Relationship: Other Relative – Page 11 – Disability Day of Mourning

Leona Twiss

Black and white photo of Leona Twiss, a young woman in old-fashioned clothing. She has curly hair and light skin and is wearing a white blouse and flight attendant's cap. Name: Leona Twiss.
Died: July 9, 2017.
Age at death: 95.
Cause of death: Asphyxia.
Location: Fort Ann, Florida, USA.
Disability: Early dementia, frail elder.

Details:
Not long after Leona’s grandson moved into her house to help care for her, he and his wife conspired to kill her; he strangled her with a towel.

Case status:
Kevin L. Gonyea (Grandson), pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, sentenced to 15 years to life.
Melissa Gonyea (Grandson’s wife), pleaded guilty to hindering prosecution and tampering with physical evidence and other charges related to being an accomplice, sentenced to 3 1/3 to 10 years.

Source:
Gonyea sentenced to 15 years to life for strangling his grandmother
Fort Ann man charged with murder
Fort Ann grandson and his wife charged in death of 95-year-old grandmother
Local police travel to Florida for murder investigation
New York man charged with strangling his 95-year-old grandma
Man accused of killing grandmother, 95
Sheriff’s Office: Fort Ann woman found murdered, family members arrested
Murder suspect has new attorney, court date
Fort Ann couple indicted in connection with 95-year-old’s killing
Family: Woman in murder case deserves life, too
Videos show woman’s implication of husband, others in murder case
Wife of Fort Ann murder suspect pleads guilty
Murder case hearing postponed as subpoena issues debated
Gonyea mulling plea offer in grandmother’s murder
Fort Ann murder suspect talks plea deal again
NY man pleads guilty to strangling grandmother, 95
Following death of 95-year-old woman, two more family members charged
Police were suspicious of Twiss relatives at murder scene
Documents claim former guard told of killing inmates
Defense claims defendant is ‘immune’ in murder case

Ariful Islam

No Photo Name: Ariful Islam aka Arif Hossain.
Died: June 24, 2017.
Age at death: Unknown.
Cause of death: Homicide.
Location: Hajipur, Bihar, India.
Disability: Unspecified physical disability.

Details:
Ariful was murdered by his uncle. His uncle’s family had been in a fight with another family, and his uncle reportedly wanted to frame the other family. He is accused of killing Ariful, then bringing his body to the hospital and claiming the other family had done it.

Case status:
Yakut Ali (Uncle) and Md Tofail Ahmed (Accomplice), charged with murder.

Source:
Man murders disabled nephew to frame opponents

Henry Johnson Jr.

No Photo Name: Henry Lee Johnson Jr.
Died: June 13, 2017.
Age at death: 57.
Cause of death: Pneumonia secondary to major brain damage.
Location: Pine Bluff, Arkansas, USA.
Disability: Stroke.

Details:
Henry lived with his girlfriend. His girlfriend’s brother hit her, and Henry tried to intervene. Her brother turned on him, beat him severely, and then wouldn’t let Henry’s girlfriend call paramedics for several hours. After being taken to the hospital, Henry lived for 11 days before dying of his injuries.

Case status:
Allen Clagget (Girlfriend’s brother), convicted of second-degree murder and domestic battery; sentenced to 15 to 60 years in prison.

Source:
Appeals court upholds Claggett conviction
Claggett guilty in 2017 murder, domestic battery
Bond set for man accused in beating death
Obituary for Henry Lee Johnson at Henson-Holcomb Mortuary

Sabrina Ray

Photo of Sabrina Ray. She is a thin girl with pale skin and dark brown hair in a boy cut. Her expression is solemn. Name: Sabrina Ray.
Died: May 12, 2017.
Age at death: 16.
Cause of death: Starvation.
Location: Perry, Iowa, USA.
Disability: Unspecified.

Details:
Sabrina was tortured and starved by her family. When she died at age 16 after being drop-kicked down the stairs by her adoptive brother and subsequently starving to death, she weighed 56 pounds and looked like an eight-year-old child.

Her death may have saved the lives of her two adopted sisters, who were also abused and were rescued from the home and taken to the hospital when Sabrina was found dead.

Case status:
Marc Ray (Adoptive father), pleaded guilty to child endangerment and kidnapping, sentenced to 35 years in prison.
Misty Ray (Adoptive mother), charged with child endangerment, child neglect, criminal conduct, theft, and fraud, sentenced to life in prison.
Carla Bousman (Adoptive grandmother), pleaded guilty to two counts of false imprisonment, two counts of child endangerment, on count of neglect of a dependent person, one count of accessory after the fact, and one count of obstructing prosecution, sentenced to 20 years in prison.
Josie Raye Bousman (Niece), pleaded guilty to neglect of a dependeent and child endangerment, sentenced to 14 years in prison.
Justin Dale Ray (Adoptive brother), pleaded guilty to two counts of willful injury, sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Source:
Starved teen looked like she was an ‘8-year-old,’ say day care visitors
Disabled Teen Drop-Kicked Down A Flight Of Stairs, Then Held Captive And Starved By Family, Including Grandma
Defenseless Adopted Teen Girl, 16, Drop-Kicked & Starved To Death In Iowa Home
Police: Brother ‘drop-kicked’ starved Iowa girl, grandmother helped in torture
Community mourns Sabrina’s death, plans grief services
A Voice for Sabrina Ray
More Change of Venue Motions Filed in Sabrina Ray Case
New Charges Leveled at Marc and Misty Ray
Perry Fire Department Hopes Justice Is Served For Sabrina Rays’ Death
Sabrina Ray case comes to a close as final family member is sentenced

Rekha Baloliya

No Photo Name: Rekha Baloliya.
Died: April 28, 2017.
Age at death: Adult.
Cause of death: Burns.
Location: Rajkot, Gujarat, India.
Disability: Mobility impaired after accident.

Details:
Rekha, bedridden after an accident, was allegedly set on fire by her brother-in-law and father-in-law, who were angry that her sister was spending time helping her. She was able to tell authorities who had set the fire before she died.

Case status:
Lalji Baloliya (Brother-in-law) and Narshi Baloliya (Father-in-law), both arrested and charged with murder.

Source:
Bedridden woman set ablaze, 2 held

Nicholas Dean

Photo of Nicholas Dean, a boy with dark hair and light-brown skin, sitting in a wheelchair in front of an electric keyboard. He is wearing glasses and a striped shirt. Name: Nicholas Dean.
Died: March 1, 2017.
Age at death: 31.
Cause of death: Asphyxia.
Location: Bakersfield, California, USA.
Disability: Cerebral palsy.

Details:
Nicholas was drugged, then strangled to death while he was home alone with his adoptive sister and her boyfriend.

He is the second homicide victim in his family. His older brother Jonathan was murdered by their adoptive father in 2014.

Case status:
Nicholas’s death has been ruled a homicide.
Jessica Dean (Adoptive sister), under investigation; possible suspect or witness.
Michael Hernandez (Sister’s boyfriend), under investigation; possible suspect or witness.

Source:
Homicide of disabled man still under review by DA’s office, nearly two years later
Death of disabled man investigated as homicide
Man who took plea deal in alleged murder-for-hire of adopted son has been released from prison
Eyewitness News tip line prompts murder investigation
Homicide claims second brother in troubled adoptive family
The death of a disabled man is being investigated as a homicide
Charges refiled against defendant in Jonathan Dean murder
Homicide of disabled man still under review by DA’s office, nearly two years later

Joseph Bishop

Name: Joseph Bishop.
Died: February 11, 2017.
Age at death: 18.
Cause of death: Sepsis.
Location: Ludlow, Kentucky, USA.
Disability: Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

Details:
Joseph was neglected by his mother and grandparents. He was left in his bed for two years while severe bedsores developed.

When they saw how sick he was, Joseph’s caregivers decided that they wouldn’t take him to the hospital to avoid being charged with neglect. When Joseph was finally taken to the hospital, his untreated bedsores had already caused end-stage sepsis. He died soon thereafter.

Case status:
Jamie Bishop (Mother), pleaded guilty to manslaughter, sentenced to 8 years.
Raymond Martin (Grandfather), pleaded guilty to manslaughter, sentenced to 7 years 6 months.
Sharon Martin (Grandmother), pleaded guilty to manslaughter, sentenced to 7 years 6 months.

Source:
Mother who judge said let son ‘rot’ wants out of prison after serving 5 months
Mother, grandparents plead guilty in death of neglected teen
Mother, grandparents charged in death of ‘neglected’ NKY teen
Joseph Bishop: Woman wishes she had known neighbors’ dark secret, could have saved teen with muscular dystrophy
Police: NKY mom’s severe neglect led to death of disabled son
Mother and grandparents charged in disabled teen’s death
Joseph Bishop – Ronald B. Jones Funeral Home
Ludlow mother, grandparents charged in death of 18-year-old
With sepsis and bed sores, neglected teen was ‘lost in the cracks.’ Why did no one call?
Police: Northern Ky Mom’s Neglect Led To Death Of Disabled Son
Disabled teen with bedsores was ‘lost in the cracks’
Disabled teen dies from bedsore infection, 3 charged
Mother Charged In Bed-Ridden Son’s Death Had Been Investigated For Neglect Before
Judge denies mother and grandparents from disabled teen’s funeral
Mother and grandparents charged with disabled teen’s death
Ludlow mom investigated for neglect prior to bed-ridden son’s death

Robert Jones

No Photo Name: Robert Jones.
Died: February 8, 2017.
Age at death: 61.
Cause of death: Traumatic injury.
Location: Bridgeport, Connecticut, USA.
Disability: Fetal alcohol syndrome.

Details:
Robert was found beaten to death, propped up in his recliner with a cigarette in his hand. Police arrested his nice and her husband, who had been his caregivers, and charged them with murder. They proved his niece had beaten him to death, then tried to pose his body so that it looked like a natural death.

Case status:
Tynisha Hall (Niece), pleaded guilty to manslaughter, sentenced to 20 years, suspended after serving 15 years.
Brent Whiteman (Niece’s husband), convicted of manslaughter, sentenced to 7 years.

Source:
Bridgeport caregiver sentenced to 15 years in beating death of disabled uncle
Woman Pleads Guilty In Beating Death Of Trumbull Man: Report
CNA accused of killing uncle then propping him up with a cigarette
Caregiver’s murder case continued
Bridgeport Cops: Caretaker arrested in disabled man’s death
Bridgeport woman accused of killing disabled uncle she was caring for
Bridgeport woman accused of killing uncle appears in court
Bridgeport Police: Niece Killed Uncle, Then Propped Up Body With Cigarette
Woman charged with murder in death of uncle in Bridgeport
Conn. Woman Suspected in Uncle’s Murder: Police
PD: Man arrested in connection to February 2017 murder

Samuel Murrell

No Photo Name: Samuel Murrell.
Died: February 2, 2017.
Age at death: 87.
Cause of death: Blunt and sharp trauma, strangulation.
Location: Bowling Green, Kentucky, USA.
Disability: Frail elderly.

Details:
Samuel was murdered by his nephew, who stabbed and strangled him in front of his wife. She survived to testify at the trial.

Case status:
Greg Shields (Nephew), convicted of first-degree manslaughter, sentenced to 25 years, to be served after he finishes an 8-year sentence for an unrelated assault.

Source:
Shields receives 25-year sentence for death of elderly uncle
Multiple injuries lead to death of man in murder case
Samuel Murrell Obituary – Bowling Green, Kentucky

Irene McLean

Photo of Irene McLean, an elderly woman with curly white hair and fair skin, wearing an embroidered sweater. Name: Irene McLean.
Died: January 10, 2017.
Age at death: 96.
Cause of death: Malnutrition, failure to thrive.
Location: Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA.
Disability: Alzheimer’s disease.

Details:
Irene died from malnutrition and multiple rib fractures, after being removed from her home by adult protective services in terrible shape.

Irene visited over 100 countries during her lifetime. She liked swimming, yoga, and dance, and could still do the splits in her late 80s.

Case status:
Cause of death ruled undetermined. Autopsy findings included skin ulcers from abuse or neglect and multiple rib fractures.
Police are questioning family, especially a caregiver who would have been an heir to her estate.

Source:
Malnutrition, Alzheimer’s and broken ribs cause of death for elderly woman taken from Virginia Beach home
A 96-year-old Virginia Beach woman was found with bruises and skin tears. Her friends want to know why.
Death of elderly Virginia Beach woman found with bruises, skin tears spurs police probe
96-year-old woman dies after being removed from horrific condition
Friends search for answers after death of 96-year-old woman found with bruises, torn skin
Friends want to know what happened to Irene McLean