Relationship: Other household member – Page 2

Dustin Baggett

Name: Dustin Baggett.
Died: January 18, 2020.
Age at death: 15.
Cause of death: Smoke inhalation and burns.
Location: Florissant, Missouri, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Dustin was pulled out of his burning house by firefighters, but died a day later in the hospital. The fire was investigated and shown to be arson, and police suspected a man who lived in his house.

Dustin’s neighbors had long been worried about how he and the other children in his house were being treated. They called authorities repeatedly. Dustin, though nonverbal, was a friendly boy and constantly smiling. A neighbor remembers, “We all kind of took him in, knowing he needed our love.”

Case status:
Bobby Copass (Household member), charged with second-degree murder and first-degree arson.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Dustin Baggett
Man suspected of setting fatal fire in Florissant now charged with murder
15-year-old Missouri boy who lived with autism died after arson fire; upgraded charges expected
Police: Boy, 15, with autism killed in arson fire

Darlene Conger

No Photo Name: Darlene Conger.
Died: June 20, 2019.
Age at death: 67.
Cause of death: Neglect.
Location: Zanesville, Ohio, USA.
Disability: Wheelchair user.

Details:
Darlene lived with her caregivers in a home that was in very poor condition. She died from neglect when her live-in caregivers did not care for her.

Case status:
Sheila Allberry (Live-in caregiver), pleaded guilty to felonious assault, sentenced to 6-9 years.
Dustin Burr (Son), convicted of felonious assault and failure to provide care, sentenced to 6-9 years.

Source:
Mom of three asks judge for mercy in neglect case originally charged as manslaughter
Man ‘just trying to honor mom’s wishes’ sentenced in case of severe neglect
Guilty plea entered in case of woman who died after severe neglect in deplorable home
Guilty plea entered in case of woman who died after severe neglect in deplorable home
Two face felony charges in disabled woman’s death
Two charged in death of elderly Zanesville woman living in ‘deplorable conditions’ – Y-City News
Obituary for Darlene (Henry) Conger | Bolin-Dierkes Funeral Home

Steven May

Blurry photo of a young man with tanned skin and dark brown hair. Name: Steven May.
Died: May 20, 2019.
Age at death: 50.
Cause of death: Blunt trauma, broken ribs.
Location: Deepdale, Preston, England, UK.
Disability: Epilepsy, COPD, alcoholism.

Details:
Steven lived with a lodger, whom he told his family was there for company and prepared some meals for him. The lodger abused him, and eventually beat him to death.

Case status:
Darren Taylor (Lodger), convicted of murder, sentenced to 20 years to life.

Source:
Lodger jailed for life for murder of his vulnerable friend Steven May in Deepdale
Preston man Darren Taylor found guilty of murdering vulnerable Steven May
MURDER INVESTIGATION: Neighbours are ‘shocked and saddened’ over death of 50-year-old man
Preston dad Steven May had suffered 76 rib fractures in the weeks before he died, murder trial told

Tika Young

Name: Tika Young.
Died: March 30, 2019.
Age at death: 37.
Cause of death: Bludgoned.
Location: Blue Ridge, Arizona, USA.
Disability: Chronic back pain, arthritis.

Details:
Tika’s housemate bludgeoned her to death with a side table and then tried to hide her body. He claimed that she had asked him to hit her and he knew she meant that he wanted her to kill her because of her chronic pain, but her family said that Tika didn’t want to die and her pain wasn’t severe so that story didn’t make sense. Her killer impersonated her on Facebook for weeks after the murder, but her family noticed something was wrong and asked for a welfare check.

Case status:
Patrick Nagel (Housemate), pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, sentenced to 25 years.

Source:
Tika Young’s family searches for memories as Blue Ridge man sentenced for murder
Blue Ridge man pleads not guilty to first-degree murder
Arizona murder suspect impersonated victim for weeks, brother says

Donald Collins

No Photo Name: Donald Collins.
Died: February 16, 2019.
Age at death: Adult.
Cause of death: Sepsis.
Location: Harford Township, Michigan, USA.
Disability: Unspecified; vulnerable adult.

Details:
Donald was removed from his caregiver’s home in poor shape. He died only days later in an assisted-living facility from an infection.

Case status:
Frances Collins (Housemate, unrelated), charged with felony murder and vulnerable adult abuse; died before trial.

Source:
Defendant dies before murder case goes to trial
Caretaker charged with murder for allegedly causing man’s sepsis death
Woman Charged With Murder In Van Buren County
Harford Township caretaker charged with murder after man dies from sepsis

Evelyn Scott

Photo: Middle-aged woman in a striped shirt, with olive-toned skin and curly, shoulder-length hair Name: Evelyn H. Scott.
Died: February 7, 2019.
Age at death: 77.
Cause of death: Sharp-force injury.
Location: Murray, Kentucky, USA.
Disability: Alzheimer’s disease.

Details:
Evelyn lived with her niece and her niece’s boyfriend. Her neighbors rarely saw her, but her niece, 37-year-old Tera Todd, was often seen walking Evelyn’s little dog.

Her caregiver’s boyfriend killed Evelyn and Tera by stabbing Tera and slashing Evelyn’s throat. He also strangled the dog.

Case status:
Todd Scott (Niece’s boyfriend), pleaded guilty to 2 counts of murder, sentenced to 40 years.

Source:
Scott enters guilty plea in double-murder case
Court documents paint gruesome picture of Murray double murder
2 women found dead in Murray, KY, suspect facing murder charges
Police investigating double murder in Murray, KY
Evelyn Scott
Family releases names of women in Murray double murder

Elvis Dry

Name: Elvis Dry.
Died: January 20, 2019.
Age at death: 61.
Cause of death: Burns, trauma.
Location: Tahlequah, Oklahoma, USA.
Disability: Diabetes; Amputee; wheelchair user.

Details:
Elvis was a sports fan who was a barefoot kicker for the Kansas High School football team in the 70s. He grew up to become a truck and bus driver who liked to travel. His neighbors remember him as a gentleman with a sense of humor, who “always had a comeback”.

Elvis’s burned body and wheelchair were found when neighbors asked police for a welfare check. He had been stabbed, then set on fire while he was still alive.

Case status:
Denise Lynn Grass (Paid live-in caregiver), pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, sentenced to 23 years.

Source:
Several old cases slated for district court in 2023
Alleged murderers seeking relief after McGirt ruling
Accused killer of wheelchair-bound man to be in court
Hearing in Dry murder case postponed
Cherokee County deputies seek suspect in killing of amputee
No arrests made in murder of Tahlequah man, leaving neighbors on edge
Arrest made in murder of Cherokee County veteran, amputee
Disabled Oklahoma Veteran Allegedly Killed by Live-In Caretaker
Live-in caretaker accused of burning, killing veteran amputee in Cherokee County
Friends, Family Say Goodbye To Cherokee County Murder Victim
Family, friends say goodbye to Cherokee County man murdered, set on fire
Woman who burned man alive charged with murder
Woman accused of burning man alive charged with murder

George Rusnack

No Photo Name: George Rusnack.
Died: January 9, 2019.
Age at death: 73.
Cause of death: Necrotic pressure ulcers.
Location: Collier County, Florida, USA.
Disability: Dementia, stroke, mobility impaired.

Details:
George lived with two family friends who served as his caregivers. A home-care agency reported that George was poorly cared for, but when George was finally taken to the hospital, he was too sick to recover. After he died from severe, untreated bedsores, his caregivers came under scrutiny. They are now accused of neglect, allegedly having left him dirty, let pressure sores develop, and denied him his medication while they took money out of his bank account.

Case status:
Ronald Everwine, convicted of aggravated manslaughter with culpable negligence of an elderly or disabled person and exploitation of the elderly for less than $10,000; sentenced to 4 years and due to be released after 1 year.
Jennifer Everwine, charged with aggravated manslaughter with culpable negligence of an elderly or disabled person and exploitation of the elderly for less than $10,000.

Source:
Collier County caretaker couple arrested for negligent death of bedridden man
CCSO: Caretaker couple charged in January death of bedridden Golden Gate Estates man
Caretaker couple arrested for negligent death of bedridden Golden Gate Estates man
Couple charged with neglect in elderly man’s death

John Likeness

Photo of John Likeness, a heavyset man with muttonchops, wearing glasses and a camo baseball cap. Name: John Matthew Likeness.
Died: December 30, 2018.
Age at death: 54.
Cause of death: Sharp-force trauma.
Location: Menomonie, Wisconsin, USA.
Disability: Mobility impaired; disabled veteran.

Details:
John’s roommate killed him by shooting him with a crossbow and cutting him with a knife. His roommate claimed that he felt sorry for him and wanted to “put him out of his misery”.

John was an Army veteran who had served in the military for 10 years. He enjoyed traveling by train, accompanied by his dog Sienna.

Case status:
Richard Seehaver (Roommate), pleaded no contest to second-degree intentional homicide; sentenced to 25-40 years.

Source:
Charge: Western Wisconsin roommate kills disabled Army vet with arrow to the chest
Charges: Wisconsin man kills roommate with crossbow, butcher knife
1 dead, 1 arrested after man dies in Menomonie

Cyra Harrison

Photo of Cyra Harrison, a teenage girl with brown hair tied up in a ribbon, grinning excitedly at the camera and wearing two blue first-place ribbons pinned to her hoodie. Name: Cyra Shantell Marie Harrison.
Died: November 23, 2018.
Age at death: 25.
Cause of death: Failure to thrive and dehydration due to neglect.
Location: Elizabeth, Louisiana, USA.
Disability: Cerebral palsy.

Details:
When Cyra’s death was reported, sheriff’s deputies who examined Cyra’s body and the conditions she had been living in concluded that she had died from “severe intentional neglect”. She died of dehydration in a filthy house.

The first-place ribbons she is wearing in her picture may be bowling ribbons, a sport Cyra enjoyed.

Case status:
Karen Johnson Harrison (Mother), pleaded guilty to manslaughter and conspiracy to commit second-degree murder, sentenced to 50 years.
Marilyn Sue Maricle (Housemate), pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit second-degree murder, conspiracy to commit cruelty to the infirmed, and conspiracy to commit cruelty to a juvenile; sentenced to 15 years.
Glen Elva Maricle (Housemate), pleaded no contest to manslaughter, conspiracy to commit second-degree murder, and cruelty to the infirm; sentenced to 30 years.

Source:
Glen Maricle gets 30 years in starvation death of woman with cerebral palsy
As part of a plea deal, suspect outlines plot to starve young Rapides Parish woman with cerebral palsy
Woman testifies cousin, husband were having affair as they plotted to starve daughter
Mother takes plea deal in case of daughter’s death day before jury selection
Attempt to continue trial of mother accused in daughter’s death fails
Trial for mother accused of neglect in daughter’s death moved to June 2020
Mother accused in daughter’s death denied release from jail
Attorney makes bid for sanity commission, trial delay in neglect-death case
Trial for Karen Johnson Harrison, accused in daughter’s death, moved to June 2020
Mom of Rapides neglect-death victim to face trial first
State will prosecute mother of neglected daughter first in Rapides murder case
2 defendants in neglect death case reject offers of life sentences
3 accused in Elizabeth woman’s neglect death to be arraigned next week
Arrests made after special needs patient died, found in deplorable living conditions
Sheriff: Extreme neglect leads to death of special needs person
Mom, couple charged in death of Elizabeth special-needs patient
Arrests made after special needs patient died, found in deplorable living conditions
Elizabeth woman who died from alleged neglect identified
Police release identity of woman killed
Authorities ID special-needs woman believed slain by neglect
Prosecutor intends to seek bond increase in ‘heinous’ neglect death case
Cyra Harrison Obituary
Court dates set for 2 in case of Elizabeth woman’s neglect death
Rapides grand jury indicts three in the murder of woman with cerebral palsy
Arraignment set for three charged with murder of woman with cerebral palsy
3 accused in Elizabeth woman’s neglect death plead not guilty