Type: Fatal Neglect – Disability Day of Mourning

Mildred Costanza

No Photo Name: Mildred Costanza.
Died: October 4, 2019.
Age at death: 78.
Cause of death: Neglect.
Location: Wausau, Wisconsin, USA.
Disability: Frail elder.

Details:
Mildred’s daughter, who ostensibly cared for her, kept her in deplorable conditions and did not take her to the doctor even when she developed a serious infection. Weakened by hunger and neglect, Mildred died of a Tramadol overdose. She weighed only 75 pounds.

Perpetrator: Mary Tessmer (Daughter), charged with intentionally subjecting an individual at risk to abuse, causing death.

Source:
Woman charged in death of elderly mother who overdosed
Ringle woman accused of chronic neglect in mother’s death

Hector Pizarro

No Photo Name: Hector J. Pizarro.
Died: September 4, 2019.
Age at death: 16.
Cause of death: Neglect.
Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.
Disability: Congenital disability, autism, epilepsy, mobility impaired.

Details:
Hector had been known to child protective services for some time. At one point, he was found to weigh only 60 pounds and monitored by child welfare until he gained weight to 68-70 pounds. But once watchful eyes were averted, Hector’s mother once again neglected him.

Hector’s mother brought him to the emergency room, weighing 42 pounds. He died shortly thereafter from malnutrition, with a bedsore covering one side of his body, making it clear that he was neglected to death. Her neighbors had been completely unaware that Hector even lived there.

Perpetrator: Iraida M. Pizarro-Osorio (Mother), charged with chronic child neglect resulting in great bodily harm.

Source:
16-year-old Milwaukee boy weighed 42 lbs.; mother charged with his death
Mom charged in death of 16-year-old son who weighed just 42 pounds
Milwaukee mom charged with starving her son to death
16-year-old boy weighs 42 pounds at death, mother charged
Milwaukee mom charged with neglect of teenage son, weighed just 42 pounds at time of death
Mother charged in death of disabled, 42-pound teen

Adam Schneider

No Photo Name: Adam Schneider.
Died: August 15, 2019.
Age at death: 39.
Cause of death: Neglect.
Location: Richmond, Indiana, USA.
Disability: Cerebral palsy.

Details:
After his mother died, Adam moved in with his brother. His brother neglected him; he was brought to the hospital with severe bedsores and malnutrition, and died from the effects of starvation two days later.

Perpetrator: Henry Lee Andrus III (Brother), charged with neglect of a dependent leading to death and neglect of a dependent resulting in bodily injury.

Source: Brother charged with neglect in death of 39-year-old man with cerebral palsy

Cristina Pangalangan

Photo of a young girl sitting in a wheelchair, her hair messy, lips pursed, looking annoyed. Name: Cristina Pangalangan.
Died: August 5, 2019.
Age at death: 13.
Cause of death: Murder.
Location: Colleton County, South Carolina, USA.
Disability: Unspecified; wheelchair user.

Details:
On a hot August day, Cristina’s mother deliberately left her in the car for five hours. According to investigators, she checked on her twice, once at noon, before continuing to leave her in the car, and then again at 3pm where she claimed to discover the car was locked and her and her boyfriend had to leave to get a spare set of keys. When first responders who received a call about a child in a locked car arrived on the scene, they found that she had died.

Her eighth-grade teachers remember her as a “very motivated student” who smiled at everyone.

Perpetrator: Rita Pangalangan (Mother), charged with murder; Larry King (mother’s boyfriend), charged with murder.

Source:
Lowcountry mother charged with murder in teen’s hot car death resigns from teaching job
13-year-old special needs girl found dead in car in SC; 2 people arrested, authorities say
Report: Two charged with murder after deliberately leaving disabled 13-year-old in car for several hours
Man, woman charged with murder in Colleton County after girl’s death in hot car
Teacher, boyfriend charged in 13-year-old’s death
Teacher mum ‘left disabled daughter, 13, to die in roasting hot car for 5 hours’
Colleton girl’s accused killers had multiple brushes with police amid rocky relationship
Authorities identify 13-year-old girl who died after being left in car
Mom, boyfriend left disabled girl in vehicle 5 hours before death, Colleton deputies say
Teacher of the Year ‘left her disabled teenage daughter to die in roasting car’
Cristina Pangalangan hot car death: Rita Pangalangan & Larry King charged w/ murder
Mother, Boyfriend Charged With Murder After 13-Year-Old Girl With Special Needs Dies in Hot Car
Woman leaves kids in hot car week after sister died in their mom’s hot car, SC police say

Darlene Conger

No Photo Name: Darlene Conger.
Died: June 20, 2019.
Age at death: 67.
Cause of death: Neglect.
Location: Zanesville, Ohio, USA.
Disability: Wheelchair user.

Details:
Darlene, whose caregivers forced her to live in a filthy home, died from neglect when her live-in caregivers did not care for her.

Perpetrator: Dustin Burr and Sheila Allberry (Live-in caregivers) both charged with involuntary manslaughter, felonious assault, failing to provide for a functionally impaired person, theft, and misdemeanor child endangering; pleaded guilty to felonious assault.

Source:
Guilty plea entered in case of woman who died after severe neglect in deplorable home
Two face felony charges in disabled woman’s death
Two charged in death of elderly Zanesville woman living in ‘deplorable conditions’ – Y-City News
Obituary for Darlene (Henry) Conger | Bolin-Dierkes Funeral Home

Betty Crews

Name: Betty Elouise Crews.
Died: June 7, 2019.
Age at death: 72.
Cause of death: Neglect.
Location: Harriman, Tennessee, USA.
Disability: Disabled elder.

Details:
Betty lived with her daughter and another caretaker. They did not care for her, and she starved to death.

Perpetrator: Christopher Kennedy and Evelyn Kennedy (Daughter), both charged with first-degree murder.

Source:
Daughter, one other charged with murder after 72-year-old mother starved to death in Roane County
Daughter charged in starving death of elderly mother
Caretakers charged in starvation death of Roane County woman
Obituary of Betty Elouise Crews | Harriman Location

Robbie Ballenger

Name: Robbie Ballenger.
Died: April 15, 2019.
Age at death: 8.
Cause of death: Neglect.
Location: Fayetteville, North Carolina, USA.
Disability: Cerebral palsy, epilepsy.

Details:
Robbie lived, along with his twin brother and six other children, with his grandmother and five other adults. The children didn’t go to school or get medical care.

Robbie’s grandmother neglected him. He was not fed enough, and at the age of 8, he died of pneumonia secondary to starvation, weighing only 18 pounds.

Perpetrator: Geneen Romalia Ballenger (Grandmother).

Source:
DA: Fayetteville grandma faces 2 years max after child starved to death
Fayetteville boy who starved to death in grandmother’s care had cerebral palsy, weighed 18 pounds :
Fayetteville grandmother faces 2 years max for starving disabled child to death
Disabled boy, 8, ‘was so badly starved by granny his corpse looked like a baby’

Sam Koets

Name: Sam Koets.
Died: March 28, 2019.
Age at death: 16.
Cause of death: Neglect/Abuse.
Location: Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Sam was made to live in the family’s unfinished basement, in horrible conditions. He died when his father left him alone, hands tied, near the family’s pool on a cold spring day. A little while later, he texted Sam’s thirteen-year-old sister, asking her to check on Sam. She sent back a photo of Sam, wading chest-deep in the pool, which was so cold it had ice floating on top. Sam’s father, however, did nothing to help Sam; he did not call emergency services, attempt to return home, or contact anyone but Sam’s thirteen-year-old sister who was watching Sam die in front of her eyes. Sam’s body was found floating in the icy pool; he had been dead at least an hour.

Perpetrator: Timothy Koets (Father), charged with involuntary manslaughter, second-degree child abuse, second-degree child abuse committed in the presence of another child and fourth-degree child abuse.

Source:
Michigan man charged with involuntary manslaughter in autistic son’s drowning death now accused of illegally filling teen’s prescriptions
GRCC professor headed to trial in son’s death
Haunting final photo shows disabled boy moments before he drowned in icy pool
Michigan dad charged after bound autistic son drowns in pool
‘It’s a nightmare:’ Professor’s arrest in death of son with severe autism rocks family
Former student shocked after professor charged in son’s death
Dad Charged in Death of Teen Son Who Has Autism
Local professor faces manslaughter charges in autistic son’s death
Michigan Professor Arraigned in Drowning Death of Autistic Teen Son Found in Icy Pool With Arms Bound
Father didn’t alert rescuers when son with autism waded into deep, cold pool, police report says
Father charged with manslaughter in son’s death
Teen with severe autism found dead in icy pool with arms bound; Michigan professor father charged
Professor facing charges in drowning death of son with special needs
Father charged with manslaughter in son’s death
Georgetown Township Father Arrested After Son’s Death
Professor facing charges in connection with drowning death of son with special needs

Ashlyn Ellis

Name: Ashlyn Rayanne Ellis.
Died: March 17, 2019.
Age at death: 14.
Cause of death: Neglect.
Location: St. James, Missouri, USA.
Disability: Physical disability, nonspeaking.

Details:
Ashlyn was neglected by her mother. She died when she was left alone at home and the house caught on fire. She could not escape because she was in her bed, which had been transformed into a makeshift cage that locked from the outside.

Perpetrator: Tracy Ellis (Mother), charged with second-degree murder and child endangerment.

Source:
Document: Disabled teen who died in house fire was trapped in bed, mother charged
Mom charged with murder after disabled daughter killed in house fire
Maries County, Mo. mother faces murder charges in death of disabled daughter in house fire
Mother charged with daughter’s murder after Maries County fire
Mother Charged With Murder In Disabled Daughter’s Death
Deputies: Disabled teen was alone, locked in bed as house burned
Null & Son Funeral Home | Rolla, MO

Mia Edmundson

Photo of a girl in a polka-dot skirt, sitting in a play tunnel. Name: Mia Edmundson.
Died: February 27, 2019.
Age at death: 9.
Cause of death: Medical neglect.
Location: Avon Park, Florida, USA.
Disability: Congenital heart disease; no spleen.

Details:
Mia loved life and loved to have her nails painted pink. She also loved to swim and pull pranks on people.

Mia’s mother did not fill her prescriptions or take her to cardiology appointments. When she became seriously ill with pneumonia, her mother waited several days to take her to the hospital. Mia died from sepsis due to being denied the medication she needed to support her weakened immune system.

Perpetrator: Elizabeth Danielle Markley (Mother), charged with child neglect with great bodily harm.

Source: Disabled girl died ‘because mother couldn’t be bothered to collect live-saving prescriptions’
Obituary