Relationship: Parent – Disability Day of Mourning

Cristian Padilla

No Photo Name: Cristian Rodriguez Padilla.
Died: April 19, 2025.
Age at death: 7.
Cause of death: Complications of cerebral palsy.
Location: Metairie, Louisiana, USA.
Disability: Quadriplegic cerebral palsy.

Details:
Cristian, who needed 24-hour monitoring due to his medical problems, died alone at home, according to police. His parents returned to find him unresponsive, but allegedly delayed calling emergency services. When paramedics finally arrived, far too late, Cristian was declared dead from natural causes. Police who arrested his mother and her boyfriend, said they had left him alone for “at least three hours.”

Case Status:
Karla Padilla Pavon (Mother), charged with negligent homicide.
Hovet Vela Espinoza (Mother’s boyfriend), charged with negligent homicide.

Sources:
Metairie mom booked with negligent homicide in quadriplegic 7-year-old son’s death
Two arrested for negligent homicide after child found dead in Metairie home, JPSO says
Metairie mom booked with negligent homicide in quadriplegic 7-year-old son’s death

Arshish and Ashish Reddy

Name: Arshish Reddy.
Age at death: 11.

Name: Ashish Reddy.
Age at death: 9.

Died: April 17, 2025.
Cause of death: Traumatic injury.
Location: Gajulararam, Telangana, India.
Disability: Hereditary eye disorder.

Details:
Arshish and Ashish’s mother attacked them with a coconut-cutting knife, causing severe injuries. Arshish died on the scene, and Ashish died on the way to the hospital. Their mother jumped from the fifth floor of her apartment building to her death. The press reported that the boys’ mother was depressed because she and her sons shared an eye disorder that required them to use eye drops every four hours to avoid pain and vision loss.

Case Status:
Tejaswini (Mother), deceased.

Sources:
Genetic eye disorder passed to sons, Hyderabad mother kills them, jumps to death
Hyderabad horror: Mother kills sons over genetic eye disorder, then jumps to death
বংশগত চোখের রোগে আক্রান্ত দুই সন্তানকে খুন করে আত্মঘাতী মা
Hyderabad: Mentally Disturbed Woman Kills Two Sons; Then Dies By Suicide
Woman Ends Life After Killing Two Sons Amid Health Struggles and Family Strain

Benjamin Murphy

Name: Benjamin David Murphy.
Died: March 6, 2025.
Age at death: 33.
Cause of death: Abuse, medical neglect.
Location: Scappoose, Oregon, USA.
Disability: Autism, wheelchair user.

Details:
Benjamin’s death was reported to the police three days after the fact. Upon investigating, police arrested his mother and sibling; court documents stated that his death was “in the course of or as a result of intentional torture” and “by neglect and maltreatment consisting of neglect of medically necessary services,” but did not elaborate further.

Case Status:
Katherine Raina (Mother), charged with first-degree murder, murder by abuse, criminally negligent homicide, criminal mistreatment, and abuse of a corpse.
Hillary Murphy (Sibling), charged with first-degree murder, murder by abuse, criminally negligent homicide, criminal mistreatment, and abuse of a corpse.

Sources:
Mother and daughter arrested in Scappoose for murder and abuse of family member
Scappoose duo faces murder charges after man’s death of ‘neglect and maltreatment’
Mom, sibling accused of murdering family member in Scappoose denied bail

Yashasvi Pawar

No Photo Name: Yashasvi Pawar.
Died: February 20, 2025.
Age at death: 17.
Cause of death: Poisoned.
Location: Naupada, Andhra Pradesh, India.
Disability: Congenital disability; mobility impaired, nonspeaking.

Details:
Police believe that Yashasvi’s mother, frustrated because Yashasvi’s recent illness caused her to cry out in pain through the night, poisoned her with medication. Yashasvi’s mother, grandmother, and a family friend were captured on CCTV carrying her body into a car, intending to take it to be cremated. All three have been charged with murder.

Case Status:
Snehal Pawar (Mother), charged with murder; at large/wanted.
Surekha Mahangade (Grandmother), arrested on suspicion of murder.
An unidentified family friend, charged with murder; at large/wanted.

Sources:
Woman poisons differently abled, bedridden daughter to death in Naupada

Melony Granados

No Photo Name: Melony Granados.
Died: January 23, 2025.
Age at death: 13.
Cause of death: Head injury.
Location: Tempe, Arizona, USA.
Disability: Myoclonic atonic epilepsy, intellectual disability.

Details:
Medics responded to Melony’s house to find her unresponsive, covered in bruises and sores. Her grandmother told the doctors that Melony had fallen down the stairs. Melony was taken to the hospital but died the next morning.

Further investigation revealed a makeshift cage made from a bunk bed. Police say her family admitted to keeping Melony in the cage, which was extremely dirty.

Case Status:
Virginia Lujan (Grandmother), charged with felony child abuse.
Jami Hodges (Mother), charged with felony child abuse.

Sources:
Grandmother Charged In Disabled Teen’s Death After 13-Year-Old Was Kept In A Cage
Mother, grandmother arrested in connection to death of 13-year-old girl
Teen with mental age of toddler dies after being forced to live in cage
Grandmother Charged In Disabled Teen’s Death After 13-Year-Old Was Kept In A Cage
Tempe 13-year-old dead after being found in cage; grandmother suspected in death
Police probe caged Tempe teen’s death

Anupriya Kumar

No Photo Name: Anupriya Kumar.
Died: January 6, 2025.
Age at death: 5.
Cause of death: Poisoned.
Location: Bengaluru, Karnataka, India.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Anupriya’s parents fatally poisoned her and her two-year-old brother, Priyansh; then they died by suicide. Authorities believe that the killings had to do with their father’s recent failed business venture and Anupriya’s autism.

Case Status:
Anup Kumar (Father) and Rakhi Kumar (Mother) are deceased.

Sources:
Family found dead in Bengaluru: police suspect land dispute and daughter’s disability as reasons
Techie, wife and minor children found dead at home in Bengaluru
Bengaluru Techie, Wife Kill Their Children, Then Die By Suicide
Did daughter’s health, non-starter venture in UP led Bengaluru couple to murder-suicide pact
Bengaluru techie and wife poison two kids before committing suicide

Jayden Dixon

No Photo Name: Jayden Dixon.
Died: January 5, 2025.
Age at death: 11.
Cause of death: Smothered.
Location: Meridian, California, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
When Jayden wasn’t seen outside for several days and his trailer was eerily quiet, his neighbors grew worried. One of them approached Jayden’s mother, who argued with the neighbor. The trailer park manager saw them and called the police because Jayden’s mother appeared intoxicated. Police responding to the disturbance found Jayden’s body in the trailer; he had been suffocated, and their three dogs were also dead.

Jayden was good friends with a neighbor’s child; both were autistic, so they understood each other very well. Jayden was known for giving hugs to his friends.

Case Status:
Meagan Dixon (Mother), charged with murder, child abuse resulting in great bodily injury, and three counts related to cruelty toward animals.

Sources:
Homicide investigation at Lovey’s Landing in Sutter County: New details emerge
Meridian mother accused of killing 11-year-old son
Police Say Calif. Mom Was Causing Disturbance. Then They Found Boy, 11, and 3 Dogs Dead
No plea is entered in death of child, 11

Caterina Whitten

Name: Caterina Whitten.
Died: January 3, 2025.
Age at death: 29.
Cause of death: Unspecified neglect.
Location: Lowell, Arkansas, USA.
Disability: Fraser syndrome; blind, autism.

Details:
Caterina was found dead in a filthy home.

One of six adopted siblings, Caterina was born in Russia. As a child, she loved swimming and playing on her swing set. Her five siblings, who had also allegedly been neglected, were rescued when her father was arrested after Caterina’s death.

Case Status:
David Whitten (adoptive father), charged with negligent homicide and six counts of endangering the welfare of an incompetent person.

Sources:
Arkansas police arrest 72-year-old man for negligent homicide in disabled daughter’s death
Lowell man accused of negligent homicide, endangering welfare
Lowell man faces negligent homicide charge after death of disabled daughter
‘A really sad story’: Neighbors react to tragic death of Lowell woman
Horrifying way disabled woman died in Ozarks house of horrors she shared with ‘dad’ and 5 handicapped siblings

Jijesh Vijayan

Name: Jijesh Vijayan.
Died: December 27, 2024.
Age at death: 28.
Cause of death: Poisoned.
Location: Kozhikode, Kerala, India.
Disability: Intellectual disability, bedridden.

Details:
Jijesh’s neighbors found him and his father in critical condition. They were rushed to the hospital, but both died from poisoning. Authorities believe that Jijesh’s father poisoned him and then ingested some of the poison himself.

Case Status:
Manichirakkal NM Vijayan (Father) is deceased.

Sources:
Wayanad DCC treasurer, son die after ingesting poison
Bathery DySP to lead special team formed to probe Wayanad DCC treasurer, son’s death

Addison Carr

Name: Addison Rebecca Carr.
Died: December 26, 2024.
Age at death: 4.
Cause of death: Blunt trauma.
Location: Greenville, South Carolina, USA.
Disability: Perinatal hypoxia; feeding tube, limited mobility.

Details:
Addison’s mother’s boyfriend was babysitting when she suffered what an arrest warrant called “non-accidental trauma.” Addison was taken to the hospital, where she died four days later from her injuries.

Addison’s mother mourns the loss of her smile, remembering that “she was just a sweetheart and a joy to be around.”

Case Status:
Tyler David Ternberg (Mother’s boyfriend), charged with homicide by child abuse.

Sources:
Accused child killer granted bond and released
Mother’s boyfriend accused of killing 4-year-old with special needs: ‘She was my entire world’
Simpsonville man in custody, accused of causing death of four-year-old with special needs
SC man charged in death of 4-year-old with special needs, deputies say
Sobbing mom confronts boyfriend ‘for murdering her disabled daughter’
Mom rages at boyfriend accused of shaking and beating disabled daughter to death