Remembering the Disabled Murdered by Caregivers
Relative other than parent, child, or sibling.
Name: Gloria Martin.
Died: January 7, 2012.
Age at death: 55.
Cause of death: Stabbed.
Location: Northport, Alabama, USA.
Disability: Blindness.
Details:
Gloria was stabbed to death by her nephew.
Case status:
Kevin Demar Stines (Nephew), murder and robbery, life without parole.
Source:
Alabama man escapes death penalty after pleading guilty to 2012 murder of aunt
Name: Arville Rhodes.
Died: November 22, 2011.
Age at death: 63.
Cause of death: Head injury, pneumonia, malnutrition.
Location: New Tazewell, Tennessee, USA.
Disability: Mental and physical disabilities “from childhood”.
Details:
Arville was beaten and neglected by his nephew and his nephew’s wife. He died of pneumonia, starvation, head injuries, and untreated bedsores.
Case status:
Johnny Monday Rhodes (Nephew), charged with first-degree murder, physical abuse and gross neglect of an impaired adult; convicted of unspecified charges, sentenced to 10 years.
Sharon Marie Smith (Nephew’s wife), convicted of impaired adult abuse, neglect, and reckless homicide; sentenced to 7-25 years.
Source:
Caretakers for New Tazewell man charged with his murder
Claiborne County couple indicted in death of uncle
Son says his mother is innocent of killing a handicapped man
Name: Betty Guy.
Died: November 7, 2011.
Age at death: 84.
Cause of death: Smothered.
Location: Haverfordwet, England, UK.
Disability: Mobility impaired, chronic pain, frail elder.
Details:
Betty’s daughter and grandson had decided it was “time for her to go”, so they drove to her house, where they drugged her with sleeping pills; then her grandson smothered her with a pillow. He had to try twice before he killed her, because she fought to live.
Betty was a retired nurse.
Case status:
Barry Rogers (Grandson), found guilty of murder and sentenced to 11 years to life.
Penelope John (Daughter), found guilty of murder and sentenced to 11 years to life.
Source:
Ex-soldier could not have murdered grandmother as Iraq left him so ‘messed up’ he would not kill again, court hears
Man lied about killing ‘for attention’
Murder accused ‘talked about euthanasia’
Ex-Soldier Accused Of Murdering Grandmother “Messed Up By Iraq”
Murder accused ‘told ex-wife he had killed his grandmother’
Accused ‘had to smother gran twice’
‘Murder victim Betty Guy fought off grandson as he smothered her with pillow’, jury told
‘Man said he would finish off ill gran’
Betty Guy trial: Grandson threatened to kill girlfriend while she slept
Pensioner ‘smothered’ by grandson
Man smothered his grandmother twice before she died, court told
Mother and son to go on trial accused of murdering grandmother
Mother and son’s murder trial to start today
Mother and son’s murder trial begins
Name: JaQuinn Brewton.
Died: July 12, 2011.
Age at death: 3.
Cause of death: Pancreatic laceration from blunt trauma.
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
Disability: Intellectual disability.
Details:
JaQuinn was beaten and burned by his godmother and her boyfriend. His mother had turned him over to their care because she was staying in a homeless shelter. He died from internal injuries after two weeks at the hospital.
Case status:
Nadera Batson (Godmother), convicted of third-degree murder, sentenced to 28 1/2 to 57 years in prison.
Marcus King (Godmother’s boyfriend), pleaded guilty to third-degree murder, sentenced to 10-20 years in prison.
Source:
Godmother Sentenced in Blow Torch, Beating Death of 3-Year-Old Boy
Guilty verdict in torture death of boy, 3
Police: boy died from horrific abuse
Name: Christina Noel Meeks.
Died: June 20, 2011.
Age at death: 4.
Cause of death: Heart attack.
Location: Muskogee, Oklahoma, USA.
Disability: Developmental delay; heart disease.
Details:
Christina died of a heart attack the day after an alleged violent sexual assault by her uncle. Nurses at the hospital reported extensive bruising.
Case status:
Robert Meeks Jr. (Uncle), child sexual abuse, charges dropped with the possibility of re-filing charges.
Betty Hall (Grandmother), neglect, charges dropped with the possibility of re-filing charges.
Source:
Child Neglect Charge Dismissed In Muskogee Girl’s 2011 Death
Affidavit Details Abuse Allegations In Muskogee Girl’s Death
Name: Christina “Nina” Harms.
Died: March 25, 2011.
Age at death: 22.
Cause of death: Dehydration.
Location: Kearns, Utah, USA.
Disability: Fetal alcohol syndrome.
Details:
Christina’s abusive caregivers routinely beat her and tied her to a metal rod in a closet. She died of dehydration combined with an overdose of Benadryl.
Christina wanted to go to college.
Case status:
Cassandra Sheppard (Legal guardian), pleaded guilty to abuse and manslaughter, sentenced to 5 years to life.
Sherrie Beckering (Sheppard’s mother), convicted of aggravated abuse, sentenced to 5 years to life.
Dale Beckering (Sheppard’s stepfather), convicted of second-degree aggravated abuse, sentenced to 1-15 years.
Source:
Kearns man sent to prison for ignoring fatal abuse
Caretaker of abused Utah woman gets prison for her death
Guardian of abused woman kept in closet sent to prison for her death
Name: Maurice Vanhaverbeke.
Died: 1978.
Age at death: 79.
Name: Leo Vanhaverbeke.
Died: May 17, 1986.
Age at death: 81.
Name: Gerard Vercamer.
Died: 2004.
Age at death: 80.
Name: Ivonna Vanhaverbeke.
Died: January 27, 2011.
Age at death: 90.
Cause of death: Air embolism.
Location: Menen, Belgium.
Disability: Unspecified; frail elders.
Details:
Maurice, Leo, Gerard, and Ivonna were family members of a serial killer who worked as a nurse and killed patients who were elderly or had terminal illnesses, usually by smothering them or injecting air bubbles into their bloodstreams. He is thought to have committed at least ten murders, including those of four family members. He called them “mercy killings”, but there is no evidence any of his victims wanted to die.
Case status:
Ivo Poppe (Family member). Ivonna was his mother; Leo and Gerard were great-uncles; Maurice was his father-in-law. Convicted of 5 counts of murder, sentenced to 9-27 years.
Source:
17 // Deacon of Death // Ivo Poppe // ANGEL OF DEATH • Talk Murder To Me – via Podcast Addict
‘Deacon of death’ accused of Belgium serial killings
Frank Verbruggen over anonieme slachtoffers Ivo Poppe
Aartsbisschop De Kesel getuige op assisenproces
‘Ik ben geen seriemoordenaar, maar een verlosser’
Le procès d’Ivo Poppe, « le diacre de la mort », s’ouvre en Belgique
Diaken Ivo Poppe naar assisen voor minstens tien moorden
‘Diaken des doods’ staat terecht voor oudermoord en minstens tien andere moorden
Le «diacre de la mort» admet avoir euthanasié 20 personnes au maximum: «Je n’ai jamais voulu tuer»
Le “diacre de la mort”, pire tueur en série belge?
Ivo Poppe trial: ‘Deacon of death’ accused of killing 10 people – including own mother – by injection
Belgium: ‘Deacon of death’ goes on trial on serial murder charges
‘Deacon of Death’ accused of using air injections to kill in Belgium
Name: Kyle Joseph Potts.
Died: October 18, 2010.
Age at death: 9.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Crestline, California, USA.
Disability: Autism.
Details:
Kyle’s grandmother shot him and herself in a murder-suicide.
Case status:
Denise Snyder (Grandmother), deceased.
Source:
Crestline woman fatally shoots grandson, self
Crestline woman kills herself and 9-year-old grandson, authorities say
Crestline Murder-Suicide
Kyle Joseph Potts
Autism Memorial: Kyle Potts
Name: Marchella Brett-Pierce .
Died: September 2, 2010.
Age at death: 4.
Cause of death: drug poisoning, blunt impact injuries and malnutrition.
Location: Brooklyn, New York, USA.
Disability: Medically fragile due to prematurity.
Details:
Marchella died of neglect, starvation, and physical abuse by her mother and grandmother.
Case status:
Carlotta Brett-Pierce (Mother), convicted of murder, sentenced to 32 years to life.
Loretta Brett (Grandmother), convicted of manslaughter, 5-15 years.
Source:
A Bleak Life, Cut Short at 4, Harrowing From the Start
Marchella Brett-Pierce’s brother brought food to her funeral so she could eat in heaven
The Tragic Path to a 4-Year-Old’s Death
Carlotta Brett-Pierce Found Guilty of Murder in Battered Daughter’s Death
Carlotta Brett-Pierce Sentenced To Decades In Prison For Death Of Battered Daughter
The Death of Marchella Pierce: Collaboration, Conflict, and Accountability in Child Protective Services
MARCHELLA PIERCE TIED TO HER BED, BEATEN, DRUGGED AND STARVED, DIED AT AGE 4 WEIGHING 18 POUNDS
Name: Regina Wynn.
Died: Early September, 2010.
Age at death: 87.
Cause of death: Bedsores, infection, dehydration.
Location: Cappahosic, Gloucester County, Virginia, USA.
Disability: Alzheimer’s disease.
Details:
Regina was taken out of her nursing home by her niece. Months later, she was taken to the hospital weighing only 80 pounds, with large bedsores. She died soon afterward.
Case status:
Gigi Garner (Niece) and her boyfriend Erick Wilson; charged with abuse; charges dropped. Lawyers argued that Regina’s pressure sores were a sign of inevitable impending death, rather than a cause of death.
Source:
Gloucester man to face elder abuse charges Tuesday
CRIMINAL CHARGES IN VIRGINIA: WHAT IS A KENNEDY TERMINAL ULCER?
Second defendant acquitted of elder abuse charge – Gazette Journal
Arrest in Gloucester woman’s death mirrors trend of elder neglect