Category: Location: Australia

Barbara Willshire

Photo of a white-haired older woman with pink, fair skin and glasses, wearing a burgundy sweater and scarf, hands on the controls of a mobility scooter.Name: Barbara Willshire.
Died: August 24, 2022.
Age at death: 92.
Cause of death: Unspecified homicide.
Location: Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
Disability: Disabled elder, declining health.

Details:
Barbara’s husband killed her and himself in a murder-suicide.

She and her husband lived in a retirement community. Friends said that her health had been failing over the past few months, and her husband had been “very distressed”.

Case Status:
Dennis Willshire (Husband), deceased.

Sources:
Couple found dead in Adelaide unit after suspected murder-suicide
Elderly husband and wife found dead in suspected murder-suicide identified

Tiffani Scholten

Photo of a small girl with fair skin and blond hair, wearing a large white flowered hat and an oversized blue and yellow sweatshirt. She has her mouth open and is reaching for the camera.Name: Tiffani Scholten.
Died: April 18, 2022.
Age at death: 12.
Cause of death: Malnutrition.
Location: Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.
Disability: Rett syndrome.

Details:
Tiffani was found dead in her home, her body “extremely emaciated”. Child protection detectives said that “the care for [Tiffani] was insufficient and directly related to her death”. Because of Tiffani’s multiple medical conditions, it took more than two years of investigation before her parents were charged with murder.

Case Status:
Carrissa Scholten (Mother), charged with murder.
Aaron Paul Richardson (Mother’s partner), charged with murder.

Sources:
Girl who allegedly died of malnutrition spent hours in cupboard, court hears
Autism Memorial: Tiffani Scholten
How a glamorous mum was charged with her ’emaciated’ child’s murder
Gold Coast mother, stepfather charged with murder of 12-year-old daughter
‘Heart-wrenching’: Man, woman charged with 2022 murder of 12-year-old Gold Coast girl
Care of 12yo ‘insufficient’ before death: cops

Cameron Forrest

Photo of a young man with pale skin and dark-brown hair, a wispy mustache on his upper lip, smiling. He is wearing a flannel shirt over a black T-shirt.Name: Cameron Paul Forrest.
Died: April 16, 2022.
Age at death: 24.
Cause of death: Traumatic injury.
Location: Gladstone, Queensland, Australia.
Disability: Autism, OCD.

Details:
Cameron’s mother and brother allegedly conspired to kill him–first by medication overdose, then by stabbing him with a knife. Cameron died from his injuries. After being treated for self-inflicted injuries and discharged from the hospital, Cameron’s mother and brother were arrested. Police say Cameron’s brother said Cameron would be better off dead because the family’s financial hardships were insurmountable.

Case Status:
Lee-Ann Rae Forrest (Mother), charged with murder.
Alex William Forrest (Brother), charged with murder.

Sources:
Disturbing details emerge of ‘horrific’ Gladstone death after murder charges laid against mother and son
Mother and brother charged over man’s stabbing murder

Elizabeth Struhs

Photo of a young girl with light skin and dark-brown hair tucked under a pink Tweety Bird ball cap. She is grinning, head tilted to one side. She is wearing a pink T-shirt.Name: Elizabeth Struhs.
Died: January 7, 2022.
Age at death: 8.
Cause of death: Diabetic ketoacidosis.
Location: Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia.
Disability: Diabetes.

Details:
In 2019, Elizabeth was hospitalized because her mother had not given her insulin. She recovered; her mother was sentenced to prison. Shortly after her mother was released, Elizabeth’s parents again allegedly decided to reduce her dose of insulin, then refuse it entirely, while they and their religious group prayed over her. She died over the course of a few days.

Elizabeth was “an intelligent, spiritual child.”

Case Status:
Jason Struhs (Father), convicted of manslaughter, sentenced to 14 years in jail.
Brendan Stevens (Religious leader), convicted of manslaughter.
Kerrie Struhs (Mother), convicted of manslaughter, sentenced to 14 years in jail.
Zachary Struhs (Brother), convicted of manslaughter.
Ten other people were convicted of manslaughter.

Sources:
Elizabeths Struhs: Religious sect parents jailed over death of diabetic daughter
Trial begins for religious sect accused of killing child
Elizabeth Struhs’ father said he was a ‘new man’ after joining wife’s faith before daughter’s death, court hears

Tarrin-Macen O’Sullivan

Photo of a small boy sitting in a swing. He has pale skin, and is wearing a blue sun hat with the name "Tarrin" on the band, and a gray T-shirt printed with "Sup, Peeps". He is smiling.Name: Tarrin-Macen O’Sullivan.
Died: August 29, 2021.
Age at death: 4.
Cause of death: Unspecified; found in pool, but did not drown.
Location: Mackay, Queensland, Australia.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Tarrin-Macen’s body was found floating in the pool in his backyard, so his death was initially thought to be an accidental drowning. But an autopsy confirmed that Tarrin-Macen had already been dead when his body was put into the pool.

Case Status:
Tara Richardson (Mother) was charged with murder in a domestic violence setting and interfering with a corpse.

Sources:
Autism Memorial: Terrin-Macen O’Sullivan
North Queensland woman charged with murder over four-year-old son’s death
Boy, 4, found dead in pool ‘didn’t drown’
‘I would like to have answers’: Father of QLD boy found dead in pool speaks out
Toddler’s mystery death in pool, results ‘inconsistent with drowning’
Twist in boy’s suspicious ‘drowning’ death
Dad speaks out after son’s ‘drowning’ sparks murder probe
Woman in custody in relation to four-year-old child’s 2021 death at Munbura
Homicide investigation launched after toddler’s death deemed ‘inconsistent with drowning’

Wayne Leworthy

Photo: Smiling, brown-haired, fair-skinned man.Name: Wayne Leworthy.
Died: August 28, 2021.
Age at death: 46.
Cause of death: Stabbing.
Location: Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
Disability: “Severely disabled”, wheelchair user.

Details:
Wayne was stabbed by his father before his father killed himself. His mother came home only to find their bodies.

Case Status:
Neville Leworthy (Father), deceased.

Source:
Tragic detail before murder-suicide
‘Every single person has the right to safety’: Disability advocate speaks out following suspected murder-suicide in Adelaide
‘No red flags’: Deaths of two men in Adelaide being treated as murder-suicide
Father, 72, and his disabled son found dead in Adelaide
OAP ‘killed wheelchair-bound son, 46, & himself’ in tragic murder-suicide

Mark Vella

Photo of Mark Vella, a heavyset middle-aged man with dark hair, light skin, and a receding hairline.Name: Mark Anthony Vella.
Died: August 9, 2021.
Age at death: 52.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Murrumbateman, New South Wales, Australia.
Disability: Blind.

Details:
Mark’s wife shot him as he slept. Prosecutors at her trial said that she had “gotten tired of” caring for him after 23 years of marriage.

Case Status:
Dale Vella (Wife), convicted of murder, sentenced to 18-24 years.

Sources:
Mum blasted her blind husband in the face with shotgun while he slept
Struggle to understand woman’s murder of husband
Woman gave an Oscar-winning performance if she murdered husband, barrister says
Woman who shot blind husband guilty of murder
UPDATED: Wife who shot sleeping husband in head found guilty of murder
Dale Lee Vella committed to trial for alleged murder of Mark Vella in Murrumbateman

Lourdi Ramadan

Photo of a woman with straight brown hair and fair skin, sunglasses propped on her head, squinting into the sun.Name: Lourdi “Lordy” Ramadan.
Died: April 23, 2021.
Age at death: 48.
Cause of death: Homicide.
Location: Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.
Disability: Fibromyalgia.

Details:
Lordy was found dead inside the home she and her partner, who also served as her caregiver, shared, along with the body of her partner.

Lordy used to buy coffee for, and give money to, her homeless neighbors. She would do anything for her family.

Case Status:
Craig Bouma (Partner), died by suicide.

Source:
Family of woman who died in suspected murder-suicide says there were no signs her partner might kill her
Woman found stuffed into chest named as chilling note emerges
Brother of woman who died in suspected murder-suicide says there were no signs her partner might kill her
Help bring Lordy home, organized by Alex Ramadan
‘Taken too soon’: Woman found in Gold Coast chest identified, as family starts fundraiser
‘Tragic event’: Woman found in furniture chest in suspected Gold Coast murder-suicide identified
Tributes flow after suspected Gold Coast murder suicide
Gold Coast murder-suicide victim mourned by her heartbroken family

16-year-old boy

Photo UnavailableName Unknown.
Died: March 16, 2021.
Age at death: 16.
Cause of death: Asphyxia.
Location: Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
This 16-year-old boy was sleeping in his home when his cousin, who had come to visit, got high on meth and strangled him to death. Prosecutors at the trial, where he was convicted of murder, say he knew he tended to become psychotic while he was high and took the drug anyway.

Case Status:
Chadley Sheridan (Cousin), convicted of murder, sentenced to 17-25 years.

Source:
Man who strangled schoolboy in his bedroom after injecting ice learns fate
Autism Memorial: 16-year-old boy
Man arrested in a KFC carpark and charged with the alleged murder of his severely autistic cousin
Cousin charged with murder after teen’s body found
‘Fear and terror’: Killer Chadley Sheridan apologises to family of 16-year-old autistic boy
Australian man who strangled sleeping teenager believed he was being chased by the Chinese government
Charges laid after teen found dead in Charlestown apartment complex

Robyn Beever

Photo of an older woman with chin-length dark brown hair and fair skin, wearing a string of pearls.Name: Robyn Beever.
Died: February 25, 2021.
Age at death: 81.
Cause of death: Strangled.
Location: Varsity Lakes, Queensland, Australia.
Disability: Dementia.

Details:
Robyn was found dead in her garage. Police suspect her husband of having strangled her or killed her with an axe during an attempt at murder-suicide.

She had a small dog named Foxy.

Case Status:
Maxwell Beever (Husband), charged with murder; died before trial.

Source:
Why slain Gold Coast grandma will never see justice
Elderly man in court charged with wife’s murder at Gold Coast home
Man accused of killing his wife allegedly tried to put body in a car
Family say they are supporting 82yo man accused of murdering wife
Woman allegedly murdered by husband may have been dead for a day
Husband charged over suspected murder suicide won’t cooperate, police say