Relationship: Offspring – Page 3 – Disability Day of Mourning

Philista St. John

Name: Philista Mae St. John.
Died: September 7, 2023.
Age at death: 86.
Cause of death: Stabbed.
Location: Polson, Montana, USA.
Disability: Dementia, diabetes.

Details:
When police were called to do a welfare check on Philista, they found that she had been stabbed to death and her body hidden. They arrested her son, since he had an outstanding warrant, and later charged him with the stabbing that had caused Philista’s death when they found a note which they believe was written by Philista’s son, in which he stated that he “couldn’t do it anymore” and admitted that he had killed her.

Case Status:
Garrett Edward Vaska (Son), charged with deliberate homicide and tampering with evidence.

Sources:
Polson man charged with stabbing his mother with dementia to death
Polson man charged with killing mother who had dementia
Man accused of killing mother in Polson pleads not guilty
Philista Mae St. John Obituary 2023

Martha Rutledge

No Photo Name: Martha Rutledge.
Died: August 14, 2023.
Age at death: 99.
Cause of death: Starvation, untended bedsores.
Location: Rock Hill, South Carolina, USA.
Disability: Mobility impaired.

Details:
Martha was found dead at home. Her body was very thin, and she was covered in multiple severe bedsores. Her daughters, with whom she lived, are accused of not providing any medical care to their mother. Martha also had a lot of alcohol and THC in her system when she died; unable to move from her bed, she would not have been able to ingest these on her own. She had not seen a doctor in ten years.

Case Status:
Martha Carroll Rutledge (Daughter), charged with abuse or neglect of a vulnerable person resulting in death.
and Nancy Rutledge (Daughter), charged with abuse or neglect of a vulnerable person resulting in death.

Sources:
Rock Hill sisters granted bond for mother’s death whose body has ‘chronic open wound’
Police: Rock Hill woman died from lack of medical care, 2 daughters charged
Martha Rutledge Obituary (2023) – Rock Hill, SC – The Herald

Connie Smith

No Photo Name: Connie Smith.
Died: August 13, 2023.
Age at death: 76.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA.
Disability: Frail elder.

Details:
Connie was fatally shot in her own home. Police say her son, who lived with her, confessed to killing her.

Case Status:
Shane Smith (Son), charged with first-degree murder.

Sources:
Update: Oklahoma City man charged with first-degree murder in mother’s shooting death
Man arrested after shooting, killing elderly mother in NW OKC, police say
OKC man booked for murder of elder mother
Man Arrested, Accused Of Shooting Mother To Death In NW Oklahoma City

Parambuliyil Thankamani

Name: Parambuliyil Thankamani.
Died: August 7, 2023.
Age at death: 80.
Cause of death: Blunt head and neck injury.
Location: Maniyarankudy, Kerala, India.
Disability: Unspecified; bedridden.

Details:
Parambuliyil was brought to the hospital with injuries to her head and neck, and lived for a week before dying from her wounds. Police say her son, angry that she wouldn’t eat the food he was trying to feed her, slammed her head against her cot and hit her with the glass he was holding, and that he later confessed to doing so after being questioned.

Case Status:
Sanjeev (Son), charged with murder.

Sources:
Idukki man held for murdering 80-year-old bedridden mother

Ana Asencio

No Photo Name: Ana Asencio.
Died: July 17, 2023.
Age at death: 84.
Cause of death: Head and neck trauma.
Location: New York City, New York, USA.
Disability: Dementia; pacemaker.

Details:
Police entered Ana’s apartment on a welfare check and discovered her dead, with bruising to her head and neck. It took six months for her death to be classified as a homicide, and another few months before her son was arrested on suspicion of having strangled her.

Ana was a retired schoolteacher.

Case Status:
Edward Asancio (Son), charged with manslaughter and second-degree assault.

Sources:
Death of Manhattan woman, 84, ruled homicide from elder abuse
July ‘23 Death of Retired School teacher in UWS Apt. Ruled a Homicide by M.E.
Edward Asencio charged strangling his mom Ana Asencio to death

Janice Houston

No Photo Name: Janice Lynn Houston.
Died: April 21, 2023.
Age at death: 55.
Cause of death: Beaten.
Location: Bullhead City, Arizona, USA.
Disability: Unspecified.

Details:
Janice was allegedly beaten to death by her son. According to her family, he had choked her the day before, then returned, broke in through a glass door, and beat her to death.

Case Status:
Joseph Houston (Son), arrested on suspicion of murder.

Sources:
Homicide Arrest
Woman dies after alleged beating by son
Arizona Man, 27, Beats Disabled Mother to Death

E. Balavva

No Photo Name: E. Balavva.
Died: April 13, 2023.
Age at death: 80.
Cause of death: Strangled.
Location: Bangalore, Karnataka, India.
Disability: Unspecified; bedridden.

Details:
Ms. Balavva was allegedly strangled by her son. Police say he buried her body behind a rice mill and, when questioned, confessed to the killing, saying that she had become a burden to him.

Case Status:
Chinna Balayya (Son), arrested; accused of murder.

Sources:
Telangana Man Strangles Mother To Death For Being A
Telangana: Unable to serve old mother, man strangles her to death
Telangana: Man strangulates ill mother to death as he felt her as a burden

Gary Lew

No Photo Name: Gary Lew.
Died: April 11, 2023.
Age at death: 68.
Cause of death: Beating.
Location: Denton, Nebraska, USA.
Disability: Spina bifida, dementia; wheelchair user.

Details:
Gary was beaten to death by his daughter, son in law, cousin, and a family friend. Two young children witnessed the incident.

Case Status:
Christina Thornley (Daughter), pleaded no contest to six charges including abuse of a vulnerable adult, false imprisonment, being an accessory to murder, and evidence tampering; sentenced to 15 years.
Justin Thornley (Son in law), pleaded no contest to manslaughter, tampering with evidence, vulnerable adult abuse, false imprisonment, and criminal conspiracy; sentenced to 25 to 30 years.
Jacob Thornley (Cousin), pleaded no contest to manslaughter, abuse of a vulnerable adult, false imprisonment, evidence tampering and criminal conspiracy; sentenced to 29 to 30 years.
Braden Bongers, pleaded no contest to attempted assault; sentenced to 9 to 18 years.

Sources:
Final 2 of 4 suspects convicted in Omaha man’s murder sentenced to prison
Three men accept plea deals in beating death of wheelchair-bound Omaha man
Multiple suspects found guilty in Omaha man’s death after pleading ‘no contest’
3 of 4 suspects in Omaha man’s murder plead ‘no contest’

Carol Clark

Name: Carol Clark.
Died: April 9, 2023.
Age at death: 72.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Falls Township, Pennsylvania, USA.
Disability: Stroke, diabetes, mobility impaired (Wheelchair user).

Details:
Carol’s body was found in a shed. Her son had drugged her with Fentanyl and then fatally shot her.

Case Status:
Sean Rivera (Son), agreed to plead guilty to homicide, kidnapping, aggravated assault, and drug possession with intent to deliver; plea deal is for life without parole.

Sources:
Falls man takes plea deal to avoid death penalty in murder of his mother
Man Accused Of Drugging & Shooting His Mother
Son Charged With Murder of Bucks Co. Woman
Falls man drugged mother, took her to Philadelphia and fatally shot her: Police
Bucks County man charged with killing his mother on her 72nd birthday

Trish Lambourne

Photo of an older woman with short white hair, pale skin, and a round face. She is wearing black plastic-rimmed glasses and a white sweater over a black shirt. Name: Trish Lambourne.
Died: February 13, 2023.
Age at death: 61.
Cause of death: Stabbed.
Location: Edwardstown, South Australia, Australia.
Disability: Unspecified disability; “bad back”, “issue with the sun”.

Details:
Trish’s daughter killed her and herself; then she set the house on fire. She said online that she had been her mother’s caregiver for 22 years.

Case Status:
Sally Davis (Daughter), deceased.

Sources:
Mother and daughter identified in Adelaide arson murder-suicide
Daughter ‘stabbed mum’ before setting house on fire ‘in murder-suicide’