Type: Fatal Neglect – Page 15 – Disability Day of Mourning

Barbara Lewis-Brown

Name: Barbara Lewis-Brown.
Died: July 22, 2018.
Age at death: 77.
Cause of death: Malnutrition, sepsis.
Location: Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA.
Disability: Disabled elder.

Details:
Instead of caring for her, Barbara’s children and grandchildren left her on the couch. There, she slowly died from a combination of malnutrition, dehydration, and stage 4 pressure sores infected by her filthy environment, having been starved down to a skeletal 108 pounds on her 5’8″ frame.

Barbara was retired from the Louisiana Department of Labor, having worked there for more than thirty years. Her co-workers remember her teaching them their jobs when they were new. She was the “life of the party,” good at encouraging others and brightening their day. She had three children, thirteen grandchildren, and nine great-grandchildren.

Case status:
Chasity Lewis (Granddaughter), pleaded guilty to manslaughter and cruelty to the infirm, sentenced to 3 years 6 months to 10 years.
Carlnessa Butler (Granddaughter), pleaded no contest to negligent homicide, sentenced to 5 years.
Carl Lewis (son), charged with manslaughter and cruelty to the infirm; charges dismissed.
Chira Lewis (daughter), charged with manslaughter and cruelty to the infirm; charges dismissed.

Source:
Granddaughter pleads guilty in elderly Baton Rouge woman’s bedsore death; charges for 2 others dropped
2nd family member convicted in malnourished grandmother’s death
New details in Baton Rouge woman’s tragic bedsore death shed light on elderly neglect
Barbara Lewis-Brown’s Obituary on The Advocate
Pair faces manslaughter charge in death of elderly woman
In Memory of Barbara Lewis-Brown — Wilson-Wooddale Funeral Home, Baton Rouge
Third family member arrested after woman dies of bedsores in Baton Rouge

Elsie Greene

Name: Elsie Mae Greene.
Died: July 17, 2018.
Age at death: 65.
Cause of death: Sepsis; bedsores.
Location: Cumberland Furnace, Tennessee, USA.
Disability: Parkinson’s disease.

Details:
Elsie’s brother and his wife left her on a thin mattress, in filthy conditions with no air-conditioning in the hot Tennessee summer. She developed bedsores and eventually died from sepsis.

Case Status:
William “Bill” Norris Greene (Brother), convicted of negligent homicide, given 8-year suspended sentence.
Deadra Tidwell Greene, convicted of negligent homicide, given 8-year suspended sentence.

Sources:
Couple convicted of negligent homicide in death of bed-ridden sister
Couple sentenced to probation in death of medically disabled woman left on floor mattress

Vanessa Comer

No Photo Name: Vanessa Comer.
Died: July 7, 2018.
Age at death: 21.
Cause of death: Dehydration and malnutrition.
Location: Phoenix, Arizona, USA.
Disability: Congenital disorder of glycosylation type 1a.

Details:
Vanessa had been born with a disability, and relied on her father–her sole caregiver–for for food, water, and transportation to the doctor. But Vanessa received no medical care for nine months before her death, and she was often left alone by her father for days at a time, ultimately dying of starvation and dehydration shortly after her father finally brought her to the hospital. At her home, the family dogs were were found alive but badly malnourished.

Case Status:
Richard Comer (Father), pleaded guilty to manslaughter, sentenced to 9 years; charged with animal cruelty.

Source:
Autopsy: 21-year-old woman who died of malnutrition weighed only 36 pounds, father convicted
Phoenix man pleads guilty to manslaughter in malnutrition death of his 21-year-old daughter
Autopsy: 21-year-old woman weighed just 36 pounds at time of death; father charged
Phoenix man accused of starving 21-year-old daughter to death, police
Dad ‘murdered disabled daughter, 21, by refusing her food or water for 3 months’

Chloe Hobbs

Name: Chloe Renee Hobbs.
Died: June 9, 2018.
Age at death: 11.
Cause of death: Methamphetamine overdose.
Location: Elkhart, Indiana, USA.
Disability: Autism, pica.

Details:
Chloe had one sister, who was a year younger than her and also autistic. Chloe had pica, which meant she tended to eat things that weren’t food and needed to be watched so that she wouldn’t eat anything dangerous.

Her father took her and her sister along with her when he went to stay at a house where he and his girlfriend were doing some maintenance work while the owner was away. The house was extremely cluttered and dangerous, but the girls were left unattended there. Her father’s girlfriend had also brought along her methamphetamine stash, which she left where Chloe could get to it.

Chloe found the meth, ingested it, and got very sick. She spent the night vomiting, but no one called for help until Chloe stopped breathing the next morning. She could not be revived.

At autopsy, it was found that Chloe, in addition to the methamphetamine poisoning, had a bowel obstruction caused by her having eaten wood, plastic, pennies, and other items while unsupervised.

Case status:
Brandon Hobbs (Father), pleaded guilty to neglect of a dependent, sentenced to 3 years.
Erica Reschke (Father’s girlfriend), charged with neglect of a dependent resulting in death, sentenced to 13 years in prison and 3 years probation.

Source:
Michigan woman sentenced for death of child with special needs
Three-year prison sentence handed down in death of child who had meth in her system
Elkhart County prosecutor says girl, 10, ingested meth before death
2 charged after child dies with high levels of meth in her system
Michigan couple charged in autistic girl’s death
Court document: Meth contributed to autistic child’s death
Obituary of Chloe Hobbs | Brown Funeral Home & Cremation Services

Joshua Alonzo

Photo of a teenage boy in a power chair, wearing a blue shirt and tie. He is smiling broadly. His dark hair is cut short. Name: Joshua Alonzo.
Died: May 27, 2018.
Age at death: 21.
Cause of death: Malnutrition/dehydration.
Location: San Antonio, Texas, USA.
Disability: Schizencephaly, cerebral palsy.

Details:
At 18, Joshua got too old to go to his pediatrician, but instead of finding a new doctor, his mother allegedly denied him medical care for the last three years of his life. He couldn’t eat on his own, and needed to be fed.

Joshua died of malnutrition and dehydration. Though he had always been small, weighing 51 pounds at age 18, when he died he weighed only 38.

Case status:
Alma Munoz (Mother), charged with causing serious bodily injury to a disabled person.

Source:
Mom collected benefits as disabled son, 21, died weighing 38 pounds, Texas cops say
Texas mom charged when disabled adult son dies after three years without medical care
Obituary for Joshua Alonzo – San Antonio, TX
San Antonio mother arrested after disabled son dies of malnutrition, dehydration

Mary Smith

Photo of Mary Smith, a heavyset woman with dark-brown skin and shoulder-length hair in ringlets. She is wearing lipstick and a white blouse, and squinting at the camera. Name: Mary Jane Smith.
Died: May 22, 2018.
Age at death: 88.
Cause of death: Sepsis.
Location: Denver, Colorado, USA.
Disability: Dementia, Parkinson’s disease.

Details:
Mary Jane’s daughter took her out of her nursing home and took her home. There, Mary was severely neglected. She didn’t get enough food to eat or adequate medical care, and she developed bedsores. Doctors repeatedly informed Mary’s daughter that she needed care. Finally, Mary was brought to the hospital, weighing only 72 pounds, and died days later.

Mary Jane owned a beauty shop, ran a day care, and worked as a nurse’s aide.

Case status:
Death declared homicide.
Gladys Smith (Daughter), status unknown.

Source:
Denver coroner rules 88-year-old woman’s death a homicide due to neglectful care
88-year-Old Woman’s Death In Denver Declared Homicide
Mary Jane Smith Obituary – Denver, CO

Pearlie Williams

Name: Pearlie Lee Williams.
Died: May 17, 2018.
Age at death: 77.
Cause of death: Neglect.
Location: Greenville, North Carolina, USA.
Disability: Disabled elder.

Details:
Pearlie’s daughter and granddaughter drained his bank account, but allegedly neglected him. By the time he was hospitalized, his health had been so badly compromised that he later died.

Case status:
Patricia Williams (Granddaughter), convicted of domestic abuse and involuntary manslaughter; 3-year suspended sentence.
Samantha Williams (Daughter), convicted of domestic abuse and involuntary manslaughter; 3-year suspended sentence.

Source:
Mom and daughter charged with death of elderly grandfather
Mr. Pearlie Lee Williams, Jr. – View Obituary & Service Information

Antoin Hawes Jr.

No Photo Name: Antoin Hawes Jr.
Died: May 13, 2018.
Age at death: 28.
Cause of death: Pneumonia.
Location: Augusta, Georgia, USA.
Disability: Autism, ADHD.

Details:
Antoin’s parents kept him locked in a room with the window boarded up, chained by his ankle. He had to sleep on old couch cushions wrapped in garbage bags and use a bucket for a toilet. There were no lights, no heating, and no air conditioning. When he got sick, they didn’t get him medical help. By the time an ambulance was finally called, he had died of pneumonia.

Case status:
Antoin Sylvester Hawes Sr. (Father), charged with neglect of a disabled adult and felony murder.
Stephanie Jones Hawes (Mother), charged with neglect of a disabled adult and felony murder, died before trial.

Source:
Hawes released on $75,000 bond in death of his disabled son
Augusta death investigated, victim kept in room with no windows or bed
Man found dead in Kissingbower Rd. home, parents arrested
Parents arrested in suspicious death of son at Augusta residence
Parents of autistic man found dead indicted on felony murder charges
Richmond County couple indicted on murder charges in disabled son’s death
Shocking Death in Augusta: Parents Kept Autistic Son Locked in Windowless Bedroom!
Autism Memorial: Antoin Hawes Jr.

Judith Howe

No Photo Name: Judith Howe.
Died: April 16, 2018.
Age at death: 73.
Cause of death: Sepsis, malnutrition.
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.
Disability: Alzheimer’s disease, aphasia.

Details:
When told by friends that she should take Judith to the doctor, Judith’s daughter and caregiver refused to do so despite her mother’s worsening condition and, instead of caring for her mother, spent her mother’s money on herself. Eventually someone called for a welfare check, and Judith was brought to the hospital with severe bedsores, weighing 80 pounds. Too far gone to survive, she died in hospice from a combination of infection and malnutrition.

Case status:
Sandy Howe (Daughter), convicted of abuse of an elderly person with severe bodily harm; sentenced to 6-15 years.

Source:
Police: Las Vegas woman’s neglect led to elderly mother’s 2018 death
Las Vegas woman charged with murder in ailing mother’s death
Report: Las Vegas woman facing murder charge neglected mother to the point of death
Woman faces murder, abuse and neglect charges in mother’s death

Omera Akinloba

Name: Omera Anna Akinloba.
Died: April 12, 2018.
Age at death: 7.
Cause of death: Sepsis and pneumonia secondary to malnutrition.
Location: Oakleaf, Florida, USA.
Disability: Parents diagnosed her with autism.

Details:
According to a warrant for their arrest, Omera’s parents fed her a diet of nothing but French fries and denied her medical care. Omera died of sepsis. She was malnourished, dehydrated, and had a Vitamin B3 deficiency when she died.

Omera’s parents diagnosed her as autistic at 2 years old, but did not seek a doctor’s care or an evaluation. They also stopped vaccinating her, and kept her at home instead of letting her go to school.

Case Status:
Anna Akinloba (Mother), charged with aggravated manslaughter.
Aremo Akinloba (Father), charged with aggravated manslaughter.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Omera Akinloba
Parents charged in 2018 death of 7-year-old daughter
Parents jailed in 2018 aggravated manslaughter death of Jacksonville girl, 7
Anti-vax parents ‘starved girl, 7, who died with rash, sepsis, and pneumonia’