Location: UK – Page 12 – Disability Day of Mourning

Liam Fee

Name: Liam Fee, a.k.a. Liam Johnson.
Died: March 22, 2014.
Age at death: 2.
Cause of death: Traumatic injury to heart.
Location: Thornton, Fife, Scotland, UK.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Liam was beaten so badly by his mother and stepmother that his heart burst. They tried to blame his death on his seven-year-old brother, but were later charged with murder. It turned out that they had also abused Liam’s two older brothers, and probably intimidated one of them into falsely confessing to murder.

Case status:
Rachel Fee (Mother), convicted of murder, child abuse and neglect, sentenced to 23-and-a-half years to life.
Nyomi Fee (Stepmother), convicted of murder, child abuse and neglect, sentenced to 24 years.

Source:
Rachel Fee and Nyomi Fee jailed for life for the murder of tragic tot Liam Fee
Autism Memorial: Liam Fee
Mother and partner deny murdering Fife toddler Liam Fee
Lesbian partners found GUILTY of murdering 2-year-old boy subjected to ‘heartless cruelty’ before he died
Gateshead murder accused took toddler out of nursery after concerns raised by social services
New evidence of Liam Fee social work visit weeks before murder

James Sootheran

Photo of a middle-aged man in a beige cardigan, sitting in a living chair and reading a book. He has light skin, balding black hair and a beard. Name: James “Anthony” Sootheran.
Died: March 18, 2014.
Age at death: 59.
Cause of death: Starvation.
Location: South Newington, Oxfordshire, England, UK.
Disability: Mental illness.

Details:
James lived with his elderly mother and a couple who cared for them. He and his mother owned a large property. After James’s mother died, his caregiver and her husband decided that they wanted the family’s money, so they forged a will that entitled them to an inheritance. Realizing that they couldn’t inherit until James was dead, they took advantage of his mental illness and tendency to self-neglect. They locked him in a single filthy room where he starved to death.

Mr. Sootheran was a retired auctioneer’s clerk.

Case status:
Lynda Rickard (Tenant, household member), convicted of murder, sentenced to 28 years to life.
Wayne Rickard (Tenant, household member), convicted of causing or allowing the death of a vulnerable adult, sentenced to 10-and-a-half years.

Source:
Lynda Rickard: Woman who forged millionaire’s will and starved him to death to inherit slice of his estate is jailed for life
Oxfordshire couple starved man to death for windfall, court hears
Husband and wife starved their live-in landlord to death, court hears

Alexa-Marie Quinn

Photo: A fair-skinned, brown-haired girl wearing a pink shirt with a yellow flower, smiling. Name: Alexa-Marie Quinn.
Died: March 12, 2014.
Age at death: 4.
Cause of death: Extreme blunt-force trauma.
Location: Hatfield, Hertfordshire, UK.
Disability: Fetal alcohol syndrome.

Details:
Alexa-Marie’s father beat her to death.

Case status:
Carl Wheatley (Father), convicted of murder, sentenced to 21 years to life.

Source:
Alexa-Marie Quinn murder: Councils failed to understand risks
Carl Wheatley denies murder of daughter Alexa-Marie Quinn
Girl, 4, beaten to death by her dad was ‘let down’ by social services

Stephanie Owen

Photo of Stephanie Owen and her mother Sharon Hayter. Stephanie is a young woman with long brown hair; her head is thrown back and she is laughing. Sharon is a woman with short brown hair and glasses; she is smiling and hugging Stephanie. Name: Stephanie Owen.
Died: November 28, 2013.
Age at death: 29.
Cause of death: Blunt trauma.
Location: Knowsley, Merseyside, England, UK.
Disability: Intellectual disability; mobility impairment; diabetic.

Details:
Stephanie’s father bludgeoned her and her mother, Sharon Hayter, to death with a claw hammer.

Case status:
William Owen (Father), pleaded guilty to murder, sentenced to 29 years, 90 days in prison.

Source:
Life sentence for doting dad who murdered his wife and disabled daughter at the family home
William Owen jailed for life for murdering daughter and partner
Claw hammer killer agreed bizarre ‘death pact’ with late partner before murdering disabled daughter

Carol French

No Photo Name: Carol French.
Died: November 20, 2013.
Age at death: 73.
Cause of death: Asphyxia.
Location: Wandsworth, Southwest London, England, UK.
Disability: Stroke.

Details:
When Carol survived a stroke, her husband tried to convince her to move to Switzerland for euthanasia. But Carol wanted to live; she declined to move and was planning her next summer vacation when her husband strangled her and stabbed himself in a murder-suicide.

Carol was a retired women’s magazine editor.

Case status:
Douglas “Harry” Morton (Husband), deceased.

Source:
Husband suspected of killing wife after stroke
Husband murdered wife then stabbed himself through the heart
Coroner says wife was killed unlawfully
Battersea woman died of strangulation and husband died from stab wounds in apparent murder and suicide

Amoe Stevens

Name: Amoe Seline Stevens.
Died: October 18, 2013.
Age at death: 64.
Cause of death: Internal injuries.
Location: Neasden, London, UK.
Disability: Mobility/speech impairment after stroke.

Details:
Amoe was raped and murdered by her son-in-law.

Case status:
Mohammed Yassin Yusuf (Son-in-law), convicted of murder, sentenced to 25 years to life.

Source:
Remorseless killer jailed for causing an ‘agonising death’
Neasden stroke victim murdered by son-in-law’s violent sex assault
Man who murdered mother-in-law in sexual assault so violent she bled to death jailed for life
Mohammed Yassin Yusuf jailed for killing mother-in-law Amoe Seline Stevens in sexual assault
Man jailed for ‘horrifying’ murder by sexual assault on mother-in-law

Amelia Dew

No Photo Name: Amelia Dew.
Died: June 19, 2013.
Age at death: 2.
Cause of death: Head injury.
Location: Gosport, England, UK.
Disability: Myotonic dystrophy.

Details:
When Amelia was brought to the hospital with a massive head injury, her stepfather, who had been watching her, claimed she had hit her head on a chair she was strapped into during tube-fed meals. Amelia died four days later.

Initially, her stepfather was arrested, but not charged. Two years later, doctors who examined Amelia came forward, stating that her injuries were highly consistent with shaken baby syndrome.

Case status:
Robin Dowse (Stepfather), no charges.
Inquest underway.

Source:
The inquest into the death of two-year-old Amelia Dew has been halted due to police receiving new information
Inquest into Gosport toddler’s death due to restart after police probe ends
Police investigation into Gosport toddler’s death reopened

Harry Aspley

No Photo
Name: Harry Aspley.
Died: April 1, 2013.
Age at death: 23 months.
Cause of death: Head injury; shaken baby.
Location: Stoney Stanton, England, UK.
Disability: Developmental delay; suspected autism.

Details:
Harry was violently shaken by his foster mother. This caused brain injuries which killed him.

Case status:
Wendy Hardy (Foster mother), pleaded guilty to manslaughter, sentenced to six and a half years.
David Hardy, charged with child cruelty.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Harry Aspley
Death of toddler shaken by foster mum “could have been prevented”
Foster mother jailed for killing toddler by violently shaking him
Woman jailed after death of 23-month-old Harry Aspley

Hilary Milner

Name: Hilary Milner.
Died: November 1, 2012.
Age at death: 55
Cause of death: Chest trauma; injury to heart and lungs.
Location: Leeds, England, UK.
Disability: Dementia.

Details:
Hilary died shortly after being beaten by her husband.

Case status:
Trevor Milner (Husband); assault with bodily harm; 4-month suspended sentence.

Source:
Leeds dementia sufferer died hours after attack by husband
Obituary

Daniel Pelka

Photo of a small boy in a red sweater; he has fair skin and blond hair and is smiling. Name: Daniel Pelka.
Died: March 3, 2012.
Age at death: 4.
Cause of death: Head injury.
Location: Coventry, West Midlands, England, UK.
Disability: None. Killer claimed he was autistic.

Details:
Daniel, who was not autistic, died from beatings and starvation by his mother and stepfather, who told a co-worker that Daniel was not worth beating because he was autistic and would not feel pain.

Case status:
Magadelena Luczak (Mother), sentenced to 30 years to life, died in prison.
Mariusz Krezolek (Stepfather); sentenced to 30 years to life, died in prison.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Daniel Pelka
Daniel Pelka’s brutal stepfather refused treatment before death in prison.
PELKA: WHAT THE JUDGE TOLD EVIL CHILDKILLERS
Mom & Boyfriend Jailed for Murdering 4-Year-Old: 5 Fast Facts You Need to know
Daniel Pelka: Professionals failed ‘invisible’ murdered boy, report says
Everyone to blame but no one punished: Teachers, doctors, the police and social workers escape justice after missing 27 chances to save tragic Daniel Pelka
Sibling of four-year-old boy ‘beaten to death by mother and her partner hoarded biscuits and nuts for him because he was left to starve’