Relationship: Parent – Page 15 – Disability Day of Mourning

James Lewis

Name: James Rashard Lewis.
Died: September 29, 2021.
Age at death: 10.
Cause of death: Throat cut.
Location: Waco, Texas, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
James was found dead at home, with his throat cut. His father, who police say was covered in blood and attempted to evade arrest, was charged with murder.

Neighbors often saw James running back and forth in the hallways and up and down the steps of their apartment complex.

Case Status:
Bronchae Defraunce Lewis (Father), charged with capital murder, found not guilty by reason of insanity; to be evaluated for 100 days at a state mental institution; case to be reviewed yearly.

Sources:
Waco man charged in death of autistic son found not guilty by reason of insanity
Waco man indicted in September death of 10-year-old son
Waco 10-year-old slain Wednesday identified
Affidavit details how Waco man allegedly murdered 10-year-old son
Waco man charged in brutal killing of autistic son regains competency to stand trial
Waco man charged in brutal killing of autistic son regains competency to stand trial

Richard Wix Jr.

No Photo Name: Richard B. Wix Jr.
Died: September 23, 2021.
Age at death: 30.
Cause of death: Medical neglect.
Location: Glasgow, Kentucky, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Richard’s body was found in his home, where he lived with his father, about a week after his death. The home itself was in such bad shape that it was condemned; Richard’s father was arrested on suspicion of having fatally neglected or abused him. Officials say he “did not seek appropriate medical attention” for Richard.

Case Status:
Richard Len Wix (Father), convicted of abusing/neglecting an adult, sentenced to 5 years.

Sources:
Autism Memorial: Richard Wix Jr.
New details released in Glasgow reckless homicide case
Nonverbal, autistic man dies; father charged with reckless homicide
Father charged after death of son with autism
Police: Barren Co. father culpable in death of special needs son | K105

Kyle Tiyo

Name: Kyle Tiyo.
Died: September 22, 2021.
Age at death: 10 months.
Cause of death: Blunt trauma.
Location: Bethelsdorp, South Africa.
Disability: Blind.

Details:
Kyle’s father, who his mother says had never accepted him ever since he learned Kyle had been born disabled, allegedly took him from his mother for the night, and when he gave the boy back, Kyle was limp and bruised all over. Kyle died from his injuries in the hospital.

Case Status:
Jason Mandeka (Father), charged with murder.

Sources:
Father of murdered blind baby appears in court
Baby’s murder, mother’s agony
Mother narrates pain about how her baby daddy brutally beat up her disabled baby – Opera News

Najir Diehl

Name: Najir William Diehl.
Died: September 5, 2021.
Age at death: 11.
Cause of death: Methanol poisoning.
Location: East Fairfield Township, Pennsylvania, USA.
Disability: Mobility impaired; unable to walk independently.

Details:
Najir’s mother is accused of killing him by feeding him a cup of windshield washer fluid. He was found dead at his home, and poison was detected in his blood.

In his obituary, Najir is remembered as someone who “…had a passion for life. His bus trips to school and his bus drivers made him very happy. He also loved to eat, go swimming, read books, and the dogs and cats at his home.”

Case Status:
Mary Eileen Diehl (Mother), charged with criminal homicide, pleaded no-contest to third-degree murder, sentenced to 10 to 20 years.

Sources:
Cochranton-area woman gets 10 to 20 years in child poisoning case
Crawford woman pleads no-contest to 3rd-degree murder in adopted son’s poisoning in 2021
Trial moved to March for Crawford woman charged in poisoning of 11-year-old adopted son
Trial for alleged poisoning is postponed until March
Trial date uncertain for Crawford woman charged in boy’s fatal poisoning
Woman charged with killing disabled son had him drink washer fluid to “free him”: Police
Woman accused of fatally poisoning adopted son
State police charge Crawford County woman in poisoning death of 11-year-old adopted son
Najir William Diehl Obituary

Wayne Leworthy

Photo: Smiling, brown-haired, fair-skinned man. Name: Wayne Leworthy.
Died: August 28, 2021.
Age at death: 46.
Cause of death: Stabbing.
Location: Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
Disability: “Severely disabled”, wheelchair user.

Details:
Wayne was stabbed by his father before his father killed himself. His mother came home only to find their bodies.

Case Status:
Neville Leworthy (Father), deceased.

Source:
Tragic detail before murder-suicide
‘Every single person has the right to safety’: Disability advocate speaks out following suspected murder-suicide in Adelaide
‘No red flags’: Deaths of two men in Adelaide being treated as murder-suicide
Father, 72, and his disabled son found dead in Adelaide
OAP ‘killed wheelchair-bound son, 46, & himself’ in tragic murder-suicide

Harrison Louden

Name: Harrison Louden.
Died: August 13, 2021.
Age at death: 3.
Cause of death: Asphyxiation.
Location: Kidderminster, England, UK.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Harrison was suspected to have autism, and his parents were negotiating the health care system to get him services. Because they were at home due to the Covid-19 lockdowns, appointments were sometimes postponed and often had to be done remotely.

Harrison’s father, who left a letter saying he believed Covid had ruined Harrison’s chances of ever getting proper support, suffocated Harrison with helium gas and then killed himself.

Case Status:
David Louden (Father), deceased.

Sources:
Autism Memorial: Harrison Louden
Sergeant gassed son, 3, to death then took own life during lockdown
Policeman killed son and then himself in Kidderminster, inquest finds
Cop killed three-year-old autistic son after being ‘driven mad’ by lockdown
Policeman killed toddler son and then himself while depressed, inquest told

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