Relationship: Parent – Page 58 – Disability Day of Mourning

Jaelen Edge

A photo of a brown-skinned boy with a buzz cut, wearing a T-shirt, sitting on a deck chair, looking to the side, frowning. Inset: Photo of a brown-skinned young girl with brown skin and black hair pulled back, chin in her hand, smiling, wearing a coral blouse. Name: Jaelen Edge.
Died: September 14, 2013.
Age at death: 13.
Cause of death: Drowning.
Location: Santa Ana, California, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Jaelen was poisoned and then drowned by his mother, who also killed his ten-year-old sister Faith.

Case status:
Marilyn Edge (Mother); pleaded guilty to murder; sentenced to life without parole.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Jaelen Edge
Ariz. Mother Allegedly Kills Children To Prevent Father From Getting Custody
Marilyn Edge Update: Ariz. mom accused of poisoning daughter, autistic son, charged with murder
Mother Accused of Poisoning Children in OC Asks Judge for Death
Marilyn Edge update: Documents shed light on what murder suspect was going through
Arraignment postponed for Marilyn Edge, mother charged in children’s deaths
Grand jury testimony: Mom’s plot to kill children involved sleeping pills, drowning
Mother pleads guilty
Mother sentenced to life in prison for murder of 2 kids in Santa Ana

Yu

Blurry photo of a baby boy lying asleep on a red blanket; he has tan skin and black hair, and is wearing a red top and blue jeans. Name: Yu (Family name unknown).
Died: September 9, 2013.
Age at death: 16 months.
Cause of death: Poisoned, smothered.
Location: Shenyang, Liaoning province, China.
Disability: Club foot.

Details:
Yu’s father allegedly poisoned him with pesticides, then smothered him and threw his body off a bridge. The police concluded that the boy’s disability, along with an unhappy marriage, had caused the father to become depressed and become unable to resist the impulse to murder his son.

Case status:
Feng (Father); charged with homicide.

Source:
Young father poisons toddler, smothers him and throws him from bridge

Nathalyz Rivera

Photo of Nathalyz Rivera, a baby with light-tan skin and black hair, wearing a big white hair ribbon. She has her eyes wide open and her tongue poking out of her mouth a little. Name: Nathalyz Rivera.
Died: September 9, 2013.
Age at death: 3.
Cause of death: Starvation.
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
Disability: Down syndrome (visually impaired, unable to walk or talk).

Details:
Nathalyz and her siblings were starved and neglected by their parents, fed only once a day. Nathalyz, the youngest, could not hold a bottle to feed herself. When she died of starvation, her parents were arrested.

Her two brothers and two sisters survived and were moved to foster homes.

Case status:
Carmen Ramirez (Mother), convicted of 3rd-degree murder, manslaughter, negligence; sentenced to 30-60 years in prison.
Carlos Rivera (Father), convicted of 3rd-degree murder, manslaughter, negligence; sentenced to 30-60 years in prison.

Source:
Mother ‘used daughter’s disability checks to party at casinos months before her 3-year-old starved to death on filthy floor’
Parents of fatally starved girl get long prison terms

Jake Harkins

Photo of a boy with fair skin and sandy hair, wearing a white shirt. Name: Jake Harkins.
Died: September 6, 2013.
Age at death: 10.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Jake’s father shot him to death in a murder suicide.

Case status:
Jake Harkins Sr. (Father), deceased.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Jake Harkins
Domestic incident leaves two dead, 1 injured
Dad Kills Son, Self, Shoots Wife in “Gruesome” Murder-Suicide: Police
Memorial Dedicated at NE Phila. School to Autistic Boy Who Died

Madison Garcia

Photo of Madison Garcia, a fair-skinned baby strapped into a car seat. She has a big white bow on her head. There are lots of dangle toys hanging all around her. Name: Madison McKenzie Garcia.
Died: September 2, 2013.
Age at death: 13 months.
Cause of death: Malnutrition, dehydration.
Location: West Columbia, South Carolina, USA.
Disability: Down syndrome.

Details:
Madison’s parents starved her to death.

Case status:
Tracy Roach (Mother), pleaded guilty to murder, sentenced to life without parole.
Filiberto Garcia Campos (Father), pleaded guilty to murder, sentenced to life without parole.

Source:
Pair charged after infant daughter dies from malnutrition, dehydration
Father gets life in prison after infant with Down syndrome starved to death
Lexington dad gets life sentence after infant daughter dies from malnutrition, dehydration

Marian Roberts

No Photo Name: Marian Roberts.
Died: August 17, 2013.
Age at death: 57.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Oakland, California, USA.
Disability: Quadriplegic, TBI.

Details:
Marian was shot by her father in a murder-suicide.

Case status:
William K. Roberts (Father), deceased.

Source:
Oakland father, daughter shot to death in murder-suicide
Oakland man kills disabled daughter, self
Elderly Oakland man kills disabled daughter, self
Oakland father, daughter shot to death in murder-suicide

Hayley Bell

Photo of a sleeping fair-skinned toddler girl, draped in cloth. Name: Hayley Dea Bell.
Died: August 1, 2013.
Age at death: 8.
Cause of death: Pneumonia, malnutrition.
Location: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Disability: Developmental disability; tube-fed; epilepsy.

Details:
Hayley’s mother refused services and took her daughter out of school. Hayley died of starvation and pneumonia, weighing 12 kilograms (26 pounds).

Case status:
Elisha Bell (Mother), caregiver. No charges.

Source:
Starved, sick and unschooled: Did child protection fail Hayley?
Bell, Hayley Dea

Matthew Hafer

No Photo Name: Matthew Hafer.
Died: Several days before July 27, 2013.
Age at death: 28.
Cause of death: Prescription drug overdose.
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Matthew’s mother poisoned him with an overdose of prescription drugs.

Case status:
Joann Hafer (Mother), pled guilty to second-degree murder; sentenced to 10 years to life.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Matthew Hafer
Woman accused of killing son who had autism set for court
Police: Vegas woman drugged adult son to death
Mom accused of fatally drugging son appears in court
Police: Woman survives suicide attempt, arrested in death of disabled son
Court case

Mary Swierzewski

Photo of Mary Swierzewski, a middle-aged woman with fair skin and chin-length blond hair, wearing a red blouse. Name: Mary Swierzewski.
Died: July 6, 2013.
Age at death: 59.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: East Rockhill, Alabama, USA.
Disability: “Mentally handicapped”.

Details:
Mary was shot by her father in a murder-suicide.

Mary “loved to dance. She also enjoyed volunteering at the Sellersville Theater, Quakertown Library and participating with the Silver Sneakers at the Upper Bucks YMCA. Mary loved bells and took great pride in her collection. She also enjoyed watching Dora, the Explorer and Sponge Bob.”

Case status:
Thaddeus Swierzewski (Father), deceased.

Source:
Murder/Suicide – Thaddeus Swierzewski (Bucks County, PA)
Mary Swierzewski (1953-2013) – Find a Grave.

Robert Guinyard Jr.

Photo of a small boy with dark-brown skin and a very short buzz cut, wearing a green T-shirt, looking over his shoulder at the camera, and smiling. Name: Robert Guinyard Jr.
Died: July 1, 2013.
Age at death: 4.
Cause of death: Internal bleeding.
Location: Richland County, South Carolina, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Robert was tortured to death by his parents, who beat him so severely and so often that he bled out internally.

Case status:
Robert Guinyard Sr. (Father), sentenced to life without parole.
Courtney Thompson (Mother), sentenced to life without parole.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Robert Guinyard, Jr.
In the Arms Of the Angels: Robert Guinyard Jr.
Doctor: Child Had Multiple Bone Fractures
Richland County parents arrested, charged with homicide in son’s death
DSS Death: “The System Failed Robert”
Prosecutor: DSS ignored many pleas for help as ‘demon’ Richland parents tortured son to death
Parents sentenced to life in prison in 4-year-old son’s death