Type: Homicide – Page 91 – Disability Day of Mourning

Katie Baker

No Photo Name: Katie Lynn Baker.
Died: May 28, 1996.
Age at death: 10.
Cause of death: Starvation.
Location: British Columbia, Canada.
Disability: Rett syndrome.

Details:
Katie’s mother deliberately starved her to death because she believed that Katie did not want to live.

Case status:
Cheryl Baker (Mother). Never charged.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Katie Lynn Baker
Crown Will Not Lay Charges in Death of Katie Lynn Baker
People with Disabilities Outraged by Murders
Remembering…
History of euthanasia in Canada Tracy Latimer is dead because her father is a murderer

Name: Scott Dell.
Died: December 28, 1995.
Age at death: 44.
Cause of death: Antifreeze poisoning.
Location: Killaloe, Ontario, Canada.
Disability: Cancer of the mouth/throat; in remission.

Details:
When Scott Dell was found dead, poisoned with antifreeze, his wife tried to call it a suicide. Scott was depressed, she claimed, because he was afraid of his cancer coming back. But her story fell apart. Witnesses testified that Scott had wanted to live and had hope for his future. The family cat had died from antifreeze poisoning. And Scott’s wife was the only person who could have given him the antifreeze-tainted wine that killed him.

Case status:
Cherrylle Dell (Wife; estranged), convicted of first-degree murder, sentenced to 25 years to life.

Source:
How sex, lies and antifreeze convicted the `Angel’ of death, Cherrylle Dell

Regina Savage

No Photo Name: Regina Savage.
Died: 1995.
Age at death: Elder.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Valley Cottage, New York, USA.
Disability: Arthritis, curved spine, cancer.

Details:
Regina was sitting in her wheelchair when her husband came up behind her and shot her in the back with a shotgun, killing her.

Case status:
Richard Savage (Husband), pleaded guilty, sentenced to 14 days in jail plus 28 days time served.

Source:
Mercy killings: After Westchester Medical Center deaths, a look at similar deaths
What is mercy killing? Does Richard DeLucia’s murder-suicide qualify?

Sophie Préfaut

No Photo Name: Sophie Préfaut.
Died: August 7, 1994.
Age at death: 23.
Cause of death: Smothered.
Location: Montpellier, France.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Sophie’s mother drugged her, then smothered her to death. She said that she had done it because Sophie did not want to go back to the hospital, where she had been subjected to neuroleptics and electroshock.

Sophie was an intelligent young woman with a good sense of humor, who could solve cube roots in her head.

Case Status:
Jeanne-Marie Préfaut (Mother), convicted of premeditated voluntary homicide, sentenced to 5 years; sentence suspended.

Sources:
Sanction de principe pour la mère meurtrière de sa fille autiste. Les jurés de la cour d’assises de l’Héraut ont condamné hier Jeanne-Marie Préfaut, 51 ans, à cinq ans de prison avec sursis pour avoir tué le 7 août 1994 sa fille Sophie, 23 ans, autiste, à qui elle avait promis qu’elle ne serait plus jamais hospitalisée. Elle encourait une peine de prison à perpétuité.

Michael Messenger

No Photo Name: Michael Messenger.
Died: February 8, 1994.
Age at death: Newborn.
Cause of death: Withdrawal of life support.
Location: Lansing, Michigan, USA.
Disability: Prematurity with a risk of disability.

Details:
When Michael was born at 25 weeks gestation, he had a roughly 50% chance of survival. However, when their doctor told Michael’s parents that if he survived, he would probably be disabled, Michael’s father asked the doctor to leave and shut off the newborn’s ventilator, killing him.

Case status:
Gregory Messenger (Father); tried for manslaughter and admitted to disconnecting Michael’s life support; acquitted.

Source:
The Messenger Case: Summary and Analysis

Tracy Latimer

Name: Tracy Latimer.
Died: October 24, 1993.
Age at death: 12.
Cause of death: Carbon monoxide poisoning.
Location: Wilkie, Saskatchewan, Canada.
Disability: Cerebral palsy.

Details:
Tracy’s father put her in his truck, connected the exhaust to the cab, and poisoned her with carbon monoxide.

Media coverage of Tracy’s death, which tended to support her killer, may have sparked several copycat crimes.

Case status:
Robert Latimer (Father), convicted of second degree murder, sentenced to life; paroled after 9 years, 11 months.

Source:
25 years after conviction, Robert Latimer still believes he was right to kill his daughter
Wikipedia: Robert Latimer
Right or wrong, Latimer’s actions touched off national debate on euthanasia
The Latimer Case: The Reflections of People with Disabilities
Robert Latimer seeking pardon for killing of severely disabled daughter
Community Living urges no pardon for murderer Robert Latimer
Trudeau asked to consider pardon or retrial for Saskatchewan man convicted of killing his daughter who suffered from cerebral palsy
Robert Latimer seeking pardon for killing of severely disabled daughter
Tracy Latimer’s killer does not deserve a pardon
Pardoning Robert Latimer is not justified
Lakritz: Pardoning Latimer would reduce Tracy’s value to the level of a dog
Robert Latimer’s request for clemency is a slam-dunk ‘no.’ Does Ottawa get that?

Josiah Carroll

Josiah Carroll's gravestone; it reads, Isaiah 55:12, 1981 to 1993. Name: Josiah Carroll.
Died: June 14, 1993.
Age at death: 12.
Cause of death: Smothered.
Location: Cedarville, Ohio, USA.
Disability: Cerebral palsy.

Details:
Josiah was allegedly smothered by his older brother. The death was witnessed by Josiah’s brother Isaiah, but his testimony was not considered because he is non-verbal and communicates by pointing.

Case status:
Kathleen Carroll (Mother), not charged.
Timothy Carroll (Father), not charged.
James Carroll (Brother), charged with delinquency by reason of involuntary manslaughter, acquitted.

Source:
Hannah, Noah, Molly and Joshua Carroll
Boy Saw Slaying, He Tells

Layton Myers

No Photo Name: Layton Myers.
Died: May 15, 1993.
Age at death: 67.
Cause of death: Smothered.
Location: Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
Disability: Terminal cancer.

Details:
Layton Myers was killed by his daughter and her husband, who put a pillow over his face and smothered him.

Case status:
Michael Power (Daughter’s common-law husband), pled guilty to manslaughter and were given suspended sentences, three years’ probation, and 150 hours of community service.
Cheryl Myers (Daughter), pled guilty to manslaughter and were given suspended sentences, three years’ probation, and 150 hours of community service.

Source:
No jail for N.S. “mercy-killers”
Of Life and Death – Appendices D-L
Robert Latimer: Justice gone awry

Mollie Carroll

Gravestone reading, "Bringer of Joy, Noah Carroll, 1989-1992; Princess, Mollie Carroll, 1989-1992." Name: Mollie Carroll.
Died: December 9, 1992.
Age at death: 3.
Cause of death: Inconclusive; hypoxia.
Location: Cedarville, Ohio, USA.
Disability: Cri-du-chat syndrome.

Details:
Mollie’s cause of death has been ruled inconclusive, but it is likely that she was smothered. Her death went unreported for at least twelve hours.

Mollie’s death is suspicious because the couple who adopted him has had five of their children die, and four of those deaths, including Noah’s, were investigated as possible homicides with both parents and 16-year-old older brother implicated.

Case status:
Kathleen Carroll (Mother), not charged.
Timothy Carroll (Father), not charged.
James Carroll (Brother), charged with delinquency by reason of involuntary manslaughter, acquitted.

Source:
Hannah, Noah, Molly and Joshua Carroll
Boy Saw Slaying, He Tells

Noah Carroll

Name: Noah Carroll.
Died: November 15, 1992.
Age at death: 3.
Cause of death: Inconclusive; hypoxia.
Location: Cedarville, Ohio, USA.
Disability: Prenatal cocaine exposure; epilepsy.

Details:
Noah’s cause of death has been ruled inconclusive, but it is likely that he was smothered.

Noah’s death is suspicious because the couple who adopted him has had five of their children die, and four of those deaths, including Noah’s, were investigated as possible homicides with both parents and 16-year-old older brother implicated.

Case status:
Kathleen Carroll (Mother), not charged.
Timothy Carroll (Father), not charged.
James Carroll (Brother), charged with delinquency by reason of involuntary manslaughter, acquitted.

Source:
Hannah, Noah, Molly and Joshua Carroll
Boy Saw Slaying, He Tells