Relationship: Parent – Page 83 – Disability Day of Mourning

Deetrick Brown

Photo of Deetrick Brown. It is a photo of a TV screen, showing an African-American toddler with a solemn expression. Faint text along the bottom says, "Christmas. December 25." The rest of the text is indistinct. Name: Deetrick Brown.
Died: January 16, 2003.
Age at death: 2.
Cause of death: Head trauma.
Location: La Quinta, California, USA.
Disability: Parents claimed “drug baby”, intellectual disability, autism. Seizures, possibly due to abuse.

Details:
Deetrick died of head trauma that caused repeated seizures in the months before his death. His parents argued that, rather than being abused, Deetrick was a “drug baby” who had an intellectual disability. When Deetrick died, a judge ruled there wasn’t enough evidence for the case to go to trial. But ten years later, the case was re-opened and reexamined, and his father and stepmother were arrested.

Case status:
Patricia Brown (Stepmother), convicted of second-degree murder, conviction overturned, retrial underway on charges of murder and assault.
Derrick Brown (Father), charges dropped.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Deetrick Brown
Prosecutors Drop Appeal Of Decision To Overturn Murder Conviction
Closing Arguments Scheduled in Trial of La Quinta Woman Accused in Toddler’s Murder
Husband acquitted, testimony continues for wife in toddler murder trial
New Trial Sought For La Quinta Woman Convicted In Toddler’s Death 13 Years After It Happened
New Trial Sought For RivCo Woman Convicted in Toddler’s Death 13 Years After It Happened

Reece Mushrush

Name: Reece Mushrush.
Died: December 27, 2002.
Age at death: 9.
Cause of death: Blood clot on the brain due to blows to the head.
Location: Painesville, Ohio, USA.
Disability: Developmental disability, asthma, epilepsy

Details:
Reece died from blunt-force trauma to the head, inflicted during beatings over the course of several days. According to the sheriff, his mother’s boyfriend said he had “lost his temper” with Reece for not following instructions.

Reece was a football fan, and his favorite shirt was his Browns football jersey.

Case Status:
Emery Martin (Mother’s partner), convicted of involuntary manslaughter and attempted child endangerment, sentenced to 15 years.
Heather Mushrush (Mother), sentenced to 4 years for child endangerment.

Source:
Reece A. Mushrush (1993-2002) – Find A Grave
Boyfriend charged with endangering boy who died
Many abused children die while under government watch
Reece A. Mushrush
Beating kills ‘special’ boy

Christopher Forder

Photo of Christopher Forder, a young boy with olive skin and black hair, smiling. Name: Christopher Forder.
Died: November 22, 2002.
Age at death: 8.
Cause of death: Pneumonia.
Location: Seabeck, Washington, USA.
Disability: Reactive attachment disorder.

Details:
Christopher died of untreated pneumonia. He had been beaten and starved by his adoptive mother.

Case status:
Kimberly Ann Forder (Adoptive mother), pleaded guilty to second-degree manslaughter, sentenced to 27 months in prison.

Source:
Christopher Forder

Dale Bartolome

Name: Dale Voltaire Bartolome.
Died: July 29, 2002.
Age at death: 27.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Mission Viejo, California, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Dale’s father shot him and then killed himself in a murder-suicide.

Case status:
Delfin Bartolome (Father), deceased.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Dale Bartolome
Stress Pushed Man to Kill Son, Himself, Family Says
Looking at a Murder for What It Really Is
Find a Grave: Dale Voltaire Bartolome

Cassandra Killpack

Photo of Cassandra Kilpatrick. She is a young black toddler, outdoors, stooping down and examining some dry grass. Name: Cassandra Taine Killpack.
Died: June 10, 2002.
Age at death: 4.
Cause of death: Water intoxication.
Location: Springville, Utah, USA.
Disability: Reactive attachment disorder.

Details:
Cassandra’s adoptive parents forced her to drink so much water that she died of water poisoning.

Case status:
Jennete Killpack (Adoptive mother), child abuse, 1 to 15 years in prison (served 6 years).
Richard Killpack, acquitted.

Source:
Cassandra Taine Killpack

Andy and Michael Scott

Photo of Andy and Michael Scott, two men with black hair and light-brown skin. There are balloons in the background. Name: Andy Byron Scott.
Age at death: 41.

Name: Michael Randy Scott.
Age at death: 42.

Died: June 8, 2002.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Spalding County, Georgia, USA.
Disability: Huntington’s disease.

Details:
Andy and Michael’s mother went to their nursing home and shot them.

Case status:
Carol Carr (Mother), pleaded guilty to assisted suicide, sentenced to 5 years in prison.

(There is no evidence that the two men ever asked their mother to help them commit suicide; she seems to have been the one who decided they should not live any longer. –Ed.)

Source:
Carol Carr

Mitchell Dickson

Photo Unavailable Name: Mitchell Dickson.
Died: June 4, 2002.
Age at death: 10.
Cause of death: Blood loss.
Location: Seymour, Texas, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Mitchell’s mother slashed him to death with razor blades and then tried to disguise it as a car accident.

Case status:
Melanie Rochelle Dickson (Mother); pled guilty to murder; sentenced to 15-30 years. Reported to have died in prison.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Mitchell Dickson
Mom Gets 30 Years In Prison For Son’s Murder

Gloria Sam

Name: Gloria Thomas Sam.
Died: May 8, 2002.
Age at death: 9 months.
Cause of death: Infection.
Location: Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Disability: Chronic eczema.

Details:
Gloria had eczema, a skin condition that needed treatment; but her father, a homeopath, refused to take her to the doctor. They took the sick little girl with them to India and delayed her treatment because they were jet-lagged. By the time she was finally taken to the hospital, her skin had deteriorated to the point that an infection had taken over her body, and she died three days later.

Case Status:
Thomas Sam (Father), convicted of manslaughter, sentenced to 6 to 8 years, banned from practicing homeopathy.
Majnu Sam (Mother), convicted of manslaughter, sentenced to 4 years to 5 years 4 months.

Sources:
Parents put social life before baby
Parents jailed over baby’s death
Baby Gloria’s parents jailed

Lilian Gill

Name: Lilian Leilani Gill.
Died: March 1, 2002.
Age at death: 4.
Cause of death: Homicide.
Location: San Bernardino, California, USA.
Disability: Mother claimed she was autistic.

Details:
Lillian was killed by her mother, who then claimed that Lilian had been sent to a special school to be treated for her autism. Lilian was later found buried in the backyard.

Case status:
Sharon Michelle Gill (Adoptive mother), pleaded no contest to voluntary manslaughter, sentenced to “almost 14” years in prison and 5 years probation.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Lilian Leilani Gill
Lillian Leilani Gill
Woman gets prison for child’s killing in 2002
Remains found of missing girl

Reese Baulne

Black and white photo of a man with fair skin, dark hair, and a thick mustache. Name: Reese Darren Baulne.
Died: December 30, 2001.
Age at death: 34.
Cause of death: Carbon monoxide poisoning.
Location: Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada.
Disability: Intellectual disability.

Details:
Reese’s parents filled their motor home with carbon monoxide, killing themselves and Reese in a murder-suicide.

Case status:
Maurice Baulne (Father) and Belva Baulne (Mother), deceased.

Source:
History of euthanasia in Canada
Tracy Latimer is dead because her father is a murderer
Couple’s suicide note reveals struggle to care for son
BC COUPLE MURDER DISABLED SON AND COMMIT SUICIDE
Reese Darren Baulne (1967-2001) – Find A Grave