Relationship: Parent – Page 56 – Disability Day of Mourning

Monique Johnson

No Photo Name: Monique Johnson.
Died: February 12, 2014.
Age at death: 37.
Cause of death: Starvation/dehydration.
Location: Sacramento, California, USA.
Disability: Developmentally disabled; mobility impaired; non-verbal.

Details:
Monique died of severe neglect, dehydration, and starvation, weighing only 37 pounds. Her mother and sister took the money the state gave them to care for her, refusing offers of help.

Case status:
Sheila Johnson (Mother), pleaded no contest to second-degree murder, sentenced to 15 years to life.
Ravetra Jones (Sister), pleaded no contest to involuntary manslaughter and fraud, sentenced to 4 years 8 months.

Source:
Mom, sister sentenced in case of woman ‘neglected to the point of death’
Sacramento Mother Who Starved Daughter to Death Sentenced
Mother & Daughter Convicted for Death of Disabled Victim
Sacramento Mom Tells CBS13 She Didn’t Starve Disabled Daughter To Death
Mother, sister of woman who starved plead in Sacramento court
Mom, sister sentenced in case of woman ‘neglected to the point of death’
Monique Johnson Obituary

Madoc O’Callaghan

Name: Madoc Hyunsu O’Callaghan (Also spelled Hyeonsu or Hyun-su).
Died: February 3, 2014.
Age at death: 3.
Cause of death: Head injury; blunt trauma.
Location: Damascus, Maryland, USA.
Disability: Hydrocephalus, premature birth, learning difficulties, speech delay.

Details:
Madoc was beaten to death by his adoptive father.

He was an international adoptee from South Korea. At the Daniel School for children with disabilities in Seoul stands a statue of him holding a butterfly. A replica of the statue stands at the Linwood School in Maryland.

Case status:
Brian Patrick O’Callaghan (Adoptive father); pleaded guilty to child abuse resulting in death, sentenced to 20 years, with 12 years suspended; ordered to serve 8 years and may be released earlier.

Source:
Madoc Hyunsu O’Callaghan
Korean American adoptees furious at light sentence for toddler killer
Former NSA Employee Sentenced for Adopted Son’s Death
Former NSA official sentenced to 12 years in death of adopted son
Former NSA official gets 12 years in death of adopted son
Former NSA Official Sentenced to 12 Years in Death of Adopted Special-Needs Son
U.S. school for disabled children to dedicate statue in memory of S. Korean adoptee
Korean-American Adoptees Dedicate Statue in Memory of Killed Boy

Ramsay Scrivo

Photo of Ramsay Scrivo, a young man with short brown hair and a muscular build; he is smiling slightly. Name: Ramsay Scrivo.
Died: January 31, 2014.
Age at death: 32.
Cause of death: Asphyxia.
Location: St. Clair Shores, Michigan, USA.
Disability: Schizophrenia.

Details:
Ramsay’s mother dosed him with Xanax until he fell unconscious, then strangled him to death.

Case status:
Donna Scrivo (Mother), convicted of first-degree murder, sentenced to life without parole.

Source:
Donna Scrivo weeps at sight of autopsy photo of son
Dueling images of Donna Scrivo emerge in murder trial
Detective testifies about the discovery of Ramsay Scrivo’s dismembered body along a St. Clair County road
Mom who killed, dismembered son gets life in prison

Vincent Phan

No Photo Name: Vincent Phan.
Died: January 30, 2014.
Age at death: 24.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Lawrenceville, Georgia, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Vincent was shot by his mother, who then killed herself.

Case status:
Thuy Phan (Mother), deceased.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Vincent Phan
Gwinnett Police investigating possible murder/suicide in Lawrenceville
Cops: Woman shoots autistic son, herself in murder-sucide in Gwinnett County
Police: Lawrenceville mother shots autistic son, herself
Police: Mother Kills Autistic Son, Then Herself

Ayahna Comb

Name: Ayahna Comb.
Died: January 29, 2014.
Age at death: 9.
Cause of death: Malnutrition/dehydration.
Location: Houston, Texas, USA.
Disability: Cerebral palsy.

Details:
Ayana was fatally neglected by her mother. When she died, her mother wrapped her in blankets and put her 15-pound body in the crisper drawer of her refrigerator.

Case status:
Amber Keyes (Mother), pleaded guilty to injury to a child by omission, sentenced to 20-40 years.

Source:
Death of girl found wrapped in blankets in refrigerator ruled a homicide
Mother of girl, 9, found dead in refrigerator sentenced to 40 years

Lucas Ruiz

Photo of Lucas Ruiz, an infant lying on a fleece throw; he has light skin, neat brown hair, and a round face. Name: Lucas Ruiz.
Died: January 24, 2014.
Age at death: 17 months.
Cause of death: Alcohol poisoning.
Location: Belle Chasse, Louisiana, USA.
Disability: Down syndrome.

Details:
Lucas’s mother poisoned him with hand sanitizer injected into his feeding tube.

Case status:
Erika Wigstrom (Mother), charged with first-degree murder, pleaded guilty, sentenced to 40 years.

Source:
Belle Chasse mom booked with fatal poisoning of her 17-month-old son

Damien Veraghen

Name: Damien Veraghen.
Died: January 20, 2014.
Age at death: 9.
Cause of death: Asphyxia.
Location: Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA.
Disability: Autism, epilepsy.

Details:
Damien was drugged and suffocated by his mother in a murder-suicide.

Damien liked playing catch, and loved sports in general. He played in the Miracle League of Green Bay. Every week, Damien played a game with friends in the league. He loved the baseball bats.

He also liked to run the vacuum cleaner at home; neighbors would hear the vacuum cleaner and know it was Damien.

Case status:
April Veraghen (Mother), deceased.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Damien Veraghen
April and Damien Veraghen, Obituary
Mother-son deaths at west-side apartment ruled murder, suicide
Friends remember victims of murder-suicide
Mother-son murder-suicide investigation closed

Aidan Bossingham

Photo of a young boy with light olive-toned skin, wearing a sweatshirt and a Cardinals baseball cap. Name: Aidan Edward Bossingham.
Died: January 12, 2014.
Age at death: 12.
Cause of death: Starvation.
Location: Kenmare, North Dakota, USA.
Disability: Growth hormone deficiency.

Details:
Aidan’s mother refused him treatment for his growth hormone deficiency and starved him until he died.

Case status:
Jessica Lee Jensen (Mother); pled guilty to murder and child neglect; sentenced to 40 years in prison with 15 years suspended.

Source:
North Dakota woman sentenced in child starvation case
N.D. 13-year-old weighed 21 pounds; mom accused in his starvation death

Saharah Weatherspoon

Photo of Saharah Weatherspoon, a toddler girl sitting in a pink car seat. She has very curly black hair and brown skin. Name: Saharah Weatherspoon.
Died: January 1, 2014.
Age at death: 23 months.
Cause of death: Head injury.
Location: Ringgold, Georgia, USA.
Disability: Developmental delay.

Details:
When doctors noticed Saharah’s bruises in the months before her fatal head injury, Saharah’s foster mother said Saharah was falling down because of her developmental delay and asked for a helmet. Saharah died of severe head injuries; she had been beaten to death by her foster mother.

Case status:
Clara Louise Edwards (Foster mother), pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter, sentenced to 20 years.

Source:
Former Ringgold foster mom pleads guilty to killing baby, sentenced to 20 years
Defense wraps up its case with afternoon of testimony in Clara Edwards murder trial
Jury Reaches Verdict in Foster Child Death Case

Omaree Varela

Name: Omaree Varela.
Died: December 27, 2013.
Age at death: 9.
Cause of death: Blunt trauma, internal bleeding.
Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA.
Disability: ADHD, PTSD, mild developmental delay.

Details:
Omaree was kicked to death by his mother.

Six months before he died, Omaree called 911 for help; but the investigation came to nothing.

Case Status:
Synthia Varela-Casaus (Mother), convicted of murder, sentenced to 40 years.
Stephen Casaus (Stepfather), convicted of convicted of child abuse resulting in death, sentenced to 30 years; sentence overturned, still in prison in drug charges, but may have his sentence reduced to 10.5 years.

Sources:
Omaree Varela’s parents – All about their troubles with the law
Omaree Varela’s stepfather to be re-sentenced
Omaree death settlement cloaked in secrecy – Albuquerque Journal