Death Type – Page 16 – Disability Day of Mourning

Juanita Cox

Photo of an older African American woman with light-brown skin and frizzy gray hair. Name: Juanita Cox.
Died: March 20, 2023.
Age at death: 82.
Cause of death: Stabbed.
Location: Jacksonville, Florida, USA.
Disability: Unspecified; bedridden.

Details:
Juanita was found stabbed to death in her home. Police found her grandson, who sometimes stayed with her, after he made a public suicide attempt. He is suspected of burglarizing Juanita’s house and killing her in the process.

Case Status:
James Cox IV (Grandson), charged with second-degree murder.

Sources:
Man faces 2nd-degree murder charge in 82-year-old Jacksonville woman’s stabbing death
Update: 82-year-old woman stabbed to death in Jacksonville home identified, grandson suspected, family says
Grandson allegedly kills grandmother, climbs on top of Jacksonville fire trucks and cuts self

Jenny Baxter

Name: Jenny Baxter.
Died: March 14, 2023.
Age at death: 45.
Cause of death: Unspecified homicide.
Location: Vidor, Texas, USA.
Disability: Wheelchair user due to aneurysm.

Details:
Jenny’s body was found wrapped in plastic in her home. Her boyfriend, who had allegedly been sending texts from her phone to convince her family she was still alive, was arrested on suspicion of having killed her.

Jenny was an animal lover who, according to friends, “always gave giant hugs, squeezing every bit of love she could into each one.”

Case Status:
Russell Kinney (Boyfriend), pleaded guilty to murder, sentenced to 20-40 years in prison.

Sources:
Live-in boyfriend pleads guilty to killing Jenny Baxter, gets 40 years sentence
‘It’s just extremely sad’: Family friend remembers woman found murdered, wrapped in plastic in mobile home near Vidor
UPDATE – Man arrested for murder of Jenny Baxter, daughter of Gordon Baxter

Rashta

Photo Unavailable Name: Rashta (Also spelled Riasat).
Died: March 13, 2023.
Age at death: 35.
Cause of death: Injury from edged weapon.
Location: Baldia Town, Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan.
Disability: Polio survivor.

Details:
Rashta’s father and brother tried to pressure him into selling his home; when he refused, they allegedly killed him. Rashta was declared dead on arrival at the hospital.

Rashta worked as a laborer.

Case Status:
Zardar (Father), arrested.
Asim (Brother), wanted for murder; at large.

Sources:
Property dispute father kills disabled elder son along with younger son Pipa News
Polio-disabled man stabbed to death by father, brother over land dispute

Amalie G.

Name: Amalie G.
Died: March 6, 2023.
Age at death: 100.
Cause of death: Hit with an axe.
Location: Hamburg, Germany.
Disability: Dementia.

Details:
Amalie’s grandson, who served as her caregiver, allegedly killed her with an axe after an argument over money. Police say they think that her grandson was “overwhelmed” by caregiving.

Case Status:
Artur B (Grandson), charged with murder.

Sources:
German man on trial for killing 100-year-old grandma with ax – DW – 09/07/2023
Grandson goes on trial for decapitating 100-year-old grandmother
Woman, 100, decapitated in her wheelchair as axe-wielding grandson confesses
Grandma with dementia, 100, ‘decapitated by her own grandson with axe’

Rosa Hargrave

Photo of a heavyset girl with pale skin and dark-brown hair in a ponytail. She is wearing a red SpongeBob Christmas shirt and pink print pajama bottoms. Name: Rosa “May May” Hargrave.
Died: March 2, 2023.
Age at death: 12.
Cause of death: Sepsis; untended wounds.
Location: Indianapolis, Indiana, USA.
Disability: Autism, ADHD, asthma.

Details:
Rosa lived in unsanitary conditions, was poorly cared for, and often had to be treated for skin infections. She died of sepsis after one such infection went untreated until it spread to her bloodstream.

Rosa was a “girly girl” who loved all things pink; she enjoyed watching YouTube videos.

Case Status:
Rosa Hargrave (Mother), pleaded guilty to neglect of a dependent resulting in bodily injury, sentenced to 3 years house arrest and 4 years probation.
Charles Turner (Mother’s boyfriend), pleaded guilty to neglect of a dependent resulting in bodily injury, sentenced to probation.
Felicia Hargrave (Aunt), pleaded guilty to neglect of a dependent resulting in bodily injury, sentenced to probation.

Sources:
Indy mom avoids jail time after daughter dies from infected wound
Obituary for Rosa May Hargrave | Fountain Square Mortuary
3 charged with neglect in death of Indy 12-year-old, mice and feces found inside home
Autism Memorial: Rosa Hargrave

Sarah Albone

Name: Sarah Albone.
Died: February 25, 2023.
Age at death: 38.
Cause of death: Head injury, airway obstruction.
Location: Biggleswade, Bedfordshire, England, UK.
Disability: Multiple sclerosis.

Details:
Sarah’s partner violently killed her and dumped her body in a trash bin; then he convinced her family she was still alive by claiming she was in a hospital for treatment and faking text messages. Even before the murder, he was known to be an abusive and controlling partner.

Case Status:
Matthew Waddell (Partner), convicted of murder, sentenced to a minimum of 32 years.

Sources:
Biggleswade murder trial hears man hid partner’s body in suitcase
Biggleswade: Matthew Waddell guilty of body-in-suitcase murder
Judge calls for Bedfordshire Police to review handling of domestic homicide case

Caleb Gonzales

Name: Caleb Elazar Gonzales.
Died: February 25, 2023.
Age at death: 16.
Cause of death: Died after neglect.
Location: Lago Vista, Texas, USA.
Disability: Physical and mental disabilities.

Details:
Caleb’s body was found buried in a vacant lot, where his mother had hidden it after he died following months of medical neglect.

Caleb liked being outside, taking walks and looking at the trees at a lake. He enjoyed SpongeBob cartoons and Adam Sandler movies.

Case Status:
Veronica Marie Soriano (Mother), convicted of tampering with evidence, sentenced to 5 years in jail.

Sources:
Lago Vista woman sentenced to 5 years in tampering with evidence case after son’s death
Former Lago Vista city employee buried her disabled teen, did not report his death: warrant
Woman accused of hiding handicapped son’s death from police after body discovered
Woman accused of burying her disabled child in empty lot after not reporting his death
Former City of Lago Vista employee charged with corpse tampering after police find body
Caleb Gonzales Obituary – Pflugerville, TX

Edna Berry

No Photo Name: Edna Berry.
Died: February 21, 2023.
Age at death: 80.
Cause of death: Bludgeoned with hammer and chisel.
Location: Clacton, Essex, England, UK.
Disability: Alzheimer’s disease.

Details:
When Edna kicked and scratched her husband, he lost his temper and attacked her with a hammer and chisel, causing major head injuries. He called emergency services and confessed to the crime. He was arrested; she died at the hospital.

Case Status:
John Berry (Husband), pleaded guilty to murder, sentenced to 10 years to life.

Sources:
Husband, 85, used hammer and chisel to murder wife with Alzheimer’s

Bijay Pradhan

A seated man with brown skin, black hair, and a mustache; he is wearing a collared shirt with blue, red, and white stripes. His expression is neutral. Name: Bijay Pradhan.
Died: February 18, 2023.
Age at death: 35.
Cause of death: Beaten.
Location: Patharapunja Village, Odisha, India.
Disability: Physical disability.

Details:
Bijay wanted to be married; so his uncle arranged a marriage for him. But his stepmother did not want him married because she thought he would inherit all the family’s property, and she did not want a “divyang” (Hindu: a disabled person, lit., “one with a divine body part”) to inherit. She recruited his father and stepbrothers, and together they allegedly beat him and starved him for months. Neighbors found Bijay, rescued him, and rushed him to the hospital; but even after he was transferred for advanced treatment, his injuries proved fatal, and he died.

Bijay was an autorickshaw driver.

Case Status:
Bijay’s stepmother, father, and stepbrothers are under investigation by police, suspected of murder.

Sources:
Stepmother, father allegedly murder physically-challenged son in Nayagarh district
Stepmother, Father Beat Divyang Youth To Death For Expressing Desire To Marry | Odisha
Divyang man beaten to death by stepmother, father for ‘wanting’ to marry
Odisha woman kills stepson for property

George Singleton

Photo of an African American man sitting in a chair, his head down, looking at his hands, which are folded in his lap. His skin is medium-brown and he has short, very curly dark hair. His lower lip is stuck out, and his forehead is wrinkled. Name: George Singleton.
Died: February 18, 2023.
Age at death: 32.
Cause of death: Blood loss.
Location: New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.
Disability: Autism, physical and mental disability, seizure disorder.

Details:
George had been living with his brother’s girlfriend for four months when someone called emergency services to report his death. Responders found George curled up on the floor dead from blood loss through a stab wound that had reached his femoral artery. His caregivers reported that he had accidentally stabbed himself trying to open a can of food.

On further investigation, police say, they realized that George’s caregivers had been starving him–his body showed signs of malnutrition and abuse. They also say that George’s caregivers waited more than six hours to call for help after he was injured, and that, if they had called sooner, George would have survived.

Case Status:
Kyana Traylor (Brother’s girlfriend), charged with manslaughter.

Sources:
New Orleans woman charged with manslaughter in disabled man’s death
New Orleans woman accused of starving, beating disabled man before he died of blood loss
New Orleans Woman Arrested, Accused of Abuse of Disabled Man
Autism Memorial: George Singleton