Location: Bassingbourn, England, UK.
Disability: Epilepsy.

Details:
Diane’s husband killed her and claimed she had died of epilepsy. He was not suspected of murder until he also killed his non-disabled second wife, Helen Bailey, and was convicted of her murder. Diane’s body had been cremated, but luckily she had left her brain to medical research, and when it was examined, it showed signs of suffocation.

Case status:
Ian Stewart (Husband), convicted of murder, sentenced to 35 years to life.

Source:
Killer who murdered wife and fiancee has sentence reduced
Doctor explains how killer Ian Stewart nearly got away with murder
Ian Stewart: Man who killed author guilty of murdering wife
Diane Stewart: How a donated brain helped convict a double killer
Ian Stewart: Murder accused’s 999 call played to trial jury
Ian Stewart murder trial hears oxygen starvation evidence
Ian Stewart: Helen Bailey’s killer on trial over Diane Stewart’s murder
Boyfriend convicted of murdering Helen Bailey charged with new murder
Boyfriend convicted of murdering Helen Bailey charged with first wife’s murder
Man arrested on suspicion of murder over death of convicted killer’s wife
Killer of author Helen Bailey ‘held over death of first wife’
Police quiz man over death of his wife who died suddenly in 2010
Killer Of Author Helen Bailey ‘Arrested Over Death Of Wife In 2010’
Killer of children’s author Helen Bailey ‘quizzed over death of first wife’
Man who murdered children’s author, Helen Bailey, is charged with killing his wife six years earlier

Rylan Rochester

Photo of Rylan Rochester, an infant.Name: Rylan Rochester.
Died: June 1, 2010.
Age at death: 6 months.
Cause of death: Smothered.
Location: Denver, Colorado, USA.
Disability: None, but Rylan’s mother believed he was autistic.

Details:
Rylan’s mother, convinced he was autistic, smothered him to death.

Case status:
Stephanie Rochester (Mother); ruled not guilty by reason of insanity.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Rylan Rochester

Beryl Webb

No PhotoName: Beryl Webb.
Died: May 14, 2010.
Age at death: 75.
Cause of death: Smothered.
Location: Wadsley, Sheffield, UK.
Disability: Fibromyalgia, arthritis, histrionic personality disorder, cancer survivor.

Details:
Beryl’s husband smothered her.

Case status:
George Webb (Husband), convicted of manslaughter, sentenced to 2 years; sentenced to 12 months, suspended, on appeal.

Source:
Man killed disabled wife
Pensioner who smothered wife in ‘mercy killing’ is freed from jail by appeal judges | Daily Mail Online

Glen Freaney

Photo of a boy with fair skin and short brown hair, his glasses slipping down his nose. He is smiling, holding a watercolor painting and a small silver trophy.Name: Glen Freaney.
Died: May 13, 2010.
Age at death: 11.
Cause of death: Strangled.
Location: Penarth Vale, Glamorgan, Wales, UK.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Glen was strangled by his mother.

Case status:
Yvonne Freaney (Mother); pled guilty to manslaughter and walked free from court with a supervision order.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Glen Freaney
Mother killed autistic son with coat belt, court hears
‘He was laughing when I strangled him. Then I knew he was happy’: Mother ‘killed’ severely autistic son after facing lifetime of care
“Glen Freaney”, Find a Grave
“Despairing mother who strangled autistic son walks free from court”, Daily Mail

Elizabeth Knowles

Photo of Elizabeth Knowles. She has pale skin, chin-length curly brown hair, and blue eyes. She is smiling slightly. She is wearing a pink sleeveless shirt and a silver necklace.Name: Elizabeth Joy Knowles.
Died: April 22, 2010.
Age at death: 48.
Cause of death: Smoke inhalation.
Location: Kallangur, Queensland, Australia.
Disability: Chronic illness, mobility impairment (Wheelchair user).

Details:
Elizabeth died in a house fire that had been deliberately set, with the smoke detectors disabled. Less than a day later, her husband put in an insurance claim on the house.

Case status:
David Maxwell Knowles (Husband), charged with murder, arson, and fraud; found dead on the day he was set to go to court.

Source:
Man charged over wife’s death in fire found dead
ELIZABETH JOY KNOWLES (#54-2010)
Man charged with murdering disabled wife in fire to claim insurance
ELIZABETH JOY KNOWLES (#54-2010)
Motive sought for ‘suspicious’ fatal house fire
Husband charged six years later
Man charged with murdering disabled wife in fire to claim insurance

Amanda Quirk

Photo: A blurry image of a young woman with very short brown hair and pale skin, wearing a black sweater. She is holding an orange-and-white cat. Name: Amanda Quirk.
Died: April 8, 2010.
Age at death: 32.
Cause of death: Traumatic injury.
Location: Booval, New South Wales, Australia.
Disability: Unspecified; on disability pension.

Details:
Amanda’s roommates tortured her to make her give them access to her bank account, killed her, and dumped her body.

Amanda had an orange-and-white cat named Megsy. She had a tattoo on her hand that read, “Mum”.

Case Status:
Christopher James Swan (Roommate), convicted of murder, sentenced to life.
Rachel Narelle Smith (Roommate), convicted of being an accessory to murder, sentenced to 3-7 years.
Michelle Anna Mondientz (Acquaintance), convicted of being an accessory after the fact to murder, sentenced to 5 years.

Sources:
Quirk flatmate found guilty of being accessory to murder
Flatmate convicted of murdering Quirk granted re-trial
R v. Swan
AMANDA QUIRK (#48-2010)
Woman ‘tortured and bashed to death’
Witness helped smuggle Amanda’s dead body out of home
Man tells of drive to dump body
Murdered Ipswich woman’s body ‘unidentified’
Family speaks out on Quirk murder