Type: Other Deaths – Disability Day of Mourning

Hershall Creachbaum

Name: Hershall Creachbaum.
Died: July 12, 2025 (Body found).
Age at death: 7.
Cause of death: Unknown.
Location: Dayton, Ohio, USA.
Disability: Autism; wheelchair user.

Details:
Hershall’s parents reported him as kidnapped. Shortly thereafter, his body was found–but he had been dead for some time. His parents are accused of dumping his body and reporting him missing; his cause of death is still under investigation because only skeletal remains were found.

Case Status:
Hershall’s death is considered a homicide investigation.
Ashley Noel Johnson (Mother) is charged with obstruction of justice and failure to report a death.
Michael Deshaun Kendrick (mother’s boyfriend) is charged with tampering with evidence and abuse of a corpse.

Sources:
Two people now in custody in connection to the death of 7-year-old boy, police say
7-year-old believed to have been dead for weeks before being found; mother among 2 charged
Autistic 7-Year-Old Boy Found Dead After Vanishing With Wheelchair; Person of Interest in Custody
Missing autistic child found dead in Dayton, mother and man arrested, chief says
Coroner’s report gives new details in investigation into 7-year-old’s death
School staff called Children Services ‘multiple times’ before 7-year-old’s death, 911 calls reveal
Defendant in Hershall Creachbaum case files motion to restrict public records access
Hershall Creachbaum Death: 7-year-old to be remembered with memorial at local school

Thomas Clubb

Name: Thomas Clubb.
Died: March 21, 2025 (Body found; died circa 2019).
Age at death: 67.
Cause of death: Unspecified.
Location: Salem, Missouri, USA.
Disability: Quadriplegic, dementia.

Details:
Thomas’s body was found in a trash can about five years after his death. His nephew, who had been his caregiver, is accused of locking him in the garage for a day or more at a time, dirty and unable to eat or drink anything. When Thomas died, his nephew allegedly hid his body and continued receiving Thomas’s veterans’ benefits, which he spent on himself.

Case Status:
Brian Ditch (Nephew), charged with wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, theft of government property, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Sources:
Missouri man charged with stealing $650K from deceased uncle
Missouri man hid Army veteran uncle’s death for years so he could steal VA disability checks totaling $650,000
Missouri Man Kept Disabled Veteran Uncle in Garage, Then Hid His Death for Years to Collect Benefits

Athena Brownfield

Name: Athena Brownfield.
Died: January 17, 2023 (Body found; died December 25, 2022).
Age at death: 3.
Cause of death: Blunt trauma.
Location: Cyril, Oklahoma, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Athena and her five-year-old sister lived with a couple who served as their caregivers. On a cold January day, Athena’s sister was found wandering her neighborhood by the mail carrier, but Athena herself was nowhere to be found. Police questioned their caregivers and, after reportedly finding evidence on one of the caregivers’ cell phones, arrested their caregivers. Police believe they have found Athena’s body, but it has not yet been positively identified.

Case Status:
Ivon Adams (Caretaker), charged with first-degree murder and child neglect.
Alysia Adams (Caretaker), charged with first-degree murder and child neglect.

Sources:

Caregiver ‘beat’ 4-year-old Oklahoma girl to death on Christmas, court documents say
Athena Brownfield: Remains found in Oklahoma identified as missing 4-year-old
Body found in search for missing four-year-old Athena Brownfield after caregiver charged with murder
Man Faces Murder Charge In Case Of Missing 4-Year-Old Girl
OSBI, OHP and others searching for missing little girl
Athena Brownfield update: Male caregiver faces murder charge in missing 4-year-old girl, police say
A married couple taking care of a 4-year-old girl is under arrest and face charges in her disappearance, Oklahoma officials say
Second caregiver faces murder charge after disappearance of 4-year-old Oklahoma girl
AZ court docs: Second caregiver of missing Oklahoma child arrested on murder, neglect complaints
Autism Memorial: Athena Brownfield

Kaleb Bogan

Photo of a young boy with dark skin, grinning at the camera, lying back on a pillow, wearing an orange tank top printed with "Let's" (the rest of the message is out of frame). Name: Kaleb Bogan.
Died: January 15, 2023.
Age at death: 5.
Cause of death: Blunt trauma and burns.
Location: Tupelo, Mississippi, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Paramedics were called to Kaleb’s home, where he was unresponsive. They performed CPR but were unable to revive him, and he was pronounced dead at the hospital, where doctors reported that Kaleb’s body was covered in scars and burns. His mother was arrested.

Case Status:
Brianna Young (Mother), charged with murder, child abuse, and child neglect.

Sources:
Tupelo mother held without bond after charges upgraded to capital murder
Tupelo woman charged with child abuse after 5 year old autistic child died over weekend | Tippah News
Tupelo woman charged after five-year-old autistic son dies | DeSoto County News
Tupelo mom charged in death of 5-year-old son
Funeral Expenses for Kaleb Bogan, organized by Leslie Harris
Autism Memorial: Kaleb Bogan

Alex

No Photo Name: Alex (Surname unknown).
Died: January 9, 2023.
Age at death: 17.
Cause of death: Anorexia nervosa.
Location: South Island, New Zealand.
Disability: Autism, anorexia, OCD.

Details:
Alex was a transgender boy whose parents refused to accept his identity, insisting that it was an expression of his eating disorder and eventually driving him to leave home at the age of sixteen. Alex died from anorexia at the age of seventeen while living in a hotel room.

Case Status:
No one has been charged. After the publication of an article written by a biased journalist, anti-trans activists have blamed Alex’s death on the support services he used, claiming that they were ignoring his declining health in favor of “playing gender games.” A second journalist, in contact with Alex’s friends, challenged that story and portrayed Alex as a troubled but compassionate young man who had been unable to reach out for help because of a long history of rejection and abuse by parents and professionals.

Sources:
All sources have a content warning for transphobia, deadnaming, and misgendering. Sources from a transphobic viewpoint are specifically labeled.
The Life and Death of Alex
Update: On RNZ and Ruth Hill
Autistic trans teen starves to death
Stop conflating being transgender with being sick
The Weekend: Dignity in death shouldn’t be so hard
Rights Aotearoa Demands Immediate Action Over RNZ’s Unconscionable Misrepresentation Of Deceased Trans Youth
Autism Memorial: Alex
Teenager starves to death alone in emergency accommodation (CW: Transphobic viewpoint.)
The tragic loss of our [son] [Alex] (CW: Transphobic viewpoint.)

Josiah Green

No Photo Name: Josiah Green.
Died: December 4, 2022.
Age at death: 18.
Cause of death: Burns.
Location: Brooklyn, New York, USA.
Disability: Cerebral palsy.

Details:
When Josiah’s father called for an ambulance, medics found the teenager dead, with severe burns over 90% of his body. His father allegedly told authorities that Josiah had accidentally fallen into a bathtub full of scalding water two days before, and he had treated the boy with over-the-counter remedies instead of taking him to the hospital. Police say that the extent of the teen’s burns is not consistent with the brief exposure to hot tap water that his father reported.

Case Status:
Josiah’s death has been ruled a homicide. Police are still investigating the possibility that Josiah was accidentally burned, after which medical care was delayed for two days.

Sources:
Death of special needs Brooklyn teen found burned in apartment deemed a homicide, NYPD says
Special needs teen Josiah Green found burned to death in NYC home
Teenager with special needs found burned to death in bathtub
Brooklyn special needs teen’s death from scalding water burns a homicide, NYPD says

Noel Rodriguez-Alvarez

Name: Noel Rodriguez-Alvarez.
Died: November 1, 2022 (Missing).
Age at death: 6.
Cause of death: Missing, presumed dead.
Location: Everman, Texas, USA.
Disability: Developmental disorder, unspecified lung condition.

Details:
When Noel was last seen in October 2022, his mother was giving birth to twins, and he was observed to be sick and malnourished. On November 1, his mother went to get passport photos taken for her whole family except for Noel. Months later, on March 20, 2023, a welfare check discovered Noel missing, and two days after that, Noel’s family–mother, stepfather, and six siblings–flew to India without him.

When interviewed, relatives and other witnesses told police that Noel’s mother had been withholding food and water from him because she did not like changing his diapers. They said that Noel’s mother believed he was “evil” and “possessed” and would hurt her newborn twins.

Investigators now believe that Noel is dead, and are conducting a search for his body.

A foster mother with whom Noel once stayed remembers him as a boy who was full of joy, who loved to laugh and play.

Case Status:
Inquest into Noel’s death has been declared a homicide investigation.
Cindy Rodriguez-Singh (Mother) and Arshdeep Singh (Stepfather) are wanted for murder, child abandonment, and child endangerment. The US government is working with the Indian government to extradite them to the US. Noel’s mother was arrested after being added to the FBI Most Wanted list.

Sources:
Woman Fled the Country After Allegedly Killing Her 6-Year-Old Disabled Son – FBI Finally Nabs Her After Years of Search
FBI ‘Most Wanted’ Fugitive Cindy Rodriguez Singh Arrested in India for Killing Son
FBI’s ‘Most Wanted’ fugitive held in India for son’s murder
FBI Adds Texas Woman With India Ties, To ‘Top 10 Most Wanted’ List For Alleged Murder Of Disabled Son
Mother of missing Everman boy added to FBI’s Most Wanted List
FBI offers reward in search for mother who allegedly told relatives she sold her 6-year-old son
Woman Wanted For Murder Of Disabled Son, 6, Believed He Was “Evil, Demon”
Mother of presumed-dead disabled boy has been indicted in hopes of expediting return from India
Mom who ditched ‘evil’ disabled son, then fled country with rest of family slapped with murder charge
Texas mom on lam indicted for killing Noel Rodriguez-Alvarez
Stepfather of missing disabled boy allegedly stole $10K ‘just hours’ before fleeing country
New potential areas of interest being investigated for evidence of missing disabled boy whose mother recently fled the country
Cadaver dogs alert to the soil underneath brand new concrete patio near where missing boy lived
Case of missing Noel Rodriguez-Alvarez, 6, turns into homicide investigation
Missing Texas boy’s mother thought he was ‘possessed’: cops
Mother of presumed dead disabled boy told relatives she sold him to a woman at a ‘Fiesta’ store
Missing Texas boy is likely dead; mom called him ‘evil,’ ‘possessed,’ Everman police say

Shanice Watts

Name: Shanice Nicole Watts.
Died: October 5, 2022.
Age at death: 34.
Cause of death: Unspecified.
Location: Laurel, Mississippi, USA.
Disability: Unspecified special needs.

Details:
Shanice’s body was found in her home; she had been dead for six months or more. Her mother was arrested and charged with murder.

Case Status:
Phyllis Watts-Tiller (Mother), charged with murder.

Sources:
Body ID’d as murder suspect’s daughter
Woman’s body found in Laurel identified, mother charged with murder
Police: Victim found in Mississippi house more than six months after she died has been identified. Mother charged with her murder.

Sarah Harris

Name: Sarah Harris.
Died: January 26, 2022.
Age at death: 25.
Cause of death: Drug overdose.
Location: Clarksburg, Maryland, USA.
Disability: Depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder.

Details:
Sarah lived with her boyfriend, who was more than twice her age. He exploited her vulnerability due to her mental illness to make her stay in the abusive relationship. As an oral surgeon, he had access to drugs including ketamine and propofol, and he got Sarah addicted to them to make her stay with him, even though he knew how dangerous it would be to provide her with these drugs. Eventually, Sarah died of a drug overdose; it was her boyfriend who found her body. He tried to pass it off as a suicide, but was charged with murder.

Case Status:
James Ryan (Boyfriend), convicted of second-degree depraved heart murder and involuntary manslaughter, sentenced to 45 years.

Sources:
Why a Maryland oral surgeon became a murder suspect in girlfriend’s overdose death
Maryland oral surgeon sentenced to 45 years for girlfriend’s overdose death

Mr. Lee

No Photo Name: Lee (Surname; given name unknown).
Died: June 2021.
Age at death: 38.
Cause of death: Drowning.
Location: Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea.
Disability: Intellectual disability.

Details:
Mr. Lee’s brother gave him whiskey and sleeping pills. Shortly afterward, Mr. Lee was found dead, having died by drowning in a stream where his brother had left him.

Case Status:
Mr. Lee (Brother), convicted of murder and mishandling drugs, sentenced to 30 years; on appeal, the sentence was commuted to 10 years for abandonment rather than murder because the court could not find proof that Mr. Lee had actively drowned his brother, rather than simply leaving him near the stream, where he stumbled in and drowned.

Sources:
Man sentenced to 10 years for abandonment death of intellectually disabled brother