Type: Fatal Neglect – Page 38 – Disability Day of Mourning

Casey Axsom

Photo of Casey Axsom, a young adult with short, messy strawberry-blonde hair, wearing a white polo shirt. Casey's mouth is slightly open. Name: Casey Axsom.
Died: May 26, 2006.
Age at death: 25.
Cause of death: Malnutrition.
Location: Bloomington, Indiana, USA.
Disability: Epilepsy, cerebral palsy, possible multiple sclerosis.

Details:
Casey’s mother starved her to death. Casey died at age 25, weighing 50 pounds, covered in severe and untreated bedsores.

Case status:
Dorothy Axsom (Mother), pleaded guilty to neglect, sentenced to two years, three months in prison.

Source:
Bloomington woman charged with murder in disabled child’s 2006 death
Police: Mother Starved Disabled Daughter To Death
Bloomington Woman Pleads Guilty Of Starving Her Daughter To Death

Evelyn Joel

Name: Evelyn Joel.
Died: January 7, 2006.
Age at death: 59.
Cause of death: Pneumonia.
Location: Enniscorthy, Ireland.
Disability: Multiple sclerosis.

Details:
Evelyn’s health rapidly declined while she was in the care of her family. By the time she was hospitalized with multiple infected bedsores, she was too weak to recover when she caught pneumonia.

Case status:
Eleanor Joel (Daughter) and Jonathan Costen (Daughter’s husband), convicted of manslaughter; given two-year suspended sentence; sentence overturned because the health care workers involved in Evelyn’s care had not been summoned to testify at trial.

Source:
Court quashes couple’s convictions for killing Evelyn Joel
Couple will not face retrial over death of MS sufferer
Court quashes couple’s convictions for killing Evelyn Joel
Couple who left MS sufferer, Evelyn Joel, to die in her own filth receive suspended sentence
Ma neglect killer walk free from court
Appeal by couple convicted of letting MS sufferer die with ‘maggots in her infected bedsores’

Dylan Walborn

Pencil drawing of Dylan Walborn, a small boy with light skin and dark hair. His mouth is open. Name: Dylan Walborn.
Died: November 11, 2005.
Age at death: 4.
Cause of death: Dehydration.
Location: Thornton, Colorado, USA.
Disability: Perinatal brain damage, cerebral palsy, epilepsy.

Details:
Dylan had a stroke in utero, and was not supposed to live to see his first birthday. But he lived to be four years old.

At four, Dylan died of starvation and dehydration because his parents stopped feeding him through his feeding tube. It took him twenty-four days to die.

Case status:
Kerri Bruning (Mother) and Dave Walborn (Father), no crime.

Source:
History of euthanasia in Canada
Letting go: Dylan’s last days
Children’s Hospital Euthanizes Dylan Walborn
“Dylan Must Die”

Adacelli Snyder

Portrait photo of a toddler girl in overalls, earrings, and a buzz cut. Name: Adacelli Snyder.
Died: June 29, 2005.
Age at death: 2.
Cause of death: Malnutrition, infection.
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.
Disability: Cerebral Palsy.

Details:
Adacelli’s parents neglected her and kept her in filthy conditions. She died of a combination of malnutrition and infection.

Case status:
Jack Richardson (Father), sentenced to 10 years to life.
Charlene Snyder (Mother), sentenced to 10 years to life.

Source:
Angelizdsplace: Adacelli Snyder
Parents accused in death of girl

Donna Spadea

No Photo Name: Donna Spadea.
Died: June 26, 2005.
Age at death: 59.
Cause of death: Poisoning.
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
Disability: Intellectual disability.

Details:
Along with several other intellectually disabled adults, Donna was imprisoned, starved, drugged, and beaten by Linda Weston, who acted as her Social Security payee so that she could steal Donna’s money. Donna died after two months of captivity while she was imprisoned in a tiny laundry room, and toxicology testing revealed that she had been poisoned with the drugs Linda had regularly mixed into her food.

Case status:
Linda Weston (Caretaker), multiple charges, life sentence + 80 years.
Gregory Thomas, charged with hate crimes.
Jean McIntosh, pleaded guilty, sentenced to 40 years.
Eddie Wright, pleaded guilty, sentenced to 27 years.
Nicklaus Woodard, pleaded guilty to several charges, including conspiracy, kidnapping and using a firearm in an act of violence, sentenced to 27 years.

Source:
‘Tacony dungeon’ woman who imprisoned disabled adults gets life sentence + 80 years
Daughter of Tacony dungeon ‘mastermind’ gets 40 years – Metro Philadelphia
Tacony ‘dungeon’ case ends with admission of hate crimes against disabled
Seven years after rescue, ‘Tacony dungeon’ victims confront tormentor sentenced to 40 years
‘Pastor Wright,’ codefendant in Tacony dungeon case, gets 27 years in prison
“Basement of horrors” indictment brings light to 2008 Norfolk death
‘Tacony dungeon’ woman who imprisoned disabled adults gets life sentence + 80 years

Eliza Scovill

Photo of Eliza Jane Scovill, a toddler with tangled auburn hair, fair skin, and brown eyes wearing a blue dress. She is smiling for the camera. Name: Eliza Jane Scovill.
Died: May 16, 2005.
Age at death: 3.
Cause of death: Pneumonia, AIDS.
Location: Van Nuys, Los Angeles, California, USA.
Disability: HIV+.

Details:
Eliza loved music, singing, and dancing.

She was born to a mother who was HIV-positive and who didn’t believe that HIV causes AIDS. As a result, her mother breastfed her even though this increases the risk of passing on HIV to a baby. Eliza Jane wasn’t tested for HIV, nor was she given antiretroviral drugs, even though these could have saved her life.

She died at the age of three from pneumocystis pneumonia, an opportunistic infection associated with AIDS.

Case status:
Christine Maggiore (Mother), no charges. Died in 2008 from AIDS-related pneumonia.

Source:
Eliza Jane Scovill – Wikipedia
A Mother’s Denial, a Daughter’s Death
Christine Maggiore and Eliza Jane Scovill: Living and dying with HIV/AIDS denialism
Eliza Jane Scovill (2001-2005) – Find A Grave…
Did HIV-Positive Mom’s Beliefs Put Her Children at Risk?
Christine Maggiore, vocal skeptic of AIDS research, dies at 52

Tiffany Pinckney

Name: Tiffany Pinckney.
Died: April 2, 2005.
Age at death: 23.
Cause of death: Starvation.
Location: Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.
Disability: Autism, developmental delay.

Details:
Tiffany was locked in a basement by her sister and her sister’s husband, where she starved to death.

Teachers remember Tiffany as a girl who loved music and “was lots of fun”.

Case status:
Allison Cox (sister), convicted of manslaughter, sentenced to 9 years.
Orlando Klass (sister’s husband), pled guilty to criminal negligence, sentenced to 2 years house arrest.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Tiffany Pinckney
Trial ordered in autistic woman’s death
The life and death of Tiffany Pinckney
Autistic woman was starved to death, crown asserts
Nine years for woman’s death

Hannah Davenport

Photo of Hannah Davenport, a girl in a bright pink shirt, wearing a bright pink hairbow in her short brown hair. Name: Hannah Davenport.
Died: January 29, 2005.
Age at death: 6.
Cause of death: Malnutrition/dehydration.
Location: Anderson, Missouri, USA.
Disability: Ectopic anus.

Details:
Hannah’s mother starved her to death.

Case status:
Karen Davenport (Mother), found guilty of second degree involuntary manslaughter, fined $5000.

Source:
Hannah Renee Davenport

Karen Dreager

No Photo Name: Karen Elizabeth Dreager.
Died: August 31, 2004.
Age at death: 35.
Cause of death: Malnutrition.
Location: Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA.
Disability: Cerebral palsy.

Details:
Karen was neglected by her family. She died of starvation, weighing 50 pounds, down from 200 pounds, covered in severe and untreated bedsores.

Case status:
Debra McMahon (Adoptive sister), pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, sentenced to 15 years.
Paul McMahon (Brother-in-law), sentenced to 6 years.
Kimberly McMahon (Niece), charged with first-degree murder.

Source:
History of euthanasia in Canada
The Minnesota Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities:
Murder charges for family in Oak Ridge starvation case
Family charged in starvation of kin
Woman Starved to Death
Family Charged in Starving Disabled Woman

Davontae Williams

A photo of a boy with dark skin and a shaved head, looking at the camera but not smiling. The angle suggests that it is a selfie. Name: Davontae Marcel Williams.
Died: July 26, 2004.
Age at death: 8.
Cause of death: Pneumonia.
Location: Arlington, Texas, USA.
Disability: Developmental disabilities due to prematurity.

Details:
Davontae was neglected by his mother and her girlfriend. Weakened by malnutrition, he died of pneumonia.

Case status:
Marcella Williams (Mother), pled guilty to murder, sentenced to life without parole.
Lisa Ann Coleman (Mother’s girlfriend), convicted of murder, sentenced to death.

Source:
Davontae Marcel Williams
Top Ten Lesser-Known and Heartbreaking Child Murders