Graeme Wylie

Photo of an elderly man, balding with gray hair and light skin. He has a thin face, and is looking down. He is wearing a checked shirt.Name: Graeme Wylie.
Died: March 22, 2006.
Age at death: 71.
Cause of death: Barbiturate poisoning.
Location: Cammeray, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Disability: Alzheimer’s disease.

Details:
Graeme had Alzheimer’s disease. His wife took him to Switzerland, hoping to have him euthanized; but the Swiss doctors told her that Graeme’s dementia was too severe for him to be able to consent to such a thing, and refused her. At the time, Graeme had moderate-to-severe dementia and was unable to remember things like how many children he had or what his birthday was.

Still intent on her husband’s death, Graeme’s wife asked a friend to travel to Mexico and buy her a high dose of a veterinary sedative. She administered this drug to Graeme, killing him.

Graeme’s daughters told reporters that Graeme had never said anything about suicide to them, and pointed out that his wife stood to inherit a large amount in his will when he died.

Graeme was a retired airline pilot.

Case Status:
Shirley Justins (Wife), found guilty of manslaughter, sentenced to 22-30 months of weekend detention.
Caren Jenning (Family friend), found guilty of being an accessory to manslaughter, died before sentencing.

Sources:
Dr Death chose life for Graeme
Woman gave Alzheimer’s husband fatal dose of drugs after Swiss authorities refused legal euthanasia
The death of Graeme Wylie
Graeme Wylie died a lonely death, says daughter.
Euthansia killer Shirley Justin escapes jail

Stefanie Brummer

A gravestone reading, "In memory of Stefanie Cristina Brummer, born 2-08-2002, died 18-09-2005. Safe in God's care."Name: Stefanie Christina Brummer.
Died: September 18, 2005.
Age at death: 5.
Cause of death: Suffocation.
Location: Eagleby, Logan, Queensland, Australia.
Disability: Intellectual disability.

Details:
Stefanie’s mother smothered her. She was reportedly frustrated with the child for “doing the wrong thing and being naughty”.

Case Status:
Alice Maree Potter (Mother), pleaded guilty to manslaughter, sentenced to 3-8 years.

Sources:
R v Potter; ex parte A-G (Qld) [2008] QCA
Mother smothers 5yo to death

Grace Parkes

No Photo
Name: Grace Winifred Parkes.
Died: January 16, 2005.
Age at death: 83.
Cause of death: Head injury.
Location: Sydney, Australia.
Disability: Diabetes, hypertension, Paget’s disease, Bells palsy, glaucoma, goitre, osteoporosis and osteoarthritis.

Details:
Grace’s son bludgeoned her to death.

Case status:
Phillip Raymond Parkes (Son), pleaded guilty to murder, sentenced to 13-18 years.

Source:
Regina v Phillip Raymond Parkes [2006] NSWSC 331

Gracie Sharpe

Photo of a toddler girl in blue overalls and white blouse, her dark-blond hair cut in bangs. She has fair skin and is smiling, showing her baby teeth.Name: Gracie Louise Sharpe.
Died: March 27, 2004.
Age at death: 20 months.
Cause of death: Shot with speargun.
Location: Mornington, Victoria, Australia.
Disability: Congenital hip dysplasia.

Details:
Gracie’s mother was pregnant with her younger sibling; but her father resented having to care for her and her special needs, and did not want another child. He used a spearfishing gun to kill Gracie’s mother, Anna Marie Kemp, whose baby, a son named Francis, died with her. He hid the body and pretended she had left him. Days later, he killed Gracie with the same speargun.

Case Status:
John Myles Sharpe (Father), convicted of two counts of murder, sentenced to 66 years to life.

Sources:
Sharpe family murders
Gracie Louise Sharpe (2002-2004) – Find A Grave.

Daniel Thomas

Photo of Daniel Thomas, a baby with dark hair and eyes. There is some bruising on his fair skin. He is wearing an orange and teal shirt.Name: Daniel Thomas.
Died: October 13, 2003.
Age at death: 2.
Cause of death: Unknown suspicious death.
Location: Myrtleford, Victoria, Australia.
Disability: Asthma, speech delay, allergies, eczema.

Details:
How Daniel he died is not known because his body was not found for several years, but the coroner suggested he might have been killed through strangulation, drowning, or a head injury. Police suspect that he was abused by his babysitter, and his mother ignored the abuse.

Case status:
Mandy Martyn (Babysitter) and Donna Thomas (Mother). No charges.

Source:
Coroner finds babysitter Mandy Martyn killed toddler Daniel Thomas —but also blames his mother Donna Thomas for doing nothing to help the boy
Cackling babysitter Mandy Martyn denies killing toddler Daniel Thomas, gives reporters a spray

E. A.

No PhotoName: E. A. (Initials; full name unknown.)
Died: August 29, 2003.
Age at death: 4.
Cause of death: Pneumonia and pyelonephritis.
Location: Mortdale, New South Wales, Australia.
Disability: Physical and intellectual disability; likely osteoporosis-pseudoglioma syndrome.

Details:
EA was born disabled, but his parents did not seek medical attention for him because his father did not believe in modern medicine. EA’s neonatal jaundice and cataracts were only treated once child welfare services became involved. His parents did not respond to his failure to thrive, small size, and weakness, believing that God would heal the child without a doctor’s help. At four years old, he was the size of a fifteen-month-old when he died from infections in his lungs and kidneys.

Case Status:
J. A. (Father), charged with manslaughter, died before trial.
H. A. (Mother), pleaded guilty to manslaughter, sentenced to 2 years, suspended for 2 years; released.

Sources:
R v HA
Religious mother admits to son’s death

Jason Dawes

Black and white photo of a smiling boy with light skin and short hair.Name: Jason Dawes.
Died: August 4, 2003.
Age at death: 10.
Cause of death: Suffocated.
Location: New South Wales, Australia.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Jason was suffocated by his mother, who believed there was “no hope for her son”.

Jason communicated by using sign boards.

Case status:
Daniela Dawes (Mother). Convicted of manslaughter; served no jail time.

Source:
Deadly Currents Beneath Calm Waters: Persons with Disability and the Right to Life in Australia
Child murder case highlights lack of services for carers of disabled
When Love is Not Enough
R v Daniella Dawes
Autism Memorial: Jason Dawes

Amber Haigh

Photo of a young woman with brown eyes, dark-brown hair, and pale skin, smiling for the camera; she is holding a baby.Name: Amber Haigh.
Died: June 5, 2002 (Missing).
Age at death: 19.
Cause of death: Missing, presumed dead.
Location: Kingsvale, New South Wales, Australia.
Disability: Intellectual disability.

Details:
Amber, who lived with an older couple, vanished in June 2002, leaving her six-month-old baby behind. In 2011, a coronial inquest declared her dead as a result of “homicide or other misadventure”. It took until 2020 for the couple she had been living with to be arrested and charged with her murder.

Amber’s parents remember her as a kind, loving soul who would help anyone who needed her, and as a dedicated mother who would never have voluntarily left her son behind.

Case Status:
Robert Geeves, charged with aggravated sexual assault (victim with a serious intellectual disability) and murder.
Anne Geeves, charged with murder.

Sources:
Married couple accused of murdering teenage mother in 2002 plead not guilty
Wire tap caught cold case murder accused discussing young mum’s remains, court told
Couple charged over alleged murder of NSW teen who vanished nearly 20 years ago
Couple charged with murder of disabled teenage mum
Man and woman charged over the murder of Amber Haigh
Couple charged with murder 20 years after young mum Amber Haigh vanished
Two charged with missing NSW teen’s murder

Gloria Sam

Photo of a baby with brown skin, wearing a multicolored onesie and socks, lying on her back.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

Unknown Man

No PhotoName Unknown.
Died: March 12, 2002.
Age at death: 50s.
Cause of death: Blunt trauma.
Location: New South Wales, Australia.
Disability: Intellectual disability, fronto-temporal dementia.

Details:
This man, whose name was not released, had a life-long intellectual disability, but began needing full-time care in his fifties, so he moved in with his father, his niece, and her baby son. His dementia had become quite severe, resulting in behavioral disinhibition, when he became confused and masturbated in the presence of his niece’s baby. She reacted by beating and kicking him to death.

He was a Vietnam veteran who worked stocking shelves before the dementia forced him to retire.

Case Status:
KMB (Niece), sentenced to 3-7 years.

Sources:
R v KMB [2005] NSWCCA 185 (6 May 2005)