Relationship: Other Relative – Page 15 – Disability Day of Mourning

Dwight Ridley

Name: Dwight Carrington Ridley Sr.
Died: January 11, 2016.
Age at death: 59.
Cause of death: Stabbed.
Location: Carson, Virginia, USA.
Disability: Unspecified; wheelchair user.

Details:
Dwight was stabbed to death by his nephew over a property dispute about the family farm.

He was an Army veteran who had three children and twelve grandchildren.

Case status:
Daryl Ridley (Nephew), charged with second-degree murder, found incompetent to stand trial.

Source:
Mental Health and Murder: Why man with ’emotional demons’ walked free
Obituary for Dwight Carrington Ridley, Sr. – PETERSBURG, VA
Why man accused of killing uncle over family farm won’t stand trial
Stabbing victim arrives at hospital, later deemed homicide suspect in Dinwiddie County
Arrest made in fatal Dinwiddie homicide, stabbing

Baby Boy

No Photo Name Unknown.
Died: Undated; article published January 6, 2016.
Age at death: Newborn, less than 6 days old.
Cause of death: Burned alive, following Yanomami tradition.
Location: Caracaraí, Brazil.
Disability: “a malformation in his leg”.

Details:
Quote: When a 21-year-old indigenous woman gave birth to her fourth son in this small settlement in northern Brazil, she noticed that the newborn was suffering from a malformation in his leg. She knew what that meant, but still consulted with the leaders of her Yanomami tribe in a desperate hope for an exception.

It was not to be: the baby was burned alive as part of a ritual, and the ashes were used to prepare a sort of gruel that was offered to all members of the tribe. Though the mother shared her grief with her immediate family, she said she understood that this was the tradition.

Case status:
His mother and tribe were not prosecuted.

Source:
In Brazil, Activists Defend Infanticide Among Indigenous Tribes

Nada Bodholdt

Name: Nada Colleen Bodholdt.
Died: December 31, 2015.
Age at death: 92.
Cause of death: Asphyxia.
Location: Bend, Oregon, USA.
Disability: Congestive heart failure.

Details:
Nada’s granddaughter went to her nursing home, put a pillow over her face, and smothered her. Nada’s family thought she had died a natural death–until her killer confessed the murder to a counselor and was arrested.

Nada Bodholdt was a professional violinist who played her first solo concerto at age 15; during World War 2, she played in nightclubs to make ends meet. After the war, she married a sailor, played her violin in church, and lived to see her great-grandchildren.

Case status:
Angela Christine Judd (Granddaughter), pleaded guilty to second-degree manslaughter, sentenced to 75 months in prison; conviction overturned; pleaded guilty to manslaughter, sentenced to 5 years, released on time served.

Source:
Bend woman to be released from prison after 2nd guilty plea in grandmother’s smothering
Bend woman who smothered her grandmother to death has conviction overturned
Bend woman pleads guilty to manslaughter in grandma’s death
Nada Colleen Bodholdt Obituary
Bend woman accused of smothering grandmother, 92
Bend woman accused of murdering grandmother
Woman confessed to smothering grandmother, police say
Bend Woman Confessed to Smothering Grandmother, Police Say
Woman charged with killing grandmother at retirement community
Former Klamath Falls nurse charged with murder
Reported confession to counselor is admissible, judge rules in death of suspect’s grandmother
Bend woman pleads guilty to manslaughter in grandma’s death
Former Sky Lakes nurse could get 75 months for manslaughter

Jermain Ngawhau

Name: Jermain Mason Ngawhau.
Died: December 18, 2015.
Age at death: 2.
Cause of death: Head injury.
Location: Clendon Park, Auckland, New Zealand.
Disability: Developmental delay.

Details:
Jermain’s grandmother was angry that he was having trouble walking; so she threw him down the hallway, causing a head injury that killed him. She then tried to blame his death on his four-year-old sister.

Case status:
Kathleen Elizabeth Cooper (Grandmother), convicted of murder, sentenced to 14-and-a-half years to life.

Source:
Grandma Accused Of Killing Grandson, Blaming It On His 4-Year-Old Sister
‘A very bleak picture’: High Court told of meth use in Auckland grandmother’s murder trial
Grandmother admits killing grandson but denies murder
Jermain Mason (Tiger) NGAWHAU’s Obituary
Murder-accused grandmother ‘never aggressive’, says dead boy’s mother
Grandma accused of murder was loved by grandson – mother
Cooper trial: Mother of dead toddler takes the stand
Jury begins deliberations in case of grandmother accused of murdering grandson
Grandma guilty of grandson’s murder
Grandmother Kathleen Cooper found guilty of murdering grandson
Kathleen Cooper murder case raises questions around whanau first principle
Life imprisonment for woman who killed grandson

Antonio Tucci

Photo of a balding man wearing a turquoise shirt. He has a wide grin on his face and his eyes are squeezed nearly shut with amusement. Name: Antonio Tucci.
Died: December 7, 2015.
Age at death: 71.
Cause of death: Head injury.
Location: Castel del Piano, Italy.
Disability: Unspecified; wheelchair user.

Details:
Antonio was beaten to death, dying of head trauma after what looked like a robbery gone wrong. However, two days later, Antonio’s nephew was arrested. They had lived together in the past, and now Antonio’s nephew was demanding his pension money. When he would not give him the money, Antonio’s nephew killed him.

Antonio Tucci was a retired baker.

Case status:
Claudio Orlando (Nephew), convicted of murder, sentenced to 30 years.

Source:
Antonio Tucci: il caso dell’omicidio del pensionato ucciso a bastonate in casa sua
Wheelchair-bound pensioner murdered
Anziano trovato morto, fermato un nipote

Harold Grise

No Photo Name: Harold Grise.
Died: November 6, 2015.
Age at death: 68.
Cause of death: Trauma.
Location: Fish Lake, Michigan, USA.
Disability: Blind, mobility impaired.

Details:
Harold was badly beaten by his nephew, leaving him unresponsive with broken bones in his face and jaw. Instead of getting help for him, his sister left him on the floor for three days. He was only taken to the hospital once his son returned home and found him; but by then, it was too late to save his life.

Harold was a veteran of the US Air Force.

Case status:
Erik Minter (Nephew), pleaded guilty to battery and neglect of a dependent, sentenced to 22 years.
Georgia Arvidson (Sister), convicted of felony neglect of a dependent, sentenced to 2 years.

Source:
Man sentenced to 22 years beating uncle who later died
Elderly sister found guilty of neglect in Fish Lake brother’s death
Mother and son arrested for homicide
Harold I. Grise
Elderly sister found guilty of neglect in Fish Lake brother’s death

Emily Kaminski

Photo of a teenage girl. She is wearing a jeweled necklace and small, thick glasses, and there is a tiara atop her frizzy blonde hair. Her skin is very fair. She has her mouth open as though she is about to say something. Name: Emily Jean Kaminski.
Died: October 14, 2015.
Age at death: 16.
Cause of death: Prescription drug overdose.
Location: La Mesa, California, USA.
Disability: Multiple disabilities, including blindness.

Details:
Emily’s grandmother gave her a fatal overdose of prescription drugs, then killed herself.

Case status:
Marshelle Marie Newby (Grandmother), deceased.

Source:
Police: California Grandmother Gave Disabled Teen Fatal Overdose in Murder-Suicide

Jason Corbett

Name: Jason Corbett.
Died: August 2, 2015.
Age at death: 39.
Cause of death: Blunt trauma.
Location: Abbotts Creek, North Carolina, USA.
Disability: Depression, thyroid disease.

Details:
Jason’s wife and father-in-law allegedly beat him to death with a baseball bat and a concrete brick.

Case status:
Molly Martens (Wife), convicted of second-degree murder, sentenced to 20-25 years. New trial granted.
Thomas Martens (Father-in-law), convicted of second-degree murder, sentenced to 20-25 years. New trial granted.

Source:
Thomas Martens, Molly Corbett retrial now scheduled for November
PHOTOS: Hearing for the retrial of Molly Corbett and Thomas Martens in the death of Jason Corbett
Thomas Martens, Molly Martens Corbett Found Guilty In Jason Corbett Trial
Molly Corbett, Tom Martens released on bond after hearing in Davidson County
Martens facing 20-25 years in jail for murder
Jason Corbett murder trial verdict: Guilty
Why was Limerick man Jason Corbett killed?

Baby Boy

No Photo Name: Never named.
Died: July 15, 2015.
Age at death: 3 days.
Cause of death: Potassium chloride poisoning.
Location: Chongming, Shanghai, China.
Disability: Cleft lip.

Details:
This newborn boy, who may not have been given a name, was killed by his grandfather because he had a cleft lip. His grandfather went to a doctor to get potassium chloride and instructions on how to use it, and then injected the substance into the newborn boy’s head, killing him.

Case status:
The baby’s grandfather, surnamed Peng, sentenced to seven years.
A doctor surnamed Zhu, who supplied the potassium chloride, sentenced to five years.

Source:
Chinese man kills grandson for being born with a cleft lip
Cleft Lip Stigma Cost Infant His Life

Thembisile Dlamini

No Photo Name: Thembisile Dlamini.
Died: May 23, 2015.
Age at death: 58.
Cause of death: Gunshot, fire.
Location: Amatikwe, Inanda, South Africa.
Disability: Diabetes, leg amputee, blind.

Details:
Thembisile was the caregiver for three of her grandchildren as well as three foster children.

Her granddaughter’s ex, had kidnapped one of the children, and her granddaughter called the police. When he found out, he attacked the family at their home. Two other women managed to escape out of the windows, but Thembisile could not escape, so she began yelling for help. Her grandson-in-law shot her in the mouth to silence her, then set the house on fire.

Thembisile’s family survived the incident, though they had to live with a neighbor for a year to get back on their feet.

Case status:
Bheki Khumalo (Grandson-in-law), sentenced to 20 years for murder and 10 years for arson.

Source:
KZN man given 30 year jail term for killing blind ‘defenseless’ elderly woman
Justice for blind, diabetic, amputee KZN gran who was shot in mouth by grandson-in-law