Relationship: Parent – Page 14 – Disability Day of Mourning

Mason Weston

No Photo
Name: Mason Joe Weston.
Died: August 7, 2021.
Age at death: 11.
Cause of death: Homicide; battered child.
Location: Fergus Falls, Minnesota, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
When Mason was taken to the hospital with severe injuries, his attacker initially said he had fallen, but eventually told police that he had slammed Mason’s head against the wall and kicked him. Mason died in the hospital. His killer admitted that he had become angry at the boy for not washing the dishes.

Case Status:
Reggie Bethel (Mother’s boyfriend), pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, sentenced to 8 years 4 months to 12 1/2 years.

Source:
Otter Tail County man sentenced for beating death of boy with autism
Mason Joe Weston
Fergus Falls man charged with murdering autistic boy by slamming head into wall numerous times

Harvey Borrington

Photo of small blond boy sitting on a park bench, wearing a pink shirt and shorts, holding a bottle of water. He is smiling. Name: Harvey Borrington.
Died: August 7, 2021.
Age at death: 3.
Cause of death: Skull fracture.
Location: Jacksdale, England, UK.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Harvey was home with his stepmother when she called emergency services, saying he had fallen backward and hit his head. He was taken to the hospital, but the injury proved fatal two days later. Medical examiners found that Harvey had a skull fracture caused by being hit in the head several times. Only weeks before his death, Harvey had suffered a broken arm while in the care of his stepmother.

Harvey was very detail-oriented and enjoyed lining up his toys neatly.

Case Status:
Leila Borringham (Stepmother), convicted of manslaughter, assault, and grievous bodily harm; sentenced to 15 years.

Sources:
Leila Borrington: Woman who filmed stepson, 3, as he lay dying from brain injury jailed for 15 years
Autism Memorial: Harvey Borrington
Leila Borrington: Woman guilty of killing three-year-old stepson
Stepmother convicted of killing three-year-old boy who died from head injury
Woman who videoed 3-year-old stepson dying on floor convicted of manslaughter
Killer stepmum filmed dying toddler on the floor instead of calling 999
Leila Borrington: Murder-accused woman says stepson fell from sofa
Autism Memorial: Harvey Borrington
Stepmother allegedly killed autistic stepson, 3, with ‘multiple’ head slaps
Murder-accused stepmother filmed autistic stepson dying in lounge
Stepmum ‘filmed autistic toddler as he died instead of calling 999’
Stepmum ‘murdered autistic tot, 3, slapping him and inflicting broken skull’

Rudransh and Devansh Shankar

No Photo Name: Rudransh Shankar.
Age at death: 6.
Disability: Kidney disease.

Name: Devansh Shankar.
Age at death: 4.
Disability: Unspecified health problems.

Died: August 6, 2021.
Cause of death: Strangled.
Location: Sangareddy, Telangana, India.

Details:
On the day of their deaths, brothers Rudransh and Devansh didn’t want to take their medication, according to their mother. Angered, their mother allegedly strangled them to death before jumping into a lake. She was rescued by fishermen and arrested.

Case Status:
Jyotsna (Mother), arrested.

Source:
Upset with kids illness, mother strangles them in Telangana’s Sangareddy | Hyderabad News – Times of India
Telangana: Upset with their illness, mom kills two sons in Sangareddy | Hyderabad News – Times of India
Woman strangles two children to death, later jumps into stream in Sangareddy
Telangana: Disturbed over sons’ chronic illness, woman strangles them to death, then attempts suicide

Chelsea and Connor Hill

Name: Chelsea Hill.
Name: Connor Hill.

Died: August 5, 2021.
Age at death: 18.
Cause of death: Starvation.
Location: Silverdale, Washington, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Twin siblings Chelsea and Connor’s mother presented herself at an emergency room and said she was suicidal, and that there were two people dead at her home. When investigators checked the home, they found Chelsea and Connor dead, and police arrested their mother, who told them that she had “lost track of time” and forgotten to feed Chelsea and Connor.

Case Status:
Sherrie Lynn Hill (Mother), charged with second-degree murder.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Chelsea and Connor Hill.
Kitsap County mom accused of murdering, possibly starving her twin children
Silverdale woman charged with murder after her autistic twins found dead in her home
Suicidal Washington mother charged with murder of her autistic twins

Zoey Chafer

Name: Zoey Elizabeth Chafer.
Died: July 28, 2021.
Age at death: 4.
Cause of death: Ethanol poisoning.
Location: Hayward, Wisconsin, USA.
Disability: Cerebral palsy.

Details:
Zoey, who ate through a feeding tube, died from acute alcohol poisoning. Police, who arrested her mother and her mother’s boyfriend, say that Zoey was killed with alcohol administered through her feeding tube.

Zoey’s obituary says she “enjoyed watching Sponge Bob Square Pants; laying in the sun, going on walks, watching her sister play, and listening to music.”

Case Status:
Domenic Falkner (Mother’s partner), charged with first-degree intentional homicide, physical abuse of a child, and chronic neglect of a child.
Samantha Smith (Mother), charged with chronic neglect of a child and physical abuse of a child.

Sources:
Couple Charged in Death of Special Needs Child Whose Blood Alcohol Level Was More Than Seven Times the Legal Limit
Criminal Charges Filed Against Couple In Death Of 4-Year-Old | Recent News
Hayward couple charged with homicide, neglect, abuse in 4-year-old’s death; BAC at ‘lethal’ level
Hayward, WI couple charged with homicide in death of 4-year-old
Zoey Elizabeth Chafer Obituary

Jasmine Singletary

Name: Jasmine Singletary.
Died: July 13, 2021.
Age at death: 14.
Cause of death: Internal injury.
Location: Pensacola, Florida, USA.
Disability: A neuromuscular disorder.

Details:
Jasmine had been admitted to the hospital for an infection, and was alone in her room with her mother and grandmother when she was found dying of massive injuries to her ribs and liver–injuries that had not been there at admission. Police, who questioned her mother, say her mother admitted to bludgeoning her with a table after Jasmine cursed at her.

Case Status:
Jessica Bortle (Mother), convicted of battery and child abuse, sentenced to 1 year and 1 day in prison.

Source:
Woman Gets One Year For Hospital Death Of Her Special Needs Daughter : NorthEscambia.com
Mother sentenced to 1 year in prison for Pensacola hospital death of special needs daughter
Mom sentenced to 1 year in prison in blunt force trauma death of special-needs daughter
Mom accused of ‘obliterating’ special needs daughter’s liver, killing child for ‘cussing’ and ‘throwing and breaking crayons’ while in hospital bed
Florida Woman Allegedly Kills Special Needs Daughter Inside Hospital Room, Rips Her Kidney Open
Mother charged with homicide of her daughter with special needs while in the hospital
Woman Killed Her Special Needs Daughter Insider Her Hospital Room, PPD Says : NorthEscambia.com
Pensacola Police: Bonifay woman killed daughter in hospital room
Mother killed special needs teen daughter inside Florida hospital room, police say

Sermakani

Name: Sermakani.
Died: July 12, 2021.
Age at death: 35.
Cause of death: Strangled.
Location: Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu, India.
Disability: Learning disability.

Details:
Sermakani’s family found her a husband, but when they realized she was already five months pregnant, they allegedly killed her and reported it as a natural death. Neighbors suspected foul play and reported the death to the police, who say that, when arrested, Sermakan’s mother and sister admitted to strangling her to “end their misery and save their pride”.

Case Status:
Murder case registered.
Murugammal (Mother), arrested.
Selvi (Sister), arrested.

Source:
Unmarried Pregnant Woman With Learning Disability Murdered By Mother, Sister
Mother, sister held for murdering pregnant woman in Tamil Nadu | Madurai News – Times of India

Zeus Cox

Name: Zeus Geovani Cox.
Died: July 5, 2021.
Age at death: 3.
Cause of death: Blunt trauma; internal bleeding.
Location: Lafayette, Indiana, USA.
Disability: Suspected autism.

Details:
A month after being returned to his mother and her boyfriend, Zeus was found dead from a severe beating. Prosecutors told the court that Zeus had been beaten by his mother’s boyfriend, then denied medical treatment for his injuries.

His obituary describes him as “very active and full of life”.

Case Status:
Crystal Cox (Mother), convicted of murder, neglect of a dependent resulting in death, aggravated battery resulting in death, and battery resulting in death of a person younger than 14 years old; sentenced to 55 years in prison and 2 years probation.
Jermaine Garnes (Mother’s boyfriend), convicted of murder, neglect of a dependent resulting in death, aggravated battery resulting in death, and battery resulting in death of a person younger than 14; sentenced to 65 years.

Sources:
Michigan man gets 65 years in boy’s Indiana beating death
Garnes receives 65 years for murder of girlfriend’s 3-year-old
Lafayette woman gets 55 years in 3-year-old’s beating death
Lafayette woman gets 55 years in 3-year-old’s beating death
Mom charged with murder called ‘unfit and abusive’
Lafayette couple charged with the murder of a toddler
Zeus Cox Obituary
Lafayette woman found guilty of murdering 3-year-old son
Mom charged with murder is set to stand trial
Mother guilty of murdering and neglecting her 3-year-old son
Autism Memorial: Zeus Cox

Ayan Shaikh

No Photo Name: Ayan Shaikh.
Died: June 15, 2021.
Age at death: 8.
Cause of death: Homicide.
Location: Pune, Maharashtra, India.
Disability: Global developmental delay.

Details:
Ayan and his mother Aliya were killed by his father, who then committed suicide. According to police, the couple often argued about Ayan’s disability.

Case Status:
Abid Shaikh (Father), deceased.

Source:
Woman, her son found murdered in different areas of Pune; police look for missing husband
India News | Woman-child Murder: Husband Still Missing, Multiple Probe Teams Formed
Pune woman-son murder case: Husband’s body found, suicide suspected
Pune Man’s Body Found After ‘Murder’ of Wife, 8-year-old Autistic Child
Pune: Missing man found dead days after his wife and son were murdered, cops suspect suicide

Aaliyah Artis

Name: Aaliyah Nicole Artis.
Died: June 8, 2021.
Age at death: 12.
Cause of death: Lung injury, malnutrition, poor living conditions.
Location: Xenia, Ohio, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Aaliyah’s body was found in her house, which was in such poor condition it was condemned. She died from a lung injury, complicated by poor nutrition and poor living conditions.

According to Aaliyah’s obituary, she “enjoyed watching cartoons, coloring, riding her bike, playing outside, and dancing with her sisters.”

Case Status:
Mary Artis (Mother), convicted of child endangerment; sentenced to 2 1/2 years.

Sources:
Autism Memorial: Aaliyah Artis
Ohio mom charged after 12-year-old girl dies from living in ‘deplorable’ conditions
Police: No evidence 12-year-old Greene County girl’s death purposeful; mother indicted for child endangering
Xenia police investigating 12-year-old girl’s death
Aaliyah Nicole Artis Obituary – Visitation & Funeral Information
12-year-old girl found dead at Xenia home in ‘filthy condition’
Police investigating death of 12-year-old girl
Aaliyah Artis: Reforms called for in wake of Xenia child’s death