Remembering the Disabled Murdered by Caregivers
Child by birth or adoption.
Name: Shoko Takahashi.
Died: March 4, 2020.
Age at death: 82.
Cause of death: Fatal beating.
Location: Hiratsuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan.
Disability: Unspecified; bedridden.
Details:
Shoko’s son allegedly beat her to death because she wouldn’t take her medicine. He said he was “tired of being her caregiver”.
Case status:
Noboru Takahashi (Son), arrested on suspicion of murder.
Source:
52-year-old man charged with killing 82-year-old mother
Name: Michiko Hayashi.
Died: March 3, 2020.
Age at death: 72.
Cause of death: Stabbing.
Location: Akashi, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan.
Disability: Dementia.
Details:
Michiko’s son stabbed her to death before committing suicide.
Case status:
Shingo Hayashi (Son), deceased.
Source:
Woman, 41-year-old son dead in apparent murder-suicide
Name: James Tate.
Died: January 19, 2020.
Age at death: 74.
Cause of death: Stabbing.
Location: West Town, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
Disability: Unspecified; used a walker after recent arm and heart surgery.
Details:
James and his wife had told their son that he wasn’t allowed in the house if he was drunk. But his son came home drunk anyway, and when they confronted him about it, his son stabbed him to death and tried to kill his wife, who survived.
Case status:
Michael Tate (Son), convicted of murder and attempted murder; sentenced to 32-35 years.
Source:
Man murdered disabled dad, tried to stab mom in in West Town, prosecutors say
Name: Angela Tarver.
Died: December 19, 2019.
Age at death: 86.
Cause of death: Stabbed in the heart.
Location: Woking, Surrey, England, UK.
Disability: Stroke; limited speech and mobility.
Details:
Angela’s son killed her by stabbing her through the heart with an ornamental sword.
Her husband remembers how she always found ways to carry on with her interests and activities as her disability advanced. He calls her “the light of my life”.
Case status:
Philip Tarver, convicted of murder, sentenced to 19 years to life.
Source:
Husband’s heartbreaking tribute to wife ‘cruelly’ murdered by son
‘Scrounger’ son who decapitated disabled mom, 86, with sword and dumped her head in freezer jailed for life
Name: Ram Swaroop Khokhar.
Died: December 8, 2019.
Age at death: 55.
Cause of death: Asphyxia due to strangulation.
Location: Lalpura Pachar, Rajasthan, India.
Disability: Unspecified.
Details:
Ram’s son called police and allegedly admitted to killing his father. Police found Ram’s body at his house.
Case Status:
Manoj Kumar Khokhar (Son), charged with murder.
Sources:
‘Cryptic and Casual’: SC sets aside HC bail order in disabled man’s murder
Manoj Kumar Khokhar vs The State Of Rajasthan on 11 January, 2022
Name: Elmer Norris.
Died: November 22, 2019.
Age at death: 91.
Cause of death: Pneumonia, pressure sores.
Location: Pasadena, Maryland, USA.
Disability: Unspecified; needed help with daily life activities.
Details:
Elmer lived with his son, who neglected him. When other family members tried to help him, his son refused to let them see Elmer and even changed the locks on the doors. Elmer died of pneumonia and pressure ulcers from being left alone on his bed with no care.
Case status:
Danny Norris (Son), pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, sentenced to 25 years, all but 12 years in prison and 5 years probation suspended.
Source:
Pasadena man pleads guilty to 91-year-old father’s murder
Man arrested on charges including second degree murder, adult abuse of family member
Name: Shinobu Kishimoto.
Age at death: 95.
Disability: Unspecified disability requiring level-1 nursing care.
Name: Yoshio Kishimoto.
Age at death: 93.
Disability: Disabled elder.
Name: Takio Kishimoto.
Age at death: 70.
Disability: Stroke; used a cane.
Died: November 17, 2019.
Cause of death: Asphyxia.
Location: Tsuruga, Fukui, Japan.
Details:
Shinobi and Yoshio lived with their son, Takio, and his wife. Takio’s wife killed them all by strangling them.
Takio was the CEO of a construction company, which he had inherited from Yoshio.
Case status:
Masako Kishimoto (Daughter-in-law of Shinobu and Yoshio; wife of Takio), convicted of murder, sentenced to 18 years.
Source:
72-year-old woman gets 18 years in prison for killing 3 family members
71-year-old woman arrested on suspicion of killing parents-in-law
Woman arrested on suspicion of murder after 3 bodies found in central Japan home
Name: Sefiah Hamid.
Died: November 12, 2019.
Age at death: 62.
Cause of death: Stabbed.
Location: Kuantan, Malaysia.
Disability: Spinal cord injury; paraplegic.
Details:
Sefiah’s son allegedly stabbed her to death with a kitchen knife. Her daughter and her boyfriend were stabbed, as well; but passer-by were able to rescue them and tie up Sefiah’s son. Sefiah’s daughter and her boyfriend were taken to the hospital and are stable and expected to survive.
Case status:
Her son, arrested.
Source:
“Aku dah bunuh mak”
Son allegedly stabs mum to death in Kuantan
Name: Terue Nakata.
Died: October 8, 2019.
Age at death: 71.
Cause of death: Blunt trauma.
Location: Sayama City, Saitama Prefecture, Japan.
Disability: Unspecified.
Details:
Terue’s daughter-in-law found her beaten to death on her futon. Police arrested Terue’s son, who they say told them that he had done it because he was “worn out from nursing [his] mother”.
Case status:
Tomoki Nakata (Son), arrested on suspicion of murder.
Source:
Saitama: Man, 40, fatally bashed mother before attempting suicide
Name: Mildred Costanza.
Died: October 4, 2019.
Age at death: 78.
Cause of death: Painkiller overdose in the setting of chronic neglect.
Location: Wausau, Wisconsin, USA.
Disability: Frail elder.
Details:
Mildred’s daughter, who ostensibly cared for her, kept her in deplorable conditions and did not take her to the doctor even when she developed a serious infection. Weakened by hunger and neglect, Mildred died of a Tramadol overdose. She weighed only 75 pounds.
Case status:
Mary Tessmer (Daughter), pleaded guilty to recklessly subjecting an individual at risk to abuse, causing death; sentenced to 2 years in prison and 2 years parole.
Source:
Ringle woman pleads guilty to neglecting 78-year-old mother, causing her death
Woman charged in death of elderly mother who overdosed
Ringle woman accused of chronic neglect in mother’s death
Marathon County woman sentenced in mother’s death