Type: Fatal Neglect – Page 14 – Disability Day of Mourning

Linda Sweat

No Photo Name: Linda Sweat.
Died: October 23, 2018.
Age at death: 77.
Cause of death: Starvation.
Location: Mansfield, Ohio, USA.
Disability: Unspecified; disabled elder, “bedridden”.

Details:
Linda starved to death while in the care of her daughter.

Case status:
Jennifer Sweat (Daughter), pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and abduction, sentenced to 14 years.

Source:
Woman who let mother starve to death sentenced to 14 years in prison
Woman whose mother starved to death charged with murder
Mansfield woman indicted for murder after her mother starves to death
Mansfield woman arrested in suspicious death of 77-year-old mother
Woman accused of starving her mom ‘lied from the beginning,’ detective says
Woman held on $500,000 cash bond in connection with mother’s death

Florence Girard

Name: Florence Girard. Photo of an older woman with short gray hair, wearing a blue sweater and smiling for the camera.
Died: October 13, 2018.
Age at death: 54.
Cause of death: Malnutrition.
Location: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Disability: Down syndrome.

Details:
In the care of a woman who neglected her, Florence grew steadily thinner until she finally starved to death, weighing only 56 pounds.

Florence was silly, boy-crazy, and liked having her picture taken. She competed in the 1993 Special Olympics. She was one of 14 siblings.

Case status:
Astrid Charlotte Dahl (Paid caregiver with Kinsight), convicted of failing to provide the necessaries of life, sentenced to 100 hours of community service and 12 months of probation. Sentence later increased to 15 months in jail, after Dahl had served 10 months of her conditional sentence and would have been released on good behavior anyway.

Source:
‘We failed her’: CEO apologizes as B.C. starvation inquest seeks pay boost for carers
High court replaces conditional sentence with jail term for B.C. caregiver in disabled woman’s death
Caregiver convicted in starving death of woman with Down syndrome avoids jail
Trial underway for B.C. caregiver charged with criminal negligence in woman’s death
Charge stayed against Coquitlam non-profit in starving death of disabled woman
UPDATE: Coquitlam non-profit, caregiver charged in starvation death of disabled woman
Charges laid after woman with disability found dead in B.C. caregiver’s home
Criminal neglect alleged after B.C. woman with developmental disability dies in care
Three charges, including criminal negligence causing death, laid in 2018 alleged starvation of Florence Girard
‘Unforgiveable’: Caregiver charged with criminal negligence, accused of starving woman to death
B.C. caregiver charged with criminal negligence has history of financial troubles

Ecie Gabrielsen

Name: Ecie Gabrielsen.
Died: September 29, 2018.
Age at death: 79.
Cause of death: Neglect.
Location: Citrus Springs, Florida, USA.
Disability: Dementia.

Details:
Ecie loved kids and her family. She had five grandchildren and twelve great-grandchildren, and she would often go out to dinner with them and tell them stories of when she was a girl in Kentucky coal country.

Ecie’s grandson, who had moved in to help her out, gradually separated her from her family; then he neglected her until she died. He buried her in a shallow grave, told family he had put her in a nursing home, and tried to flee to Mexico. He and his girlfriend were arrested at the border.

Case status:
Arthur Miller (Grandson/Adoptive son), pleaded guilty to third-degree murder, neglecting an elderly person, and abusing a corpse, sentenced to 13-15 years.
Vivian Gutierrez (Grandson’s girlfriend), convicted of elder neglect, sentenced to 3-5 years.

Sources:
Man pleads guilty, agrees to serve 15 years for neglecting, burying grandmother
Family remembers Ecie Gabrielsen as loving mother, grandmother and great grandmother
Florida man allegedly neglected grandmother to point of death, buried her, tried to flee country
Family of Citrus Springs woman neglected until death speak out
Man allegedly neglected grandmother to point of death, buried her, tried to flee country
Deputies: Man neglected grandmother until she died, tried to flee U.S.

Logan Starling

Name: Logan Starling.
Died: September 28, 2018.
Age at death: 4.
Cause of death: Heat stroke.
Location: Orlando, Florida, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Logan’s father remembers him as “my little Logo on the go go”, a hyperactive child who would hop around like a kangaroo. He liked watching the SunRail trains and pretending they were Thomas the Tank Engine. He went to school in a pre-K class.

Logan’s father’s fiance left him locked inside her van on a hot day in Florida, parked outside the school. He died of heat stroke and wasn’t found until 2:30 in the afternoon.

Logan’s great-aunt says that Logan was not the sort of quiet child who could be forgotten in a van by accident; if he wasn’t there, you would notice it.

Case status:
Mariah Butler (Father’s girlfriend), pleaded guilty to child neglect, sentenced to 5 years probation.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Logan Starling
Woman pleads guilty to child neglect in Logan Starling death – Orlando Sentinel
Happening today: Woman accused of leaving 4-year-old boy in hot car to die to be sentenced
Woman accused in death of 4-year-old boy released on bond
After boy’s hot-car death, 4-year-old Logan Starling’s family seeks answersl

George Blair

Name: George Blair.
Died: September 11, 2018.
Age at death: 60.
Cause of death: Neglect.
Location: Varney, West Virginia, USA.
Disability: Unspecified; “bedridden”.

Details:
When George’s body was found, he had been dead for some time. His wife and son, also restricted to bed, were alive but had been badly neglected. They were taken to the hospital. Authorities arrested his daughter, who lived in the home and was supposed to be caring for the family.

George loved to garden and his family said that he could grow anything. He also enjoyed watching football.

Case status:
Jessica Blair (Daughter), charged with felony neglect of an incapacitated adult resulting in death and two charges of misdemeanor neglect of an incapacitated adult.

Source:
State Police: Woman arrested on neglect charges in connection with father’s death
Police find man dead along with bedridden family members in need of medical attention
West Virginia State Police investigating death in Mingo County
Obituary

Jalen Goldsborough

Photo of a boy lying in bed, covered with a blanket. He has dark-brown eyes, brown skin, and dark hair. His hands are balled into fists. Name: Jalen Goldsborough.
Died: September 2, 2018.
Age at death: 13.
Cause of death: Malnutrition.
Location: Hopewell, Virginia, USA.
Disability: Shaken baby syndrome; required 24-hour care.

Details:
Jalen was abused by his father when he was a baby. He survived and his father went to prison, but Jalen was left with severe disabilities.

At 13, Jalen was found starved to death, his mother having been deliberately reducing his food intake for several months.

Case status:
Amy FaJohn (Mother), pleaded no contest to second-degree murder, sentenced to 20 years in prison.
Anthony Saunders (Mother’s boyfriend), pleaded guilty to child neglect, sentenced to 5 years in prison.

Source:
Woman sentenced for son’s starvation death
Starved teen weighed 24 lbs at time of death, mother pleads no contest to murder
Mother Pleads Guilty in Starvation Death of Son with Severe Disability
Hopewell mother convicted of murder in starvation death of son, 13, who weighed 24 pounds when he died
Virginia mother convicted over starvation death of 13-year-old son
Medical Examiner: Murdered Hopewell teen with special needs starved to death
2 charged in death of Hopewell 13-year-old
Murdered Hopewell teen was victim of severe abuse as infant
Mother charged with murder in death of severely disabled 13-year-old

Ronald Blankenship

No Photo Name: Ronald Blankenship.
Died: August 20, 2018.
Age at death: 64.
Cause of death: Bronchopneumonia.
Location: Monticello, Illinois, USA.
Disability: Unspecified; diabetes, mobility impaired.

Details:
Ronald lived with his sister and nephew, who were supposed to care for him. He died of severe, untreated bronchopneumonia and was found in filthy surroundings.

When Ronald was found dead, police also found a young woman with Down syndrome, who had been adopted by one of Ronald’s relatives; she was taken into adult protective services. Three dogs and three cats, also neglected, were taken by animal control; two of the dogs, Cocker Spaniels named Chance and Puddy, were too sick to survive and had to be euthanized.

Case status:
Christie Brown (Sister), convicted of criminal abuse or neglect of a disabled person and aggravated cruelty to a companion animal.
Mason Brown (Nephew), convicted of criminal abuse or neglect of an elderly person, sentenced to 5 years in prison and 1 year on parole.
Justin Tatman (Power of Attorney), charged with criminal neglect, charges dropped.

Source:
Neglect charges on one defendant dropped
Monticello man found guilty of neglect after death of uncle
Bond set for three in neglect case | Piatt County Journal-Republican
3 arrested in connection with death of Monticello man

Christopher Pratt

Name: Christopher Pratt.
Died: August 17, 2018.
Age at death: 6.
Cause of death: Head injury, malnutrition.
Location: Lansing, Michigan, USA.
Disability: Chromosome 10 disease, autism, epilepsy.

Details:
Christopher died from a head injury, having lost nearly half his body weight while in the care of his aunt.

Christopher lost his mother when he was five years old. Before he went to stay with his aunt, Christopher was a happy boy who used to greet his cousin by grabbing her face to show affection.

Case Status:
Jessica Bice (Aunt), convicted of second-degree murder and first-degree child abuse, sentenced to 33 years.

Sources:
‘Christopher felt safe here’: New bench memorializes Lansing area boy who died in 2018
Aunt sentenced to prison for death of Lansing boy with special-needs
Woman responsible for death of autistic 6-year-old sentenced
Lansing woman found guilty of homicide in death of boy with special needs
Lansing woman convicted of murder, child abuse in death of 6-year-old nephew
Lansing woman convicted of murder in death of 6-year-old nephew with special needs
Jurors weigh fate of aunt charged with murder, child abuse in 6-year-old’s death
Autism Memorial: Christopher Pratt
Trial begins for aunt in 2018 death of disabled, ’emaciated’ Lansing boy
Testimony continues in child abuse, murder case
Family wants justice following death of young boy
Aunt charged with murder, child abuse in death of a Lansing 6-year-old
Family of the woman accused of killing her 6-year-old nephew speaks out
Family demands justice for Lansing boy who was killed

Muhammad Rabiul

No Photo Name: Muhammad Rabiul, also called Rabiul Alam.
Died: August 12, 2018.
Age at death: 30.
Cause of death: Fire.
Location: Chittagong, Bangladesh.
Disability: Mental disability.

Details:
Muhammad lived with his mother in a makeshift house. When she went out to go begging for the day, she shackled him to the house. While she was gone, the house and several others burned down. Everyone but Muhammad escaped; he died in the fire because he could not get out of his chains.

Case status:
Fatema Begum (Mother), status unknown. Possibly no crime.

Source:
Meant for safety, shackles lead to his death
Bound man with mental disability burns to death in Chattogram fire

Mildred Heid

Name: Mildred “Millie” Heid.
Died: August 7, 2018.
Age at death: 82.
Cause of death: Infected bedsores, malnutrition.
Location: Augusta, Georgia, USA.
Disability: Disabled elder.

Details:
Mildred died from neglect, weighing only 75 pounds. She had deep bedsores.

Case Status:
Charles Heid Jr. (Son), pleaded guilty to neglect of an elderly or disabled adult, sentenced to 15 years probation.
Judy Lynne Brassell (Son’s girlfriend), pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and neglect of an elderly or disabled adult, sentenced to 5 years prison and 25 years probation.

Sources:
Augusta man accused of murder in mother’s death pleads guilty to lesser charge
Cops: Augusta Couple Left Bed-Ridden Mom to Die in Horrible Conditions!