Remembering the Disabled Murdered by Caregivers
Death due to the actions of another human being.
Name: Pamela Camille Hall.
Died: April 11, 2009.
Age at death: 59.
Cause of death: Stabbed.
Location: Figsboro, Virginia, USA.
Disability: Spinal cord injury.
Details:
Pamela was stabbed to death by her son-in-law.
Case status:
James Cleveland Miller (Son-in-law) pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and was sentenced to 20 years to life.
Source:
Miller pleads guilty to murder in death of his mother-in-law
Name: Minh Trung “Mike” Tran.
Died: March 28, 2009.
Age at death: 51.
Cause of death: Suffocated.
Location: Elmwood Park, New Jersey, USA.
Disability: Stroke.
Details:
Mike was home for a visit from his nursing home when his wife suffocated him with a plastic bag.
Before his stroke, he was a stay-at-home dad who cared for the children and the house and cooked very good sauce. But after he became disabled, his wife became abusive and eventually killed him and tried to kill their children, who survived.
Case status:
Jenny Tran (Wife), convicted of aggravated manslaughter, attempted murder, and two counts of child endangerment; sentenced to 34-50 years.
Source:
Archive: Elmwood Park woman gets 50 years in husband’s killing despite pleas from her kids
Archive: Tran acquitted of murder, convicted of aggravated manslaughter, attempted murder
Archive: Attorneys argue over defendant’s sanity in Elmwood Park murder case
Archive: Murder defendant told detectives of events leading to husband’s ‘release’
Archive: Daughter told detective Elmwood Park mother tried to kill her earlier
Archive: Daughter saw ‘monster,’ she says at Elmwood Park mom’s murder trial
Name: Rhonda Casto.
Died: March 16, 2009.
Age at death: 23.
Cause of death: Fall into a ravine.
Location: Columbia River Gorge, Oregon, USA.
Disability: Depression.
Details:
Rhonda’s boyfriend increased her life insurance; some months later, he took her on a hike, where she died from a fall into a ravine. He told police that she must have jumped into the ravine because she had depression; but Rhonda’s family say that even though she was on antidepressant and antianxiety medication, she would never have committed suicide.
Case Status:
Steve Nichols (Boyfriend), pleaded guilty to criminally negligent homicide and coercion, sentenced to 3 years probation. Murder charges were dropped in favor of a plea bargain because mistakes by investigators cast doubt on the state’s case.
Sources:
Rhonda Casto’s Family and Friends Discuss Her Fatal Fall
Man pleads to homicide in girlfriend’s death along Eagle Creek trail
Investigating the death of Rhonda Casto
Name: Shaun Moloney.
Died: March 8, 2009.
Age at death: 46.
Cause of death: Blunt trauma, burns, alcohol poisoning.
Location: Glenroy, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Disability: Depression.
Details:
Shaun lived with two roommates. They beat him unconscious, dumped his body in a vacant lot, and set it on fire. Because Shaun had been drinking heavily the day he died, the court could not determine whether the cause of his death had been the beating, the fire, or alcohol poisoning; so his roommates could only be convicted of assault.
Case Status:
Darryl McHarg (Roommate), pleaded guilty to intentionally causing serious injury, sentenced to 3 years 6 months to 6 years 6 months in prison.
Wayne Arthur (Roommate), pleaded guilty to intentionally causing serious injury, sentenced to 3 years 6 months to 6 years 6 months in prison.
Sources:
R v McHarg & Arthur
Two charged with murder of Shaun Patrick Moloney
Pair jailed for assaulting a man who died, but escape charges over his death
MOLONEY, Shaun Patrick | Death Notices | Melbourne
Name: Roberta Laws.
Died: February 2009.
Age at death: 46.
Cause of death: Strangled.
Location: Middleburg, Florida, USA.
Disability: Cerebral palsy.
Details:
Roberta’s boyfriend strangled her and buried her body in the backyard.
Case status:
Kenneth McBride (Boyfriend), sentenced to life without parole.
Source:
Killer of disabled Clay County woman sentenced to life
Name: Daniel Ndayiragije.
Died: 2009.
Age at death: 10.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Burundi.
Disability: Albinism.
Details:
Daniel’s older brother and sister-in-law agreed to sell him to a gang of albino hunters for the equivalent of $250. His killers shot him, then cut off his limbs for sale as ingredients in ritual magic.
Case status:
Omari Ndayiragije (brother), wanted fugitive.
Victoria Nkuizikiye (Sister-in-law), charged with murder.
A gang of three men, unnamed, wanted.
Source:
The ‘genocide’ of Burundi’s albinos
Una tragedia olvidada
Albinos under Burundi police protection welcome Napoleon
Name: Thomas “Tom” Inglis.
Died: November 21, 2008.
Age at death: 22.
Cause of death: Heroin overdose.
Location: Dagenham, Essex, UK.
Disability: TBI.
Details:
Tom’s mother went to the rehabilitation facility where he was recovering from a head injury and injected him with an overdose of heroin.
Case status:
Frances Inglis (Mother), convicted of murder and attempted murder, sentenced to life, served 5 years and was released.
Source:
‘Devoted’ mother who gave brain-damaged son lethal heroin injection has jail term slashed
Name: Christian Clay Jenkins.
Died: November 19, 2008.
Age at death: 14.
Cause of death: Oxycodone overdose.
Location: Hilltop, West Virginia, USA.
Disability: Cystic fibrosis.
Details:
Christian’s father injected him with an overdose of oxycodone.
Case status:
Henry Clay Jenkins (Father), convicted of child neglect and murder, sentenced to 18 years to life.
Name: Michelle Stewart.
Died: November 14, 2008.
Age at death: 17.
Cause of death: Stabbed.
Location: Drongan, East Ayrshire, Scotland.
Disability: Club feet.
Details:
Michelle had a boyfriend, but broke up with him because she wanted to go to university.
Michelle’s ex-boyfriend killed her with a knife. She died in her mother’s arms.
Case status:
John Wilson (Ex-boyfriend), convicted of murder, sentenced to 12 years to life; granted community release after he served 9 years.
Source:
Fury as killer gets out after just 9 years
Father of Ayrshire girl, 17, hacked to death in bloodbath horror furious as killer to get home leave after serving just NINE years
Murder victim’s father demands justice system reform
Call for justice reform as Michelle Stewart’s killer gets out
Expert claims it’s ‘extremely unlikely’ killer who hacked Ayrshire girl, 17, to death will be allowed to step foot in victim’s family neighbourhood
Name: Jacob Grabe.
Died: September 11, 2008.
Age at death: 13.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Denver, Colorado, USA.
Disability: Asperger syndrome.
Details:
Jacob was shot by his father, who “feared his son would never be able to live a normal life”.
Jacob ran track and field and played the French horn in his school band.
Case status:
Allen Grabe (Father); attempted insanity defense, convicted of murder, sentenced to life without parole.
Source:
Grabe gets life in prison for son’s murder
Autism Memorial: Jacob Grabe
Cops: Suspect admitted shooting son
Grand Junction trial continues for man accused of killing son
Allen Grabe killed his 13-year-old autistic son, because his wife was ruining him
Autism’s terrible toll: Parents risk hitting “a breaking point”