Death Type – Page 115 – Disability Day of Mourning

Helious Griffith

Photo of a toddler with short, light hair against a black background. His head is larger than average. He is smiling. Name: Helious Griffith.
Died: November 7, 2015.
Age at death: 5.
Cause of death: Asphyxia.
Location: Mesa, Arizona, USA.
Disability: Dystonic cerebral palsy.

Details:
Helious was born on Christmas Eve and named for the Greek god of the sun.

Child protective services had opened a case on Helious. Brought to the hospital, he was thin and having trouble breathing. They were investigating his mother for neglect because Helios had in the past been seen underweight and dirty.

DCS held a meeting and decided that they would file a petition for in-home dependency so that Helious could be monitored closely. Afraid that she would lose custody for good, his mother strangled him with a length of tubing and then shot herself.

Case status:
Lola “Tammy” T. Griffith (Mother), deceased.

Source:
Mesa police identify mother, son in murder-suicide at children’s hospital
5-Year-Old Boy in Mesa Murder-Suicide Found With Ligature Around His Neck, Police Say

Harold Grise

No Photo Name: Harold Grise.
Died: November 6, 2015.
Age at death: 68.
Cause of death: Trauma.
Location: Fish Lake, Michigan, USA.
Disability: Blind, mobility impaired.

Details:
Harold was badly beaten by his nephew, leaving him unresponsive with broken bones in his face and jaw. Instead of getting help for him, his sister left him on the floor for three days. He was only taken to the hospital once his son returned home and found him; but by then, it was too late to save his life.

Harold was a veteran of the US Air Force.

Case status:
Erik Minter (Nephew), pleaded guilty to battery and neglect of a dependent, sentenced to 22 years.
Georgia Arvidson (Sister), convicted of felony neglect of a dependent, sentenced to 2 years.

Source:
Man sentenced to 22 years beating uncle who later died
Elderly sister found guilty of neglect in Fish Lake brother’s death
Mother and son arrested for homicide
Harold I. Grise
Elderly sister found guilty of neglect in Fish Lake brother’s death

Dustin Hicks

Name: Dustin Hicks.
Died: November 5, 2015.
Age at death: 14.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Dawsonville, Georgia, USA.
Disability: Autism, Crohn’s disease.

Details:
Dustin was shot by his mother in a murder-suicide.

Case status:
Nina Hicks (Mother), deceased.

Source:
Autism memorial: Dustin Hicks
Was the murder of Dustin Hicks committed by a biomed mom?
Woman, son dead in apparent Dawson Co. murder-suicide
Dawsonville mother shoots disabled son, self in possible mercy killing

Sally Nelson

No Photo Name: Sally Nelson.
Died: November 1, 2015.
Age at death: 63.
Cause of death: Head injury.
Location: Connellsville, Pennsylvania, USA.
Disability: Elderly disabled.

Details:
Sally died of head injuries from a beating after suffering malnutrition and several other broken bones. Her daughter and her daughter’s boyfriend were charged with the crime.

Case status:
Peter Shoemaker Jr. (Daughter’s boyfriend), charged with criminal homicide, conspiracy, aggravated and simple assault and reckless endangerment. Currently incarcerated as of 11/1/2022, sentence unknown.
Lisa Nelson (Daughter), pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter, sentenced to 3-6 years.

Source:
Defense seeks dismissal, suppression in 2015 death trial
Woman pleads in mother’s death; ex-boyfriend awaits trial
‘You killed my grandma’: Statement evidence against couple charged in ‘severe elder abuse’ death
Couple charged in death of mother; elder abuse alleged

6-year-old girl

No Photo Name Unknown.
Died: October 29, 2015.
Age at death: 6.
Cause of death: Stabbed.
Location: Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
This six-year-old girl’s mother is accused of stabbing her to death. Police say she initially tried to blame the girl’s death on strangers forcing their way into her house. But investigators found out that the girl’s mother had beaten her several times before, and no one had forced their way into her house or stolen anything.

Case status:
Her mother, arrested.

Source:
Police suspect mother in handicapped girl’s murder
Autistic child stabbed to death in Saudi
Autism Memorial: 6-year-old female, name unknown

Lalia Hawthorne

Name: Lalia Delinar Hawthorne.
Died: October 27, 2015.
Age at death: 4.
Cause of death: Abdominal trauma.
Location: Savannah, Georgia, USA.
Disability: Down syndrome.

Details:
Lalia was beaten to death by her mother’s boyfriend.

Case status:
James Emmanuel Robinson (Mother’s boyfriend), convicted of felony murder, two counts of aggravated assault and three counts of cruelty to children in the first degree, sentenced to life without parole.

Source:
Supreme Court upholds murder conviction against man who killed 4-year-old
Lalia Hawthorne – Obituary
Savannah man sentenced to life without parole in 2015 murder of four year old girl

Vishal Gaikwad

No Photo Name: Vishal Gaikwad.
Died: October 27, 2015.
Age at death: 19.
Cause of death: Traumatic injury.
Location: Pashan, Pune, India.
Disability: Unspecified physical disability.

Details:
Vishal’s father killed him and his mother (Arati Gaikwad, age 35) with an axe before hanging himself.

Case status:
Raju Laxman Gaikwad (Father), deceased.

Source:
Man hacks son, wife to death, then hangs self

Alfonso Rafael Jr.

No Photo Name: Alfonso Rafael Jr.
Died: October 26, 2015.
Age at death: 56.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Westchester, Florida, USA.
Disability: Unspecified; wheelchair user.

Details:
Alfonso Jr. was shot by his father in a murder-suicide.

Case status:
Alfonso Rafael (Father), deceased.

Source:
Father and Son Found Shot to Death in Westchester: Police

Shigeko Igarashi

No Photo Name: Shigeko Igarashi.
Died: October 25, 2015.
Age at death: 67.
Cause of death: Strangled.
Location: Kawaguchi City, Japan.
Disability: Hemiplegia.

Details:
Shigeko was allegedly strangled by her daughter. Police say her daughter admitted to the crime, telling them she had done it because she was tired from looking after her mother.

Case status:
Yuki Igarashi (Daughter), charged with murder.

Source:
Saitama cops arrest woman for strangling her disabled mother

Corey Carpenter

No Photo Name: Corey Carpenter.
Died: October 23, 2015.
Age at death: 27.
Cause of death: Starvation.
Location: Blanca, Colorado, USA.
Disability: Fragile X, autism.

Details:
When his father died, Corey inherited his property. His mother sought conservatorship of him and refused all assistance with caring for him.

Corey starved to death when his mother stopped giving him food and water and refused to get him medical help. He weighed only 57 pounds.

Case status:
Carol Carpenter (Mother), convicted of negligence causing death, sentenced to 8 years probation.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Corey Carpenter
Colo. mom arrested after disabled son, 27, dies of malnourishment
Blanca mother resisted getting medical help for son
October trial set in mom charged in son’s death
Starvation death case heads to trial
Mom gets probation in son’s death