Type: Fatal Neglect – Page 36 – Disability Day of Mourning

Jonathan Singer

Name: Jonathan Singer.
Died: Approx. April 11, 2011.
Age at death: 10.
Cause of death: Drowning.
Location: Houston, Texas, USA.
Disability: Cerebral palsy.

Details:
Jonathan was being neglected; he wasn’t getting enough to eat. His father reported his death, claiming he had drowned in the bathtub, but coroners determined that Jonathan had been badly malnourished.

Case status:
Tina Louise Madrid (Mother), pled guilty to injury to a child, sentenced to 30 years in prison.
Jeffrey Singer (Father), pled guilty to injury to a child, sentenced to 25 years in prison.

Source:
Mom charged in death of son whose body was found in a box
Texas mom charged in death of son whose body was found in a box
Parents Gone Wild! Tina Louise Madrid and Jeffrey Singer charged with the murder of their 10-year-old son, Jonathan Singer

Kyla Puhle

Photo Unavailable Name: Kyla Puhle.
Died: March 19, 2011.
Age at death: 27.
Cause of death: Pneumonia.
Location: North Brighton, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
Disability: Cerebral palsy.

Details:
Six months before Kyla died, her parents stopped taking her to her day program and instead left her lying, alone, on a bean bag while they went to work. Gradually they fed Kyla less and less, until Kyla died of malnutrition and pneumonia, weighing only 12 kilos.

Case status:
Harry Puhle (Father), died by suicide before he could be tried.
Angela Puhle (Mother), pleaded guilty to manslaughter, freed with five-year suspended sentence.

Source:
Disability is no justification for murder
Mercy urged for mum who starved daughter
Angela Puhle, Former Principal, Admits To Starving Disabled Daughter To Death: A Burden Too Great?
Adelaide mother spared jail over malnutrition manslaughter of disabled daughter
Former school principal Angela Puhle receives suspended sentence for manslaughter of disabled daughter

Cassie Hopkins

Name: Cassie Hopkins.
Died: March 12, 2011.
Age at death: 3.
Cause of death: Drowning.
Location: San Antonio, Texas, USA.
Disability: Angelman syndrome.

Details:
Cassie’s father left her alone in the bathtub, knowing she could not walk and had seizures. She drowned.

Case status:
Christopher Hopkins (Father), reckless injury to a child, 15 years.

Source:
After local disabled toddler drowns, focus turns to father.
Obituary
Father sentenced for tub drowning attributed to porn

Makayla Norman

Photo of Makayla Norman, a teen girl with brown skin and fuzzy black hair, sitting in a bean bag chair, with her head propped against a pillow. She is wearing jeans and a white T-shirt. Name: Makayla Norman.
Died: March 1, 2011.
Age at death: 14.
Cause of death: Malnutrition, sepsis.
Location: Dayton, Ohio, USA.
Disability: Cerebral palsy.

Details:
Makayla’s mother had hired three nurses to help take care of her. Despite that, she managed to neglect Makayla so badly that she died of malnutrition and infected bedsores. The young girl spent her last years in a filthy, trash-ridden house and died weighing 28 pounds.

Case status:
Angela Norman (Mother), involuntary manslaughter, nine years.
Mollie E. Parsons (Nurse), manslaughter, 10 years; health care fraud, 3 years.
Marky K. Kilby (Nurse), convicted of failing to provide for a functionally-impaired person, sentenced to probation; convicted of failing to report abuse; 180 days in jail, all but 15 days suspended.
Kathryn Williams (Nurse), convicted of failure to report child abuse or neglect and failing to provide for a functionally-impaired person; sentenced to 30 days in jail, 160 hours community service, and one year of probation.

Source:
Makayla M. Norman
Angela Norman: Murderpedia
Nurse in prison for teen’s death accused of health care fraud
Middletown caregiver sentenced for defrauding Medicaid in disabled Dayton teen’s death
Woman sentenced in Medicaid fraud case related to a minor’s death

Donald Parojinog

Name: Donald Parojinog.
Died: January 18, 2011.
Age at death: 83.
Cause of death: Malnutrition, sepsis.
Location: Washington DC, USA.
Disability: Stroke.

Details:
Donald’s daughter was supposed to be taking care of him after he suffered three strokes, but instead, she neglected him. He died of starvation and blood poisoning from infected bedsores.

Case status:
Donna Parojinog (Daughter), pleaded guilty to manslaughter, sentenced to 12 months in jail.

Source:
Woman sentenced in elderly father’s death

Regina Wynn

No Photo Name: Regina Wynn.
Died: Early September, 2010.
Age at death: 87.
Cause of death: Bedsores, infection, dehydration.
Location: Cappahosic, Gloucester County, Virginia, USA.
Disability: Alzheimer’s disease.

Details:
Regina was taken out of her nursing home by her niece. Months later, she was taken to the hospital weighing only 80 pounds, with large bedsores. She died soon afterward.

Case status:
Gigi Garner (Niece) and her boyfriend Erick Wilson; charged with abuse; charges dropped. Lawyers argued that Regina’s pressure sores were a sign of inevitable impending death, rather than a cause of death.

Source:
Gloucester man to face elder abuse charges Tuesday
CRIMINAL CHARGES IN VIRGINIA: WHAT IS A KENNEDY TERMINAL ULCER?
Second defendant acquitted of elder abuse charge – Gazette Journal
Arrest in Gloucester woman’s death mirrors trend of elder neglect

Janet Mackozdi

No Photo Name: Janet Mackozdi.
Died: July 23, 2010.
Age at death: 77.
Cause of death: Hypothermia.
Location: Mt. Lloyd, Tasmania, Australia.
Disability: Dementia, coronary vascular disease, mobility impaired.

Details:
Janet’s daughter and son-in-law made her live in an uninsulated shipping container on their property in midwinter, so they could make room in their house for boxes of their belongings. They spent her money, and did not care for her as her weight dropped, even though one was a nurse and the other a disability support worker. Temperatures dropped below freezing and she died of hypothermia.

Case status:
Jassy Anglin (Daughter), pleaded guilty to causing death by culpable negligence and received a 2-year suspended sentence.
Michael Anglin (Son-in-law), pleaded guilty to causing death by culpable negligence and received a 2-year suspended sentence.

Source:
Sam Connor on Twitter
Dead elderly woman had lost 15kg in her final year, inquest told
Inquest examines care of 77yo who died of hypothermia in shipping container
Couple pleads guilty to death of elderly relative housed in shipping container
Woman dies after being ‘forced to live in a shipping container’
Couple charged after mother freezes to death sleeping in shipping container
Couple avoids jail over mother’s death
Tragic mum couple walks
Elder abuse reform needed over 77yo’s shipping container death, coroner says
Tassie couple let her freeze to death: coroner

Jorene White

Photo of Jorene White, a middle-aged woman with light, freckled skin and brown hair, wearing a teal shirt. Name: Jorene White.
Died: July 23, 2010.
Age at death: 46.
Cause of death: Sepsis.
Location: Madisonville, Ohio, USA.
Disability: Severe arthritis.

Details:
Jorene’s husband neglected her. She died of infected bedsores.

Case status:
Darrel White (Husband), convicted of neglect; 5 years of probation.

Source:
Darrel White Allowed Bed-Ridden Wife Jorene White to Be Eaten Alive by Maggots

Wendy Garland

No Photo Name: Wendy Garland.
Died: July 8, 2010.
Age at death: 33.
Cause of death: Pending autopsy.
Location: Jersey City, New Jersey, USA.
Disability: Down syndrome, cerebral palsy.

Details:
Wendy died when her family left her in a filthy room that, in midsummer, had heated up to 100 degrees. When they found her dead, they moved her out of her room, but when police saw where Wendy had been staying, they arrested her family. It was discovered that she had not seen a doctor in three years.

Case status:
Florence Garland (Mother), charged with neglect of an elderly or disabled person; died in 2017.
Helene Hutchinson (sister), charged with neglect of an elderly or disabled person.

Source:
Inspectors visit building where disabled Jersey City woman died
Family of disabled woman found dead in Jersey City appear in court
Disabled Woman Left in 100 Degree Room Dies; Mother, Sister Charged
Bed-ridden, disabled Jersey City woman found dead in 100-degree room, cops say; sister and mom charged
Death of disabled Jersey City woman who died in squalor requires more investigation: officials

Charles Poertner

Black and white photo of Charles Poertner, a boy with light skin and medium hair. Name: Charles Poertner.
Died: June 7, 2010.
Age at death: 7.
Cause of death: Dehydration.
Location: Newport News, Virginia, USA.
Disability: Cerebral palsy, developmental delay, epilepsy.

Details:
Charles’s mother starved him to death.

Case status:
Heather Poertner (mother), convicted of child neglect and murder; sentenced to 50 years.

Source:
Newport News mother pleads guilty in death of disabled son
Mother charged in death of son with cerebral palsy