Otis Jones

Photo of an African American man with medium-brown skin, his hair in neat braids, wearing a brown polo shirt.Name: Otis Jones Jr.
Died: January 5, 2024.
Age at death: 44.
Cause of death: Burns.
Location: Birmingham, Alabama, USA.
Disability: Spinal cord injury.

Details:
Otis was pulled out of his burning home by firefighters; but he died from his injuries eight days later. The fire was ruled arson, and Otis’s niece is suspected of setting the fire.

Case Status:
Keechaundra Deshay Cook (Niece), charged with murder.

Sources:
‘They wouldn’t help me’: Mother of paralyzed man who died from fire says she tried to get help for family member responsible
Birmingham woman charged after uncle dies in house fire
Woman charged after brother dies following Birmingham house fire
Man dies after house fire — now his niece is charged with murder, Alabama cops say

Karter Holloway

Photo of a smiling boy with brown skin and short curly black hair. He is smiling, showing baby teeth.Name: Karter Holloway.
Died: January 1, 2024.
Age at death: 5.
Cause of death: Traumatic brain injury.
Location: Raleigh, North Carolina, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Medics were called to Karter’s house, where they found him seriously injured, covered head to toe in bruises. He died from a brain hemorrhage in the hospital the next day. His father was arrested on suspicion of having beaten him severely.

Case Status:
Amir Hines (Father), charged with murder and felony intentional child abuse.

Sources:
Funeral held for non-verbal 5-year-old Karter Holloway, beaten to death
Raleigh father charged with murder in 5-year-old son’s death, family said boy was ‘beaten all over’
Dad allegedly beat 5-year-old nonverbal son to death, leaving boy bruised from ‘head to toe’
N.C. father accused of fatally beating 5-year-old autistic son, causing brain hemorrhage
Karter Holloway ( bop bop ), organized by Kennedy Holloway

Arthur Stanton

No PhotoName: Arthur Kenneth Stanton.
Died: December 28, 2023.
Age at death: 63.
Cause of death: Negligent care.
Location: Watkinsville, Georgia, USA.
Disability: Unspecified/care-dependent.

Details:
Arthur was found in poor condition in his home, where he had been left in filth, uncared-for. He was taken to the hospital, but died the next day.

Case Status:
Daivid Allen Stanton (Son), charged with felony murder, reckless conduct, and neglect of a disabled or elderly person.
Sandra Dee Bass (Housemate), charged with neglect of a disabled or elderly person.

Sources:
Second suspect charged in Oconee Co death
Son arrested in connection to death of father found in ‘extreme medical distress,’ Ga. deputies say
Oconee County man arrested for neglect, murder of 63-year-old father
Man arrested for the murder of his father

84-year-old woman

No PhotoName Unknown.
Died: December 27, 2023.
Age at death: 84.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Seal Beach, California, USA.
Disability: Disabled elder.

Details:
This elderly woman was staying with her son because she needed help with medical care when he fatally shot her, then himself. He had been known to “express frustration” with his “inability to care for his mother’s condition”.

Case Status:
Ruled murder-suicide.

Sources:

Bodies found in Seal Beach home were mother and son; murder-suicide likely
Son, frustrated with taking care of aging mom, kills her and himself, police say
Man, ailing mother identified in Seal Beach murder-suicide, police say
SBPD closes Ocean Avenue death investigation

Nicholas Wallwork

No PhotoName: Nicholas James Wallwork.
Died: December 27, 2023.
Age at death: 66.
Cause of death: Heroin overdose.
Location: Taylorsville, Utah, USA.
Disability: Dementia.

Details:
Medics found Nicholas on the floor, not breathing, and could not revive him. Nicholas’s niece allegedly poisoned him with heroin; police say she told them that she was trying to “ease the pain”.

Case Status:
Kimberly Wallwork (Niece), charged with second-degree manslaughter.

Sources:
Woman accused of killing uncle who had dementia in Taylorsville
Utah woman admits to giving uncle multiple doses of heroin before his death, police say

Damari Carter

Photo of a small African American boy with short hair, wearing a black sweatshirt.Name: Damari Carter.
Died: December 7, 2023 (Missing, presumed dead).
Age at death: 4.
Cause of death: Missing, presumed dead.
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
Disability: Nonspeaking; suspected learning disability.

Details:
Neighbors heard Damari screaming; then his mother’s boyfriend was seen dragging a trash bag out of their apartment. Eventually, police asked his mother what had happened, and she said that her boyfriend had beaten Damari, killing him, and then put him in a trash can. Police are still searching for Damari’s body.

Case Status:
Dominique Bailey (Mother), charged with murder and abuse of a corpse.
Kevin Spencer, charged with murder and abuse of a corpse.

Sources:
Mom Claimed 4-Year-Old Was Hit by a Car; Now She & Boyfriend Are Accused of Murdering Him
Police do not believe they will find 4-year-old Damari Carter’s body
‘Damari Was My Heart’: Dad of Pa. Boy, 4, Speaks Out After Boy’s Mom & Her Boyfriend Are Charged with Murder (Exclusive)
Boy’s body remains missing after mom, boyfriend are charged in his murder
West Philadelphia detectives searching dumpsters for body of missing 4-year-old Damari Carter: police sources – CBS Philadelphia

Leon Perkins

No PhotoName: Leon Perkins.
Died: December 1, 2023.
Age at death: 66.
Cause of death: Unspecified homicide.
Location: Silver Spring, Maryland, USA.
Disability: Chronic illness, wheelchair user.

Details:
Leon was found dead at his home, sitting in his wheelchair. His death was ruled a homicide, and a relative who lived with him to care for him was arrested as the primary suspect.

Case Status:
Charles Parker (Relative), arrested.

Sources:
Silver Spring man charged in death of disabled relative

Aremean Mayo and Michael Willett

No PhotoName: Aremean Mayo.
Age at death: 93.
Disability: Unspecified/Frail elder.

Name: Michael Willett.
Age at death: 69.
Disability: Wheelchair user, Stroke survivor

Died: November 25, 2023 (Bodies Found).
Cause of death: Stabbed.
Location: Denmark, Maine, USA.

Details:
Michael, his partner, and his partner’s grandmother Aremean shared a household, where Michael’s partner cared for them both. Another of Aremean’s grandchildren grew worried when she couldn’t contact them and their caregiver told her she was “tired of taking care of them both”; so she asked for a welfare check. When police knocked on her door, their caregiver told police that Aremean was in the hospital and Michael was in the woods, hunting. But Michael couldn’t have pushed his wheelchair through the woods, and police quickly determined that Aremean was not in the hospital; so they forced their way into the house, where they found that both of them had been stabbed to death.

Case Status:
Tzara Jones (Michael’s partner, Aremean’s granddaughter), charged with murder.

Sources:
Maine woman accused of killing her partner, elderly grandmother to be arraigned
‘Tired of taking care of them’: Maine caretaker accused of killing her partner, grandmother appears in court
‘Took me by surprise:’ Neighbors shocked as Denmark woman charged with killing 2 people in her care

Victoria Pendergraph

No PhotoName: Victoria Pendergraph.
Died: November 24, 2023 (Body found; died November 19).
Age at death: 9.
Cause of death: Drowning.
Location: Westminster, California, USA.
Disability: Cerebral palsy, non-speaking.

Details:
Victoria’s father, who shared custody with her mother, went to pick her up to spend Thanksgiving together only to find the door locked. Concerned, he requested a welfare check; police found Victoria’s body in the bathtub, where Victoria’s mother had allegedly drowned her several days prior.

Case Status:
Khadiyjah Aliyyah Pendergraph (Mother), charged with murder.

Sources:
Woman arrested at shopping center after officers find 9-year-old daughter dead in home
Body of 9-year-old girl in wheelchair ‘left to rot’ after drowning death, OC DA says; mother charged
Mother charged with murder for allegedly drowning disabled, non-verbal 9-year-old daughter
Woman charged with murder, accused of drowning 9-year-old disabled daughter
Westminster woman charged with killing 9-year-old daughter
California mother charged with murder, accused of drowning 9-year-old disabled daughter

Elizabeth Clay

Photo of an older woman with deep brown skin and wavy gray hair; she is smiling for the camera. She is wearing gold-rimmed glasses and gold hoop earrings.Name: Elizabeth Derozan Clay.
Died: November 24, 2023.
Age at death: 93.
Cause of death: Burns.
Location: Vidalia, Louisiana, USA.
Disability: Dementia.

Details:
Elizabeth, who could not be safely left alone, was allegedly left alone in her home by her son. She tried to use the stove and burned herself severely with cooking oil; five days later she died from second- and third-degree burns.

Case Status:
Junior Derozan (Son), charged with abuse, cruelty to the infirm, abuse and neglect, and negligent homicide.

Sources:
Caregiver’s charges upgraded to negligent homicide after elderly burn patient dies
Elizabeth Derozan Clay