Relationship: Other Relative – Page 19 – Disability Day of Mourning

Maurice, Leo, and Ivonna Vanhaverbeke and Gerard Vercamer

No Photo 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

Kyle Potts

Photo of Kyle Potts, a young boy with short dark hair, brown eyes, and tanned skin, wearing a white tank top. His wide smile reveals a gap between his front teeth. 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

Marchella Brett-Pierce

Photo of Marchella Brett-Pierce, a girl with brown skin, her brown hair in messy pigtails. Around her neck is a tracheotomy collar. 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

Regina Wynn

No Photo 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

Brittini Ward

Name: Brittini Ward.
Died: May 5, 2010.
Age at death: 23.
Cause of death: Strangled.
Location: Charlotte, North Carolina, USA.
Disability: Paranoid schizophrenia.

Details:
Brittini’s cousin showed up unannounced at their home, convinced her parents that Brittini was “possessed”, and moved in, saying he would take care of the problem. Only weeks later, Brittini’s family returned home to find her unresponsive. Her cousin had raped her and strangled her.

For a few hours, Brittini’s cousin insisted that she was bloody and unresponsive because she was possessed and needed the demons removed. So the family, under orders from Brittini’s cousin, washed her body and prayed. Nothing happened.

Eventually, Brittini’s mother called her church elders, explaining that her daughter was possessed and they needed help. When one of them came to visit the home, he saw the situation and made Brittini’s mother call 911. Emergency responders arrived to find Brittini had been dead for several hours.

Case Status:
Derek Ward (Cousin) was found unfit to stand trial and hospitalized to restore competency. Competency restored over ten years later, he was convicted of rape and murder and sentenced to life in prison.
Dawn Wheeler (Mother) pleaded guilty to concealing a death.

Sources:
After he killed his cousin, he moved into her bedroom, Charlotte murder witnesses testify
Mother of slain Charlotte woman takes the stand, directly faces accused killer at trial
Charlotte man found guilty of raping, killing his own cousin in 2010

Manuel Reyes and Rita Morales

Photo of Manuel Reyes. He has tan skin and gray hair, and is wearing a blue sweater and white shirt. Name: Manuel Reyes.
Age at death: 85.
Disability: Double amputee (Legs).

Photo of Rita Morales. She is an elderly woman with gray hair and light-brown skin, wearing a brown collared shirt. Name: Rita Morales.
Age at death: 87.
Disability: Elderly disabled.

Location: Canoga Park, Los Angeles, California, USA.
Died: April 30, 2010.
Cause of death: Traumatic injury.

Details:
Manuel and Rita were both killed by their caregiver, who was Rita’s son and Manuel’s nephew. They were bludgeoned to death with a hammer; Rita was also stabbed.

Case status:
Arthur Reyes Morales (Son, Nephew), pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree murder, sentenced to 30 years to life and must serve at least 17 years.

Source:
Judge finds Canoga Park man was sane when he killed his elderly mother, uncle
Hammer killer sane when he murdered 87-year-old mom, 85-year-old double-amputee uncle
Manuel Reyes, 85
Rita Morales, 87

Gerren Isgrigg

Gerren Isgrigg, a toddler with fair skin and red hair, wearing a yellow shirt, lying on a mat. Name: Gerren Joseph Isgrigg, a.k.a. “Wylie’s Angel”.
Died: April 12-15, 2010.
Age at death: 6.
Cause of death: Exposure.
Location: Wylie, Texas, USA.
Disability: Multiple disabilities; medically fragile.

Details:
Gerren’s grandmother abandoned him in a park where he was unlikely to be found, and he died there. Unidentified when he was found, he was briefly known as “Wylie’s Angel”.

Case status:
Darlene Phillips (Grandmother); pleaded guilty to murder; sentenced to 12-28 years.

Source:
Grandmother gets 28 years in death of Gerren Isgrigg, boy dubbed ‘Wylie’s Angel’

Kaiya Kapahu

Photo of a small girl with light-tan skin, big brown eyes, and straight, long, black hair. Name: Kaiya Kalora Kapahu.
Died: February 18, 2010.
Age at death: 5.
Cause of death: Starvation.
Location: Phoenix, Arizona, USA.
Disability: Rett syndrome.

Details:
Kaiya was deliberately starved to death by her uncle.

Case status:
Leonard “Sonny” Orta Jr. (Uncle); pled guilty to second-degree murder; sentenced to 18 years.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Kaiya Kapahu
Hawaii dad trusted his brother, but Kaiya instead was starved
Father of special-needs girl found dead had planned to bring her home
Family, friends still struggling as they say farewell to Kaiya
Find a Grave: Kaiya Kalora Kapahu
GCC student honors the memory of Kaiya Kapahu

Thoretta Miller

Portrait photo of a woman with dark-brown skin and curly black hair, wearing a pink blouse and turquoise scarf. Name: Thoretta Miller.
Died: February 12, 2010.
Age at death: 57.
Cause of death: Traumatic injury.
Location: Texas City, Texas, USA.
Disability: “Legally blind and disabled”.

Details:
Thoretta’s granddaughter beat and stabbed her to death.

Case status:
Cheretta Smith (granddaughter), pleaded guilty to murder, sentenced to 42-84 years.

Source:
Texas City woman who killed blind grandmother gets 84 years
Texas City woman admits to murdering blind grandmother
Cheretta Andurnique Smith v. The State of Texas

Willie Henderson

Name: Willie Henderson.
Died: January 22, 2010.
Age at death: 60.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: North Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.
Disability: Blind, mobility impaired.

Details:
When Willie Henderson needed help around the house, his godson used to act as a handyman.

Willie’s godson shot him in the back of the head. In court, he claimed that it had been self-defense, even though there were no signs of a struggle.

Willie Henderson was a Vietnam war veteran.

Case status:
Billy Ray James (Godson), pleaded no contest to involuntary manslaughter; spent six years in prison before release.

Source:
Willie Henderson Obituary
Handyman to stand trial in North Las Vegas shooting death
Ex-felon found guilty of 2010 slaying of North Las Vegas man
Hung jury in re-trial of North Las Vegas murder case
Murder case tried three times headed for mistrial, judge says
Judge declares mistrial after man’s third trial in North Las Vegas murder case
Man waits for release in Vegas killing after 3 trials, 1 plea deal, 6 years in prison