Category: Type: Fatal Neglect

Medical neglect, lack of care, failure to provide necessities of life.

Cynthia Burns

No PhotoName: Cynthia Burns.
Died: April 27, 2009.
Age at death: 58.
Cause of death: Pneumonia.
Location: Wylie, Texas, USA.
Disability: Paralysis due to stroke.

Details:
Cynthia’s daughter and son-in-law denied her food and medical care. She died of pneumonia, her body too weak from neglect to survive the illness.

Case status:
Christina Gaines (Daughter), knowingly causing serious bodily injury to a disabled person, 12 years.
Gary Gaines, recklessly causing serious bodily injury to a disabled person, 6 months in jail and community service.

Source:
Wylie woman gets 12 years for mother’s death in ‘extraordinarily terrible’ neglect case
Woman abused disabled mother to the point she ‘resembled a Holocaust victim’ and died

Shylae Thomas

Photo of Shylae Thomas, a girl with her hair in braids and barrettes, propped up against a cushion. She has light-brown skin and dark-brown hair, and her shirt is a red and white striped tank top.Name: Shylae Myza Thomas; sometimes spelled “Shylea”.
Died: April 22, 2009.
Age at death: 9.
Cause of death: Starvation.
Location: Flint, Michigan, USA.
Disability: Quadriplegia.

Details:
Shylae was starved to death by her aunt.

Case status:
Lorrie Thomas (Aunt, adoptive mother), convicted of involuntary manslaughter, sentenced to 10-15 years.

Source:
Lorrie Thomas Gets 10 Years for Starving Quadriplegic Daughter Shylae Thomas to Death
A Memorial Page for Shylae Myza Thomas | Facebook
Shylae Thomas: Starved to Death

Jeremy Fraser

Photo of a young boy with a buzz cut and navy blue sweater. He has light skin and brown eyes, and is smiling for the camera.Name: Jeremy Fraser.
Died: March 30, 2009.
Age at death: 9.
Cause of death: Leukemia.
Location: Salem, Maryland, USA.
Disability: Autism, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

Details:
Jeremy was in remission, on the last stage of his cancer therapy, when his mother deliberately withdrew the medication that probably would have saved his life. He died of recurrent leukemia.

Case status:
Kristen LaBrie (Mother), convicted of attempted murder, sentenced to 8-10 years; served 5 years before being granted new trial; pleaded guilty to attempted murder, sentenced to time served.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Jeremy Fraser
New Trial Granted for Salem Mother in Attempted Murder of Son
Woman Who Withheld Chemotherapy Medication From Ill Son Gets Time Served, Freed

Jason Rimer

Photo of Jason Rimer, a boy in a yellow T-shirt with a confused expression on his face; he has short, wispy brown hair and fair skin.Name: Jason Rimer.
Died: June 8, 2008.
Age at death: 4.
Cause of death: Heat stroke.
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.
Disability: Myotonic dystrophy.

Details:
Jason’s parents left him in a hot car in June for more than seventeen hours. When they finally returned for him, he had died of heat stress.

Case status:
Stanley Rimer (Father), manslaughter and child neglect, 8-30 years; Colleen Rimer (Mother), manslaughter and child neglect, 5-20 years.

Source:
Trial of parents charged in Jason Rimer’s death concludes

Katherine Mudski

No PhotoName: Katherine Mudski.
Died: June 3, 2008.
Age at death: 73.
Cause of death: Malnutrition, infection.
Location: Flint, Michigan, USA.
Disability: Breast cancer.

Details:
Katherine’s son neglected her, and she died from a combination of malnutrition, dehydration, and infected bedsores.

Two years before Katherine’s death, she called a mailman into her home and asked him to help. The mailman called the police, who came to the house, stayed for 13 minutes, and did nothing to help Katherine.

Case status:
Christopher A. Mudski (Son), pleaded guilty to manslaughter, sentenced to 316 days time served. Arrested later for similarly neglecting his cousin, who was hospitalized.

Source:
911 tapes show police were called by mailman months before Katherine Mukdsi’s death; son faces murder charges for alleged neglect
Man convicted in mother’s death accused in similar neglect case
Elder abuse cases bring big charges, offenders actually receive lesser sentences
Flint Township man will stand trial for murder in neglect case involving his elderly mother

Jamie Hawley

Photo of a balding man with light skin and a mustache.Name: Jamie Hawley.
Died: May 26, 2008.
Age at death: 41.
Cause of death: Starvation, pneumonia, infection.
Location: Brockville, Ontario, Canada.
Disability: Cerebral palsy and intellectual disability.

Details:
Jamie was neglected by his brother. Because he used a wheelchair, Jamie’s brother was able to confine him to the second floor of their home, which had no wheelchair ramps.

While his brother collected his disability checks, Jamie died of starvation, pneumonia, and infected bedsores.

Case status:
Jerry Hawley (Brother), pleaded guilty to manslaughter, sentenced to 20 years; reduced to 14 years 11 months on 1.5x credit for time served.

Source:
Man who starved brother receives extra credit for time served
Inquest to begin Dec. 7 into disabled man’s starvation death
Ontario man gets 20 years for starving disabled brother to death

Jaylen Brown

No PhotoName: Jaylen Brown.
Died: May 13, 2008.
Age at death: 13.
Cause of death: Sepsis.
Location: Chicago, Illinios, USA.
Disability: Cerebral palsy.

Details:
Even though she had help from two nurses, Jaylen’s mother neglected him so badly that he died from blood poisoning due to severe, infected bedsores.

Case status:
Kesheia Phillips (Mother), convicted of misdemeanor child neglect.
Loren Brown (Nurse), acquitted.
Morris Brinkley (Nurse), sentenced to 2 years of probation and 60 days of community service, license suspended.

Source:
Mom, home care aide go on trial in neglect death
‘Severe’ neglect blamed in death
Severely Disabled 13-Year-Old Died From Neglect

Aleksi Toledo

Name: Aleksi Morgan Pressey Toledo.
Died: May 13, 2008.
Age at death: 4.
Cause of death: Neglect.
Location: San Bernardino County, California, USA.
Disability: Autism, juvenile diabetes.

Details:
Aleksi’s diabetes treatment was withheld and he was starved and dehydrated. He died of diabetic ketoacidosis with no fat left on his body. It is alleged that his mother chose not to seek medical attention, even though she could have saved his life had she done so.

Case status:
Father, D. T., no charges
Mother, unnamed, charged with child endangerment.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Aleksi Toledo
D.T. v. Superior Court
Death Record

Madeline Neumann

Name: Madeline Kara Neumann.
Died: March 23, 2008.
Age at death: 11.
Cause of death: Untreated diabetes.
Location: Weston, Wisconsin, USA.
Disability: Juvenile diabetes.

Details:
Madeline’s parents, who believed that visiting a doctor was “idolatry”, refused to get Madeline medical treatment. Madeline died of untreated diabetes.

Case status:
Leilani Neumann (Mother), convicted of second-degree reckless homicide and sentenced to serve one month per year in jail for six years.
Dave Neumann (Father), convicted of second-degree reckless homicide and sentenced to serve one month per year in jail for six years.

Source:
Wisconsin Couple Sentenced in Death of Their Sick Child
Kara Neumann case
Homeschooling’s Invisible Children: Madeline Kara Neumann

Courtney Wise

No PhotoName: Courtney Wise.
Died: February 18, 2008.
Age at death: 17.
Cause of death: Malnutrition.
Location: St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada.
Disability: Cerebral palsy.

Details:
Courtney’s mother neglected and starved her to death.

Case status:
Astrid Hueller (Mother), pled guilty to manslaughter, sentenced to 6 years in jail, minus double time served, for a total of five years.

Source:
Mother pleads guilty to manslaughter –
Mother gets six years for daughter’s death