Type: Fatal Neglect – Page 28 – Disability Day of Mourning

Cyrus Buskirk

Name: Cyrus Buskirk.
Died: January 12, 2015.
Age at death: 8.
Cause of death: Untreated diabetes.
Location: Allentown, Pennsylvania, USA.
Disability: Juvenile diabetes.

Details:
When Cyrus’s diabetes made him sick, his mother didn’t get him medical help. She called the doctor, but didn’t follow any of the doctor’s instructions. By the time she called 911, it was too late; Cyrus died of complications of juvenile diabetes.

Cyrus’s obituary says that he “loved school, baseball, the Iron Pigs, karate and being a ninja”.

Case status:
Ashleigh Buskirk (Mother), pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and child endangerment, sentenced to 16 months to 10 years.

Source:
Cyrus T. Buskirk Obituary (2007 – 2015) Morning Call
Mother sentenced for letting diabetic child die
Allentown mother pleads guilty in death of diabetic son

Caryl Vanzo

A gravestone, reading, "Mother Caryl. 1924-2015." Name: Caryl Vanzo.
Died: January 5, 2015.
Age at death: 90.
Cause of death: Unspecified.
Location: Plymouth, Minnesota, USA.
Disability: Elderly disabled; wheelchair user.

Details:
Caryl was neglected by her son, who stole and spent her retirement funds. When she was dying, or possibly soon after she had died, Caryl’s son put her in a wheelchair and went to the bank to withdraw more money from her account. Her body showed signs of malnutrition and dehydration, and she had severe untreated bedsores.

Case status:
David Vanzo (Son), pleaded guilty to one count of financial exploitation over $35,000; sentenced to 42 months in prison.

Source:
Guilty plea from son who forced mother to make bank withdrawal just before her death
Man Accused of Taking Possibly Dead Mother Into Bank Arrested in Pomona
Guilty plea from son who forced mother to make bank withdrawal just before her death
Twin Cities man accused of financially exploiting mom before her death
Minnesota man suspected of wheeling dead mother into bank
Man Accused of Taking Possibly Dead Mother Into Bank Arrested in Pomona
Man Allegedly Wheeled Dying Mother Into Bank to Withdraw Cash From Her Account
Man accused of taking dead mother into bank to make cash withdrawal

Barbara Beam

No Photo Name: Barbara Anne Beam.
Died: January 2, 2015.
Age at death: 82.
Cause of death: Pulmonary embolism.
Location: Greeneville, South Carolina, USA.
Disability: Mobility impairment.

Details:
Barbara’s caregivers allegedly left her sitting in her chair for six months, without moving her or cleaning her. Finally Barbara died from a blood clot, caused by sitting still for so long, that lodged in her lungs. She also had a severe untreated kidney infection.

Case status:
Carole Howell (Sister), charged with abuse and neglect resulting in the death of a vulnerable adult.
David Howell (Nephew), charged with abuse and neglect resulting in the death of a vulnerable adult.

Source:
Greenville mother, son indicted 2 years after elderly woman found dead
Woman charged in death of her sister who sat in chair for 6 months, warrants say

Elizabeth Siwicki

No Photo Name: Elizabeth “Betty” Siwicki.
Died: December 18, 2014.
Age at death: 89.
Cause of death: Sepsis.
Location: Garden City, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
Disability: Dementia.

Details:
When Betty fell out of bed and couldn’t stand back up, her son left her there for more than three weeks until she died from sepsis due to infected bedsores.

Case status:
Ron Siwicki (Son), pleaded guilty to criminal negligence, sentenced to 3 months in jail.

Source:
Man sentenced to 3 months for negligence in mother’s death
Winnipeg musician who left mother to die after fall sentenced to 3 months in custody
‘I should’ve disobeyed her’: Winnipeg man who let elderly mother die after fall speaks at sentencing

Samauri Page

No Photo Name: Samauri J. Page.
Died: November 30, 2014.
Age at death: 14.
Cause of death: Diabetic ketoacidosis.
Location: Columbus, Ohio, USA.
Disability: Juvenile diabetes, autism.

Details:
Samauri died of diabetic ketoacidosis because he had been either not given enough to eat, or not given his insulin.

His favorite sport was wrestling.

Case status:
Bakari J. Page (Father), under investigation.

Source:
Samauri J. Page
Autism Memorial: Samauri Page
Diabetic teen dies despite multiple warnings to Children Services

Camaron Larson

Photo of Camaron Larson, a child wearing a turquoise shirt and turqoise baseball cap. He has fair skin and light brown hair and is smiling. Name: Camaron Larson.
Died: November 24, 2014.
Age at death: 11.
Cause of death: Natural causes, aggravated by neglect.
Location: Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, USA.
Disability: Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease; Leukoencephalopathy.

Details:
Camaron was not given his medication, and his parents often left him alone for days at a time with just his brother, only a year older than him, to care for him. He had to live in a filthy house without utilities.

His brother, who was thirteen when Camaron died, survived their ordeal and testified at their parents’ trial.

Case status:
Robert McKay (Father), convicted of child neglect, sentenced to life plus 27 years.
Sarah McKay (Mother), convicted of child neglect, sentenced to life plus 27 years.

Source:
Jury Recommends Life For Tulsa Couple Convicted In Death Of Son
Tulsa child death report shows history of calls to authorities
Review of the Death of Camaron Larson
Camaron Larson Obituary

Jenhyla Simms

A small African-American girl in a frilly pink dress and hair ribbons. She has a large head and short arms, probably related to her disability. Name: Jenhyla Simms.
Died: November 14, 2014.
Age at death: 6.
Cause of death: Drowning.
Location: Saginaw, Michigan, USA.
Disability: Developmental disability.

Details:
Jenhyla’s mother left her alone in the bathtub, where she drowned.

Case status:
Destiny T. Oglesby (Mother), pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter, sentenced to 1 year in jail.

Source:
Saginaw woman gets 1 year in jail for drowning of 6-year-old daughter

Patrick

No Photo Name: “Patrick” (Family name unknown).
Died: November 2014.
Age at death: 17.
Cause of death: Multiple organ failure.
Location: Bedford, England, UK.
Disability: Coffin-Lowry syndrome.

Details:
Patrick’s care was neglected by his grandmother. He was kept in a filthy room without a working light. By the time he was hospitalized, he weighed only 95 pounds, had bruises all over his body, and was in multiple organ failure. He died age 17.

Patrick was good at swimming and had just learned cycling. Despite his limited ability to speak, he had memorized all of his classmates’ names.

Case status:
His grandmother was interviewed for case review. Belford Borough Safeguarding Children Board concluded that the agency did not adequately support Patrick’s needs or ensure that his grandmother cared for him adequately.

Source:
Disabled teenager who died weighing just 6 stone was ‘invisible’ to social services
‘Neglected’ disabled Bedford teen ‘unsupported’ by social services before ‘shocking’ death
Tragic death of ‘invisible’ Bedford teen failed by system
Patrick Final Report for PUBLICATION 23.5.16

Bessie Looney

No Photo Name: Bessie Looney.
Died: September 29, 2014.
Age at death: 82.
Cause of death: Malnutrition, sepsis.
Location: Baton Rouge, USA.
Disability: Dementia, heart disease, wheelchair user.

Details:
Bessie’s daughter and granddaughter neglected her. She was left strapped into a wheelchair, denied her medication, and not brought to the doctor when she became very sick. She died of starvation and septic shock from untreated bedsores.

Case status:
Joleslie Looney (daughter), convicted of manslaughter, sentenced to 40 years.
Lauren Looney (granddaughter), pleaded guilty to negligent homicide, sentenced to 5 years in prison.

Source:
Louisiana high court upholds sentence in mom’s bedsore death
Woman pleads guilty to negligent homicide in 82-year-old grandmother’s death
Granddaughter pleads guilty to negligent homicide in 82-year-old woman’s gruesome 2014 death
Death of elderly Baton Rouge woman ruled a homicide
82-year-old found dead at home surrounded by flies, trash; two arrested
Doctors say woman facing charges was sane during the time of the death of her elderly mother
Baton Rouge woman declared sane when elderly mother died amidst deplorable conditions
Baton Rouge woman to be tried Aug. 28 in death of 82-year-old mother found in deplorable conditions
Daughter faces trial in death of bedsore-ridden mother, 82
Attorney for Baton Rouge woman accused of killing her mother doesn’t want her called ‘evil,’ ‘monster’ during trial
Elderly woman’s daughter told Baton Rouge police she wasn’t aware of severity of mother’s bedsores
‘A hard-working person that struggled,’ friends say of woman accused in elderly mother’s death
Daughter swiftly convicted of manslaughter in elderly mother’s 2014 bedsore-related death
Woman’s sentencing delayed in gruesome 2014 bedsore-related death of 82-year-old mother
Woman leaves grandmother in waste-covered wheelchair until bedsores kill her
Granddaughter sentenced in 82-year-old Baton Rouge woman’s bedsore-related death
Woman denied reduced sentence in death of elderly, malnourished mother
Judge won’t reduce Baton Rouge woman’s 40-year prison term in bedsore-related death of mother
Attorney says 40 years in bedsore-related death of 82-year-old woman is excessive punishment
Louisiana court upholds woman’s prison term for mom’s bedsore death
Court upholds woman’s prison term for mom’s bedsore death
Baton Rouge woman’s conduct ‘reprehensible’ in elderly mother’s bedsore death, appeals court says

Michaelina Simonetti

Old-fashioned portrait photo of Michaelina Simonetti, a young woman with fair skin, rosy cheeks, and curly dark hair. Name: Michaelina Simonetti.
Died: September 15, 2014.
Age at death: 93.
Cause of death: Homicide by neglect.
Location: New Britain, Connecticut, USA.
Disability: Blind; disabled.

Details:
Michaelina was discharged from a nursing home into her son’s care. She was found in poor condition by emergency services; she was lying on a mattress on the floor with severe bedsores, and police believe she had not been moved from the mattress or fed properly in five months. She died after two weeks at the hospital.

Case status:
Frank Simonetti (Son), charged with first-degree manslaughter.

Source:
New Britain Man Charged With Manslaughter In 93-Year-Old Mother’s Death
New Britain man arrested in connection to mother’s death