Relationship: Parent – Page 72 – Disability Day of Mourning

Giovanni Kopystenski

Photo of a young boy with olive skin and black hair, wearing an athletic jersey, standing in front of some palm trees. Name: Giovanni Kopystenski.
Died: July 21, 2009.
Age at death: 5.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Giovanni’s father says he left a loaded gun on the center console of the car while he and the boy were in the car, and that Giovanni took the gun and shot himself in the head.

Giovanni was playful and mischievous, a great swimmer who loved Thomas the Tank Engine and McDonald’s chicken nuggets.

Case status:
Alex Kopystenski (Father), pleaded guilty to child abuse and neglect with substantial bodily harm; sentenced to 5 years probation.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Giovanni Kopystenski
Mother in Shock After Death of Son
Boy’s father charged with endangerment after fatal shooting
Sentencing delayed for father who admits guilt in boy’s fatal shooting
Grandmother disputes police report that boy was shot with gun left on vehicle’s console
Giovanni’s Legacy Foundation

Parion Williams

No Photo Name: Parion Williams.
Died: July 9, 2009.
Age at death: 16 months.
Cause of death: Malnutrition.
Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.
Disability: Cerebral palsy, congenital syphillis.

Details:
Parion was losing weight, and his doctor told his mother that he needed to see a specialist. Parion never saw the specialist, and died of starvation.

Case status:
Mandisa Z. Randolph (Mother), charged with child neglect.

Source:
Investigators tried to visit home of baby who later died
Woman failed to seek treatment for baby who died, complaint says

Meah Weidner

Photo of Meah Weidner, a young girl with short blond hair and fair skin, sitting in a power chair, smiling mischievously with her tongue stuck out. There is an ocean in the background. Name: Meah Weidner.
Died: July 7, 2009.
Age at death: 10.
Cause of death: Head injury.
Location: Spartanburg, South Carolina, USA.
Disability: Cerebral palsy.

Details:
Meah’s mother’s boyfriend killed her by shaking her and dropping her on her head.

Case status:
David “Tony” Tyre (Mother’s boyfriend), homicide by child abuse, life without parole.

Source:
Child’s death stuns friends in Carolina Miracle League

Michael Becht Jr.

Name: Michael “Mikey” Becht Jr.
Died: July 6, 2009.
Age at death: 10.
Cause of death: Poisoning.
Location: St. Paul, Minnesota, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Michael’s mother poisoned him with a drug overdose.

Michael had befriended the neighbor’s six-year-old, with whom he played “Whales and Sharks”, a modified version of tag.

Case status:
Patricia Becht (Mother); pled guilty to murder; Sentenced to 38 years, 3 months with possibility of parole in 25-and-a-half years.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Michael Becht Jr.
In Loving Memory Of Michael Becht Jr (Mikey)
Mother investigated in South St. Paul boy’s death
South St. Paul mother suspected of killing 10-year-old son
South St. Paul mom charged in attempted murder-suicide by drug overdose that left son dead
Mom admits to killing autistic son
Minnesota Mother Charged With Poisoning Children Says She Had Planned to Commit Suicide With Them at Michael Jackson’s Neverland Ranch

D’Amber Myles

No Photo Name: D’Amber Myles.
Died: June 30, 2009.
Age at death: 5.
Cause of death: Drowning.
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.
Disability: Cerebral Palsy.

Details:
D’Amber’s mother allegedly put her in the bathtub and turned the water on, then closed the door and left her there with the water running as the bathtub filled. Because she could not hold her head out of the water, D’Amber drowned.

Case status:
Raven Gibbons (Mother), charged with second-degree murder.

Source:
Woman arrested, charged in drowning of daughter
Mother charged in drowning of 5-year-old daughter – Las Vegas Sun Newspaper
Mother charged with murder

Peter Mugo

No Photo Name: Peter Mugo.
Died: June 25, 2009.
Age at death: 5.
Cause of death: Homicide.
Location: Limuru, Kiambu County, Kenya.
Disability: Deaf.

Details:
Peter’s mother killed him and threw his body into a latrine. She had been hiding his existence from her current husband, and killed him to try to save her marriage.

Case status:
Alice Njoki (Mother), sentenced to 6 years.

Source:
Alice Njoki

Faheem Farook

No Photo Name: Faheem Mohamed Farook.
Died: April 24, 2009.
Age at death: 7.
Cause of death: Fall.
Location: Singapore.
Disability: Asperger syndrome.

Details:
Faheem and his parents moved to Singapore from India when he was just a year old; at five, Faheem was diagnosed with autism, and his parents were “troubled by his condition”.

When he was seven, his father pushed him out a high-rise window and jumped out after him.

Case status:
Mohamed Farook (Father), deceased.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Faheem Farook
Husband leaped to death with son: She taps into grief to help others heal
Book of stories about conquering mental illness launched at charity’s 5th anniversary dinner

Caden Rivera

Vignette photo of Caden Rivera, a toddler boy with wavy brown hair and olive-toned skin. Name: Caden Rivera.
Died: April 22, 2009.
Age at death: 2.
Cause of death: Blunt force abdominal trauma.
Location: Cape May County, New Jersey, USA.
Disability: Cerebral palsy.

Details:
Caden’s mother’s boyfriend beat him to death.

Case status:
Damian Rodriguez (Mother’s boyfriend), pleaded guilty to aggravated manslaughter, sentenced to 11-13 years.

Source:
Cape May disabled toddler dies while under DYFS supervision
Wildwood man sentenced to 13 years in Woodbine toddler’s death

Christian Chaote

Name: Christian Milton Chaote.
Died: April 5, 2009.
Age at death: 13.
Cause of death: Blunt trauma; internal bleeding, skull fracture.
Location: Gary, Indiana, USA.
Disability: Depression, anxiety, ADHD.

Details:
Christian’s parents abused him, eventually beating him to death.

Case status:
Riley Choate (Father), sentenced to 80 years.
Kimberly Kubina (Stepmother), sentenced to 25-35 years.

Source:
Angelizd’s Place: Christian Milton Chaote
Chilling letters of Christian Coate, boy kept in dog cage by his parents

Jeremy Fraser

Photo of a young boy with a buzz cut and navy blue sweater. He has light skin and brown eyes, and is smiling for the camera. Name: Jeremy Fraser.
Died: March 30, 2009.
Age at death: 9.
Cause of death: Leukemia.
Location: Salem, Maryland, USA.
Disability: Autism, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

Details:
Jeremy was in remission, on the last stage of his cancer therapy, when his mother deliberately withdrew the medication that probably would have saved his life. He died of recurrent leukemia.

Case status:
Kristen LaBrie (Mother), convicted of attempted murder, sentenced to 8-10 years; served 5 years before being granted new trial; pleaded guilty to attempted murder, sentenced to time served.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Jeremy Fraser
New Trial Granted for Salem Mother in Attempted Murder of Son
Woman Who Withheld Chemotherapy Medication From Ill Son Gets Time Served, Freed