Location: USA – Page 100 – Disability Day of Mourning

Ruben Johnson

Photo of Reuben Johnson, a man with light-tan skin. He is wearing sunglasses and a pink and white sweatshirt; his face and head are both clean-shaven. Off to the side of the photo is a young girl with brown hair and light-tan skin. Name: Ruben Johnson.
Died: May 30, 2012.
Age at death: 56.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: San Carlos, California, USA.
Disability: Prostate cancer.

Details:
Soon after his diagnosis of prostate cancer, Ruben Johnson was shot to death by his wife. She also shot their daughter, fourteen-year-old Aaliyah.

Case status:
Regina Renee Johnson (Wife), convicted of two counts of second-degree murder, sentenced to 80 years to life.

Source:
Woman sentenced for murdering her daughter, husband
DA: San Carlos mother ‘ambushed’ and ‘executed’ husband, teenage daughter
Woman Accused of Ambushing Husband and Teen Daughter in Fatal Slayings — Though Defense Says It’s More Complicated
Woman Accused of Fatally Shooting Teen Daughter, Husband, to Stand Trial
Mom: I killed husband after he shot daughter
Woman ordered tried in death of husband, daughter
San Carlos Woman Convicted of Murder for Shooting Daughter, Husband
Mom Convicted of Slaying Daughter, Husband in Double Killing

Perry Jones

Name: Perry Edward Jones.
Died: April 19, 2012.
Age at death: 51.
Cause of death: Strangled.
Location: Matoaca, Chesterfield County, Virginia, USA.
Disability: “Severely disabled”.

Details:
Perry was strangled by his mother, who also killed his father.

Case status:
Estelle Virginia Jones (Mother); sentenced to 5 years in prison.

Source:
Estelle Virginia JONES

Beth Spaulding

Name: Beth Marie Spaulding.
Died: April 2, 2012.
Age at death: 31.
Cause of death: Methadone poisoning.
Location: Fremont, Ohio, USA.
Disability: Chronic illness, ovarian tumor.

Details:
Beth’s husband poisoned her with methadone.

Beth was talented at photography and make-up, and used these skills to help others develop their confidence. She was a Humane Society volunteer who fostered a dog named Sweetie Pie, a poodle/schnauzer mix rescued from a puppy mill. When Sweetie Pie needed a $1500 cancer surgery from having been forced to have litter after litter for years, Beth raised the money and saved the dog’s life. After Beth was murdered, her mother adopted Sweetie Pie.

Case status:
Jason Risenburg (Husband), pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter, sentenced to 11 years.

Source:
Husband enters plea to reduced charge
Beth Spaulding Murder: How Did She Die? Who Killed Beth Spaulding?
Mother of woman killed in her sleep by husband ‘outraged’ at plea deal
Photos of Beth Marie “Beffy” Spaulding
Mother demands justice after daughter’s husband pleads not guilty to murder

Daniel Corby

Photo of Daniel Corby, a small boy with short brown hair and fair skin, smiling and covering his mouth with his hands. Name: Daniel Corby.
Died: March 31, 2012.
Age at death: 4.
Cause of death: Drowned.
Location: San Diego, California, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Daniel’s mother drowned him in the bathtub. She said she had killed him because he was autistic, she was sick of taking care of him, and she had gone $70,000 into debt for autism treatment.

Daniel learned all of the letters of the alphabet when he was three.

Case status:
Patricia Corby (mother) pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to 15 years to life.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Daniel Corby
Woman sentenced in tub drowning of autistic son, 4
Murder of Daniel Corby
Mom gets 15 years in autistic son’s tub drowning
Mother admits she drowned autistic son, 4, in bathtub because ‘she was sick of taking care of him’ and was $70,000 in debt after paying for his care
‘She felt like she had no life’: Mother drowns autistic four-year-old
Mother who drowned 4-year-old autistic son sentenced to life term

Linda McNeely

Photo Unavailable Name: Linda McNeely.
Died: March 14, 2012.
Age at death: 52.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Bothell, Washington, USA.
Disability: Brain cancer.

Details:
Linda’s husband shot her in the head, killing her.

Case status:
Donald McNeely (Husband), pleaded guilty to 2nd-degree murder, sentenced to 2 years.

Source:
Washington Man Sentenced to 2 Years in Prison For Killing Terminally Ill Wife
Washington Husband Killed Wife Who Had Brain Cancers
Bothell man gets 2 years for slaying terminally ill wife
Bothell man sentenced to 2 years for killing terminally ill wife

George Hodgins

Name: George Hodgins.
Died: March 6, 2012.
Age at death: 22.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Sunnyvale, California, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
George’s mother killed him, then shot herself.

George communicated by means of a VOCA and often wore headphones, listening to music. He was very active and loved being outdoors, but was frightened of the neighbors’ dogs.

Case status:
Elizabeth Hodgins (Mother), deceased.

Source:
Autism Memorial: George Hodgins
Guest opinion: Death by Legislature
Sunnyvale police: Mother killed 22-year-old autistic son, then herself
Parents of autistic children speak out on Sunnyvale murder-suicide
The Murder of George Hodgins
Sunnyvale mom kills autistic son, self, police say
Murder of George Hodgins
Sunnyvale police: Mother killed 22-year-old autistic son, then herself
Sunnyvale Killings Called Murder-Suicide: Neighbor
The After-Effects of a Mother’s Murder/Suicide
Autistic support group to host Sunnyvale vigil for George Hodgins, killed in murder-suicide

Russell Fox

Name: Russell Wayne Fox.
Died: March 4, 2012.
Age at death: 8.
Cause of death: Pneumonia.
Location: Suwannee County, Florida, USA.
Disability: ADHD, developmental delay, cystic fibrosis.

Details:
Russell was denied medical care and not fed enough. He died at the age of 8 from complications of cystic fibrosis. Medical neglect was a contributing factor.

Russell “enjoyed playing outside and watching Spongebob Squarepants.”

Case status:
Lesa Rose Fox (Adoptive mother), not charged. In 2018, she was sentenced to 2 years for a presumably unrelated aggravated assault.

Source:
Russell Wayne Fox
Russell Fox, 8

Tina Hall

Photo of Tina Hall. She is an African-American woman with straight black hair and medium-brown skin. Name: Tina Green Hall.
Died: February 24, 2012.
Age at death: 47.
Cause of death: Multiple murder.
Location: Columbus, Georgia, USA.
Disability: A “chronic hip ailment”.

Details:
Tina and her six-year-old son Jeremy were murdered by her boyfriend. He tried to disguise it as a murder-suicide, telling police that she must have committed suicide because of financial difficulties from having to quit her job because of her disability. However, crime scene investigators gathered evidence that proved that Tina and her son had both been murdered by her boyfriend.

Case status:
Vince Harris (Boyfriend), convicted of murder, sentenced to life without parole.

Source:
Tina Louise Green Hall Obituary (2012)
Columbus man gets life for killing girlfriend and her son
Prosecutors: Alleged killer of mother and son angered by other women in his life
Prosecutors: Boyfriend used kitchen gloves while fatally shooting mother, 6-year-old son
Closing arguments begin in trial of man accused of murdering girlfriend, her son
Police say mother killed 6-year-old son, then self
Mother and 6-year-old son found dead in Columbus home
Man charged in mother-son deaths initially ruled murder-suicide

Nubia Barahona

Name: Nubia Barahona.
Died: February 14, 2012.
Age at death: 10.
Cause of death: Blunt trauma.
Location: West Palm Beach, Florida, USA.
Disability: Congenital adrenal hyperplasia.

Details:
Nubia was allegedly abused by her foster, later adoptive, parents. When she showed up at school thin and ravenously hungry, her parents blamed her condition on her CAH, and the abuse was not investigated. Eventually Nubia was found beaten to death in her adoptive father’s truck.

Nubia is survived by her twin brother, Ivan, who was found in poor condition but recovered.

Case status:
Jorge Barahona (Adoptive father), charged with murder.
Carmen Barahona (Adoptive mother), pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and multiple counts of aggravated child abuse.

Source:
Child Murder Case Still Hasn’t Gone to Trial After More Than a Decade, Here’s Why
Murder of Nubia Barahona
‘Murderer who melted disabled daughter’s body in acid’ is attacked in jail
Before the torture, Nubia Barahona dreamed as a child

Jeshiah DeJesus

Photo: A small boy with olive-toned skin and stringy brown hair, smiling. Name: Jeshiah DeJesus.
Died: February 9, 2012.
Age at death: 9.
Cause of death: Stabbed.
Location: Deerfield Park, Florida, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Jeshiah was stabbed to death by his father after his father took their family hostage. After wounding his family and killing Jeshiah and 76-year-old Oliva DePlante, a bystander, his father committed suicide.

Case status:
William De Jesus (Father), deceased.
Deanna DeJesus (Mother), pleaded guilty to aggravated manslaughter, sentenced to 10 years in prison and 5 years probation.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Jeshiah DeJesus
Deanna De Jesus, Wife of Man Who Stabbed Sons, Gets 10-Year Sentence
Report: Broward County RV park killer kept sons despite molestation allegations
Boy describes father’s killing spree, mother’s inaction
‘Which one do you want me to do first?’ Psychotic father’s chilling question to his wife before he stabbed to death his older son, nine
More Weird Details Emerge in Deerfield Park RV Park Murder-Suicide