Type: Fatal Neglect – Page 27 – Disability Day of Mourning

Thelma Hayner

No Photo Name: Thelma Ruth Hayner.
Died: September 23, 2015.
Age at death: 84.
Cause of death: Heart attack, aggravated by infection from untended pressure sores.
Location: Asheboro, North Carolina, USA.
Disability: Dementia, frail elder.

Details:
Thelma’s son and daughter-in-law allegedly neglected her, leaving her alone at home, locked into her room and in her bed. When she was finally taken to the hospital, doctors discovered multiple severe pressure sores and malnutrition. She died of a heart attack shortly thereafter, her body weakened by infection and poor care.

Case status:
James Hayner (Son), convicted of elder neglect resulting in serious injury and involuntary manslaughter, sentenced to 1 year 1 month to 2 years 1 month.
Kathleen Hayner (Daughter-in-law), convicted of elder neglect, sentenced to 10 months to 1 year 9 months.

Source:
State v. Hayner, 840 S.E.2d 539
Couple charged in alleged elder neglect death

Elaine Latshaw

No Photo
Name: Elaine Latshaw.
Died: August 15, 2015.
Age at death: 76.
Cause of death: Starvation, sepsis, pneumonia.
Location: Mahanoy City, Pennsylvania, USA.
Disability: Elderly; mobility impaired.

Details:
Elaine was neglected by her son and daughter-in-law. She died of a combination of starvation, systemic infection from untreated bedsores, and pneumonia.

Case status:
John F. Latshaw Jr. (Son), pled no contest to involuntary manslaughter, sentenced to 3-24 months in prison.
Dorothy Robinson (Daughter-in-law), pled no contest to involuntary manslaughter, sentenced to 3-24 months in prison.

Source:
Couple charged in woman’s death by neglect
Elder Abuse or Respecting Last Wishes?
Police Charge Couple in 2015 Death in Schuylkill County
2 from Mahanoy City to face homicide charges
2 sentenced for role in woman’s death

Albert Vereen

An African-American man in a white T-shirt. Name: Albert Lee Vereen.
Died: August 7, 2015.
Age at death: 63.
Cause of death: Sepsis.
Location: Longs, South Carolina, USA.
Disability: Unspecified; wheelchair user.

Details:
When Albert was admitted to the hospital in poor condition, doctors called police to report neglect. The next day, he died of sepsis from a large, untreated bedsore.

Albert had seven grandchildren.

Case status:
Ronya Green (Daughter), charged with abuse or neglect of a vulnerable adult resulting in death.
Albert Vereen Jr. (Son), charged with abuse or neglect of a vulnerable adult resulting in death.

Source:
Obituary of Albert Lee Vereen – Longs South Carolina
2 arrested for neglect after father dies from untreated bedsore

Karen Passmore

Portrait photo of Karen Passmore. She is a young woman with straight light-brown hair. Name: Karen Passmore.
Died: August 6, 2015.
Age at death: 58.
Cause of death: Pneumonia, sepsis, heart failure.
Location: Milton, Florida, USA.
Disability: Stroke.

Details:
Karen’s daughter didn’t feed or care for her. Weakened by starvation, Karen died from a combination of pneumonia, heart failure, and infected bedsores, weighing 58 pounds.

Case status:
Jackie Passmore (Daughter), convicted of aggravated manslaughter of a disabled adult, given non-custodial sentence.

Source:
Don’t treat her like that
Arrest Report–Passmore
22-year-old woman charged in the death of her disabled mother
Woman Charged In Her Mother’s Death
Milton woman charged in death of her disabled mother
Milton woman charged in mother’s death
Karen Passmore Obituary – Milton, Florida
Woman convicted in disabled mother’s death
Milton woman convicted in the death of her disabled mother

Mr. Sulpizio

No Photo Name: Unknown. Possibly surnamed Sulpizio, like his mother.
Died: August 6, 2015.
Age at death: 7.
Cause of death: Neglect.
Location: Four Oaks, North Carolina, USA.
Disability: Multiple disabilities; non-verbal, blind, brain injury.

Details:
This seven-year-old boy was neglected by his mother. She kept her own room air-conditioned, but the little boy had to live in a filthy room that reached 95 degrees in the summer heat. He died of neglect.

Case status:
Donna Mae Sulpizio (Mother), convicted of intentional child abuse resulting in severe bodily injury, sentenced to 8 years 9 months 24 days; minimum 6 years.

Source:
Mother indicted following death of handicapped child
NC DPS Offender Public Information

Jessie McCrimmon

No Photo Name: Jessie McCrimmon.
Died: July 15, 2015.
Age at death: 43.
Cause of death: Septic shock, multiple organ failure.
Location: Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, USA.
Disability: Spina bifida.

Details:
Jessie’s girfriend neglected him so badly that when he was rushed to the hospital, he needed immediate amputation of both legs because of infected pressure sores. But the amputations failed to save his life, and he died of multiple organ failure and septic shock.

Case status:
Stacey Ann Cunnius (Girlfriend, paid caregiver), pleaded no contest to third-degree murder and neglect of care for a dependent person; sentenced to 4-10 years in prison and ten years of probation.

Source:
Caregiver charged with homicide in death of man with maggot-filled foot wounds
Woman charged after man with maggot-filled foot wounds dies
Reading woman charged in death of man in her care
Pennsylvania woman charged after man with maggot-filled foot wounds dies
Reading woman pleads no contest in death of her boyfriend
Woman gets prison in death of man with maggot-filled wound
Woman sentenced in death of man with maggot-filled wounds

Lala Mardigan

Photo of Lala Mardigan. She is a young woman with dark brown skin, wearing a yellow shirt; she has headphones in her ears. Name: Lala Mardigan.
Died: Late July 2015.
Age at death: 20.
Cause of death: Malnutrition, infection.
Location: Wadeye, Northern Territory, Australia.
Disability: Lupus, intellectual disability.

Details:
Lala lived in a remote part of Australia. She had spent some time in foster care, but returned to her mother at age 18 even though her mother had told the health service she could not care for her. Despite a case worker’s warning that Lala was not being cared for, the health department did not assign her a guardian. At 20, Lala died from malnutrition and infection, a victim of neglect.

Case status:
No charges.

Source:
Twenty-year old’s death highlights the people in remote communities falling through the gaps
Aboriginal woman would be alive ‘if people in power cared’

Matthew Hoag

Name: Matthew Paul Hoag.
Died: June 30, 2015.
Age at death: 21.
Cause of death: Methanol poisoning.
Location: Sylvan Township, Michingan, USA.
Disability: Cerebral palsy.

Details:
When this young man drank windshield wiper fluid, his mother refused to seek medical treatment for him. He died from poisoning.

Case status:
Paulette Redding (Mother), pleaded no contest to third-degree child abuse, sentenced to 2 years of probation and 50 hours of community service.

Source:
Obituary of Matthew Paul Hoag
Mother charged in death of disabled son who drank windshield wiper fluid
Mother in court in death of disabled son who drank windshield fluid
Michigan Mom Gets Probation In Adult Son’s Wiper Fluid Death

Debra Mae Shelton

Photo of Debra Mae Shelton, a middle-aged woman with brown hair and pale skin. She has a round face and is smiling slightly. Name: Debra Mae Shelton.
Died: June 14, 2015.
Age at death: 61.
Cause of death: Complications of untreated abscess.
Location: Carleton, Michigan, USA.
Disability: Diabetes, chronic illness.

Details:
Debra Mae had been badly neglected when she was brought in to the hospital. She died from complications of high blood sugar and an untreated abscess that had caused infection to spread throughout her body.

Case status:
Robert G. Shelton (Husband), pleaded no contest to second-degree vulnerable adult abuse, sentenced to 5 years probation.

Source:
Offender Tracking Information System (OTIS) – Offender Profile
Carleton man pleads in wife’s death
Debra Shelton’s Obituary
Debra Shelton
Woman who weighed 550lbs had live MAGGOTS living on her skin
‘He did all he could’: Friend defends Carleton man in jail

David Matwiju

Photo of a man with fair skin and shaggy brown hair and beard. His eyes are wide open, giving him a wild look. Name: David Lee Matwiju Sr.
Died: June 3, 2015.
Age at death: 64.
Cause of death: Starvation.
Location: Springfield Township, Ohio, USA.
Disability: Stroke, kidney disease, alcoholism.

Details:
David starved to death while in the care of his wife.

Mr. Matwiju was a US military veteran whose alcoholism began after his return from Vietnam.

Case status:
Dorothy Matwiju (Wife), convicted of failing to provide for a functionally impaired person, sentenced to 1 year probation.

Source:
Springfield Township wife sentenced for neglecting ailing husband, who later died
Springfield Township Police: Wife charged after husband found starved to death
Springfield Township woman’s lack of care contributed to husband’s death, police say