Relationship: Parent – Page 61 – Disability Day of Mourning

Tia Jones

Photo: A girl with brown skin and black hair in braids, wearing a turquoise long-sleeved shirt, standing in front of a Christmas tree. Name: Tia Ann Jones.
Died: February 18, 2013.
Age at death: 12.
Cause of death: Infection.
Location: Cleveland, Ohio, USA.
Disability: Autism, ADHD.

Details:
Tia Ann’s parents neglected an infection in her feet until it spread and killed her.

Case status:
Randy D. Jones (Father), found guilty of involuntary manslaughter; sentenced to 10 years.
Carissa Jones (Mother), found guilty of involuntary manslaughter; sentenced to 10 years.

Source:
Tia Jones
Ohio Supreme Court will decide if 10-year prison sentence too long for parents convicted of letting sick child die
10-year prison sentence reinstated for Richmond Heights couple in daughter’s death

Brandon White

Photo of Brandon White, a young man with fair skin and very short brown hair. He has ears that stick out a little, and a long nose. He is pressing his lips together. Name: Brandon Leon White.
Died: January 8, 2013.
Age at death: 15.
Cause of death: Asphyxiation.
Location: Denison, Texas, USA.
Disability: Autism, epilepsy, bipolar disorder.

Details:
Brandon had epilepsy and bipolar disorder, but he hadn’t taken his medication for a while–his family said they couldn’t afford it. Instead of getting him the medication, Brandon’s mother’s boyfriend tied him up and gagged him, then put a pillow over his face to make him stop struggling. Brandon died of suffocation.

Case status:
Robert Gray Jr. (Mother’s boyfriend); convicted of murder; sentenced to 45-90 years.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Brandon White
Denison teen dies at home
New details in death of Denison teen
Teen killed in Denison had ties to Jasper
Man arrested for murder in Denison teen’s death
Pennies from Heaven for Brandon
Denison Murder Suspect Testifies He Was Tired During Interrogations
Man sentenced to 90 years for Denison teen’s murder

Quinten Wood

Photo of a teenage boy with pale skin and messy brown hair; he has his head tilted back. He is wearing a flannel shirt. Name: Quinten “Q-Man” Wood.
Died: January 4, 2013.
Age at death: 15.
Cause of death: Pneumonia.
Location: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA.
Disability: Chromosome 9 Ring.

Details:
Quinten’s father neglected him; he died of pneumonia related to starvation.

Quinten was a fan of Star Wars and Daft Punk.

Case status:
Michael Wood (Father), pleaded guilty to neglect, given a suspended sentence and one year of probation.

Source:
Valerie Wood-Harber Got Justice for Her Brother – and Other Disabled Kids
Justice for Quinten
Father, DHS Employees Facing Charges In Quinten Wood Death
How a disabled boy’s heartbreaking story inspired real legislation

Melissa Stoddard

Name: Melissa Stoddard.
Died: December 17, 2012.
Age at death: 11.
Cause of death: Asphyxia.
Location: Sarasota, Florida, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Melissa suffocated in the restraints her family routinely used to tie her to her bed.

Case status:
Misty Stoddard (Stepmother); convicted of first-degree murder; sentenced to life without parole.
Kenneth Stoddard (Father); aggravated manslaughter, aggravated child abuse; sentenced to 65 years.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Melissa Stoddard
Before Melissa Stoddard died here, abuse in North Carolina
Sarasota man Kenneth Stoddard arrested for hog-tying 11-year-old daughter Melissa, who later died
Misty Stoddard arrested for child abuse after death of autistic stepdaughter Melissa Stoddard
Trial set in abuse death of autistic Fla. girl
Woman Guilty of Killing Autistic Stepdaughter

Andrea Ruth

Portrait photo of Andrea Ruth, a girl with brown skin and short, curly hair in a hairband. Name: Andrea Ruth.
Died: November 24, 2012.
Age at death: 12.
Cause of death: Sepsis.
Location: Nashville, Tennessee, USA.
Disability: Multiple medical problems.

Details:
Andrea had been neglected so badly that her legs were scheduled to be amputated because of gangrene. However, her father did not take her for surgery and did not take her to the doctor. She eventually died of blood poisoning.

Case status:
Errol Johnson (Father), convicted of aggravated child neglect and criminally negligent homicide; sentenced to 22 years in prison.
Raven Ruth (Mother), pleaded guilty to aggravated child abuse and second degree murder; sentenced to 25 years.
Chasara Jones (Health care worker), pleaded guilty to aggravated child abuse, sentenced to 13 years 6 months.

Source:
Home Health Care Worker Sentenced In Death Of Bedridden 12-Year-Old
Father and caregiver of disabled Tenn. girl who died from gangrene, bedsores charged with murder
Mother indicted in 12-year-old daughter’s death

Peyton Rowe

Photo of Peyton Rowe, a newborn infant wrapped in a blanket. Name: Peyton Rowe.
Died: November 12, 2012.
Age at death: 6 weeks.
Cause of death: Fatal abuse.
Location: Visalia, California, USA.
Disability: Turner syndrome.

Details:
Peyton’s father had been beating her since she was born. At 6 weeks old, she died from her injuries.

Case status:
Aaron Rowe (Father), convicted of second-degree murder, sentenced to 18 years to life.
Courtney Rowe (Mother), pleaded no contest to child abuse, sentenced to 4 years probation.

Source:
Visalia mother Courtney Johnson charged in death of baby daughter gets 4 years’ probation
Visalia man convicted of killing his daughter sentenced to 18 years to life in prison – ABC30 Fresno
Father, 23, could face death penalty for ‘beating his handicapped newborn daughter to death after torturing her for WEEKS’

Isaac Brothers-Bartholomew

Photo of Isaac Brothers-Bartholomew, an infant boy swaddled in a floral blanket, with a feeding tube in his nose. Name: Isaac Brothers-Bartholomew.
Died: November 6, 2012.
Age at death: 18 months.
Cause of death: Malnutrition.
Location: Vermilion, Ohio, USA.
Disability: Tube fed; multiple medical problems.

Details:
Isaac’s parents starved him to death. He and his other disabled siblings were often left in the care of an 11-year-old boy, who could only give them bottles to drink from; but because they could not swallow well, the children starved. After Isaac’s death, his siblings were rescued and placed in foster care.

Case status:
Adrienne Bartholomew (Mother), pleaded guilty to child endangerment and patient endangerment, sentenced to 5 years.
James Brothers (Father), pleaded guilty to child endangerment and patient endangerment, sentenced to 6 years.
Isaac’s estate is suing the state.

Source:
Baby Isaac’s family pleads guilty in malnutrition death
Starved Vermilion boy’s estate, siblings file suit
Parents of malnourished Ohio boy get prison time
Baby Isaac’s family pleads guilty in malnutrition death
‘He’s stiff as a board’: The 18-month-old boy who ‘starved to death’ as mother called 911 to claim he died suddenly… and four of her other children were found malnourished

Robin Adams Jr.

No Photo Name: Robin Adams Jr.
Died: February 2012; body found October 12, 2012.
Age at death: 23.
Cause of death: Malnutrition.
Location: Hephzibah, Georgia, USA.
Disability: Cri du chat syndrome.

Details:
Instead of taking Robin to the doctor to help him stay fed and hydrated, Robin’s mother neglected him and Robin starved to death. His family failed to report his death and kept collecting his disability payments for several months.

Case status:
Angela Mercer (Mother), convicted of murder, sentenced to 30 years to life; released after 6 years.
Deaidra Motley (Sister), charged with concealing a death.

Source:
Coroner calls mummified body case ‘one of the worst ones that we’ve ever seen’
$100,000 bond set for woman accused in disabled son’s death
Augusta mother sentenced to life in prison for death of disabled son

Shaneca Webber

No Photo Name: Shaneca Webber.
Died: September 5, 2012.
Age at death: 30.
Cause of death: Blunt trauma.
Location: Millington, Tennessee, USA.
Disability: Unspecified.

Details:
Shaneca’s mother allegedly confessed to police that she had hit her daughter in the head with a fire extinguisher.

Case status:
Kathy Webber (Mother); charged with first-degree murder.

Source:
Mother Says She Murdered Disabled Daughter With Fire Extinguisher
Woman found murdered in Millington identified
Mother Heads To Court, Admits to Killing Daughter
Millington Woman Found Murdered

Erin Crabtree

Photo of Erin Crabtree, a teenage girl with pale skin and brown hair, smiling at the camera. Someone in a lion costume is resting their hand on her shoulder. Name: Erin Crabtree.
Died: September 4, 2012.
Age at death: 18.
Cause of death: Opiate poisoning.
Location: Maudsland, Queensland, Australia.
Disability: Developmental disability, autism.

Details:
Erin was allegedly fatally poisoned with codeine by her mother, who staged her death as a suicide and collected life insurance. Five years later, Erin’s brother Jonathan would die the same way.

When Erin’s mother was finally arrested, Erin’s sister, also disabled and in her mother’s custody, was found in bad shape from having been repeatedly dosed with sedatives, and was rescued.

Case status:
Maree Crabtree (Mother), charged with two counts of murder, grievous bodily harm, torture, fraud, and armed robbery.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Erin Crabtree
Mum’s strange decision before deaths
Witness claims mum accused of murdering children wished son was dead: court
Gold Coast mum Maree Mavis Crabtree accused of murdering her two disabled children
‘Very controlling’: Chilling allegations against Qld mum accused of killing her disabled kids
Mum’s strict rules before alleged murder
Mom murdered her two adult children for insurance payouts, police say
Australian mother arrested after she allegedly poisoned her disabled kids
Gold Coast mother killed two adult children for financial gain, police allege
Maree Crabtree ‘told disabled son to hold up a chemist’
Mum, 51, charged with murdering her kids told one to rob a chemist
Mother accused of poisoning her disabled adult children to death bagged $500k in insurance
‘Killer mum’ claimed $500k in insurance for disabled kids
Mum allegedly poisoned two children, prepared suicide note
Queensland mother allegedly murdered her two children with disabilities for money
Mother charged over children’s murders
QLD mother charged with murder, torture after allegedly poisoning two children to death
Friend says murdered Jonathon Crabtree was ‘full of life’
Jonathan Crabtree tried to call best mate an hour before his death
Australian mother arrested for the alleged murder of her two disabled children
Gold Coast mother killed two adult children for financial gain, police allege
Son of murder-accused had been ‘trying to pick up his life’ before he was found dead
Pictured: Disabled siblings ‘poisoned to death by rat-loving mother’
Australian mum ‘poisoned, killed disabled children for financial gain’, police claim
Murder-accused mother used prescription drugs to control children: police
Police say murder-accused mum helped son secure $200,000 disability benefits, then staged his suicide
Mum accused of disabled kids’ murder said one got Autism from a needle
Australian woman kills two ‘disabled’ adult children for financial gains
Mum partied as Erin died alone
Father of murdered siblings tried to have his son put in care
The missing Sprite cup in the police case against an accused double murderer