Death Type – Page 119 – Disability Day of Mourning

Joyce Taylor

Photo of Joyce Taylor. She is a young woman with long blond hair and glasses, wearing a wide-brimmed black hat. Name: Joyce LaDonna McIntire Keys Taylor.
Died: August 17, 2015.
Age at death: 26.
Cause of death: Asphyxia.
Location: Amarillo, Texas, USA.
Disability: Unspecified (Mental illness, possibly depression).

Details:
Joyce’s husband suffocated her.

She was pregnant when she died. Her four-month-old fetus, a boy, died with her.

Case status:
Allen Taylor (Husband), convicted of murder, sentenced to 20-40 years.

Source:
Man indicted in killing of pregnant wife
Man Charged with Murdering Pregnant Wife
Obituary | Joyce LaDonna McIntire Keys Taylor | Rector Funeral Home

Elaine Latshaw

No Photo
Name: Elaine Latshaw.
Died: August 15, 2015.
Age at death: 76.
Cause of death: Starvation, sepsis, pneumonia.
Location: Mahanoy City, Pennsylvania, USA.
Disability: Elderly; mobility impaired.

Details:
Elaine was neglected by her son and daughter-in-law. She died of a combination of starvation, systemic infection from untreated bedsores, and pneumonia.

Case status:
John F. Latshaw Jr. (Son), pled no contest to involuntary manslaughter, sentenced to 3-24 months in prison.
Dorothy Robinson (Daughter-in-law), pled no contest to involuntary manslaughter, sentenced to 3-24 months in prison.

Source:
Couple charged in woman’s death by neglect
Elder Abuse or Respecting Last Wishes?
Police Charge Couple in 2015 Death in Schuylkill County
2 from Mahanoy City to face homicide charges
2 sentenced for role in woman’s death

Melisha Mosier Ludwick

Name: Melisha K. Mosier Ludwick.
Died: August 11, 2015 (Body found); died July 2015.
Age at death: 38.
Cause of death: Asphyxia.
Location: Hilham, Tennessee, USA.
Disability: Unspecified; attended special education classes, received disability benefits; under the care of a psychiatrist.

Details:
Melisha was killed by her live-in boyfriend and Social Security payee. He strangled her and dismembered the body.

Case status:
Edward Walsh (Boyfriend), convicted of first-degree murder and abuse of a corpse, sentenced to life, died in prison.

Source:
Murderer Describes Killing In Own Words
State of Tennessee v. Edward Walsh | Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts
Eight testify in Celina murder trial
Brutal murder case goes to grand jury

Albert Vereen

An African-American man in a white T-shirt. Name: Albert Lee Vereen.
Died: August 7, 2015.
Age at death: 63.
Cause of death: Sepsis.
Location: Longs, South Carolina, USA.
Disability: Unspecified; wheelchair user.

Details:
When Albert was admitted to the hospital in poor condition, doctors called police to report neglect. The next day, he died of sepsis from a large, untreated bedsore.

Albert had seven grandchildren.

Case status:
Ronya Green (Daughter), charged with abuse or neglect of a vulnerable adult resulting in death.
Albert Vereen Jr. (Son), charged with abuse or neglect of a vulnerable adult resulting in death.

Source:
Obituary of Albert Lee Vereen – Longs South Carolina
2 arrested for neglect after father dies from untreated bedsore

Karen Passmore

Portrait photo of Karen Passmore. She is a young woman with straight light-brown hair. Name: Karen Passmore.
Died: August 6, 2015.
Age at death: 58.
Cause of death: Pneumonia, sepsis, heart failure.
Location: Milton, Florida, USA.
Disability: Stroke.

Details:
Karen’s daughter didn’t feed or care for her. Weakened by starvation, Karen died from a combination of pneumonia, heart failure, and infected bedsores, weighing 58 pounds.

Case status:
Jackie Passmore (Daughter), convicted of aggravated manslaughter of a disabled adult, given non-custodial sentence.

Source:
Don’t treat her like that
Arrest Report–Passmore
22-year-old woman charged in the death of her disabled mother
Woman Charged In Her Mother’s Death
Milton woman charged in death of her disabled mother
Milton woman charged in mother’s death
Karen Passmore Obituary – Milton, Florida
Woman convicted in disabled mother’s death
Milton woman convicted in the death of her disabled mother

Mr. Sulpizio

No Photo Name: Unknown. Possibly surnamed Sulpizio, like his mother.
Died: August 6, 2015.
Age at death: 7.
Cause of death: Neglect.
Location: Four Oaks, North Carolina, USA.
Disability: Multiple disabilities; non-verbal, blind, brain injury.

Details:
This seven-year-old boy was neglected by his mother. She kept her own room air-conditioned, but the little boy had to live in a filthy room that reached 95 degrees in the summer heat. He died of neglect.

Case status:
Donna Mae Sulpizio (Mother), convicted of intentional child abuse resulting in severe bodily injury, sentenced to 8 years 9 months 24 days; minimum 6 years.

Source:
Mother indicted following death of handicapped child
NC DPS Offender Public Information

Chaitanya Balpande

Photo of Chaitanya Balpande, an adolescent boy wearing a blue polo shirt. He has short black hair and tan skin; there is a spot of red on his forehead. Name: Chaitanya Balpande.
Died: August 5, 2015.
Age at death: 13.
Cause of death: Blunt trauma.
Location: Pune, Maharashtra, India.
Disability: Cerebral palsy (spastic diplegia).

Details:
Chaitanya’s mother abused him, beating him for limping when he walked, starving him, locking him up, and making him exercise for hours at a time. Chaitanya died of injuries received when his mother beat him with a cricket bat.

Case status:
Rakhi Balpande (Mother), convicted of culpable homicide not amounting to murder, sentenced to 10 years.

Source:
Sessions Court in Pune sentences woman to 10 years in prison for murdering her differently-abled son
13-yr-old was beaten to death with cricket bat he considered lucky

Jason Corbett

Name: Jason Corbett.
Died: August 2, 2015.
Age at death: 39.
Cause of death: Blunt trauma.
Location: Abbotts Creek, North Carolina, USA.
Disability: Depression, thyroid disease.

Details:
Jason’s wife and father-in-law allegedly beat him to death with a baseball bat and a concrete brick.

Case status:
Molly Martens (Wife), convicted of second-degree murder, sentenced to 20-25 years. New trial granted.
Thomas Martens (Father-in-law), convicted of second-degree murder, sentenced to 20-25 years. New trial granted.

Source:
Thomas Martens, Molly Corbett retrial now scheduled for November
PHOTOS: Hearing for the retrial of Molly Corbett and Thomas Martens in the death of Jason Corbett
Thomas Martens, Molly Martens Corbett Found Guilty In Jason Corbett Trial
Molly Corbett, Tom Martens released on bond after hearing in Davidson County
Martens facing 20-25 years in jail for murder
Jason Corbett murder trial verdict: Guilty
Why was Limerick man Jason Corbett killed?

Thandazile Mpunzi

No Photo Name: Thandazile Mpunzi.
Died: August 1, 2015.
Age at death: 20.
Cause of death: Asphyxia.
Location: Kwazulu-Natal (Manguzi), South Africa.
Disability: Albinism.

Details:
Believing that albino body parts would make them rich, Thandazile’s boyfriend, a local healer, and two other men decided to kill her. Her boyfriend lured her out to a remote spot, where she was strangled and dismembered.

Case status:
Mandla Mabuza, pleaded guilty to murder, 20 years.
Lindokuhle Khumalo, pleaded guilty to murder, 20 years.
Bhekukufa Gumede (healer), convicted of murder, sentenced to life.
Siyabonga Gwala (Boyfriend), sentenced to 18 years.

Source:
KZN witchdoctor gets life for murder of woman with albinism
Boyfriend jailed for albino muti murder
KZN albino murder: 2 suspects plead guilty
Commission outraged at killing of albino woman

Luc Baeyens

Photo of a middle-aged, balding man with lightly tanned skin, wearing glasses.. Name: Luc Baeyens.
Died: July 29, 2015.
Age at death: 48.
Cause of death: Smothered.
Location: Tremelo, Flanders, Belgium.
Disability: Down syndrome.

Details:
Luc was smothered by his stepfather.

Case status:
Aloïs De Smedt (Stepfather), convicted of murder, sentenced to 12 years; eligible for release in 3 years.

Source:
Twaalf jaar voor moord op gehandicapte stiefzoon
Tranen maken even Plaats voor Lach op Afscheid Luc Baeyens (48)