Category: Location: USA

Kevin Johnson

Blurry photo of a small boy in a suit; he has brown skin and a shaved head.Name: Kevin Johnson.
Died: July 20, 2008.
Age at death: 12.
Cause of death: Fatal abuse.
Location: Crete, Illinois, USA.
Disability: Intellectual disability.

Details:
Kevin’s foster father physically abused him, and eventually beat him so badly that he was taken to the hospital, unconscious, and died two days later.

His favorite hymn was the gospel song “I Need You To Survive.”

Case Status:
Fred D. Johnson II (Foster father), pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, sentenced to 5-17 years.

Source:
Man charged with beating disabled foster child
Crete murderer seeks reduced sentence
Kevin Johnson
Family mourns loss of Crete boy

Jason Rimer

Photo of Jason Rimer, a boy in a yellow T-shirt with a confused expression on his face; he has short, wispy brown hair and fair skin.Name: Jason Rimer.
Died: June 8, 2008.
Age at death: 4.
Cause of death: Heat stroke.
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.
Disability: Myotonic dystrophy.

Details:
Jason’s parents left him in a hot car in June for more than seventeen hours. When they finally returned for him, he had died of heat stress.

Case status:
Stanley Rimer (Father), manslaughter and child neglect, 8-30 years; Colleen Rimer (Mother), manslaughter and child neglect, 5-20 years.

Source:
Trial of parents charged in Jason Rimer’s death concludes

Margaret Benjo

No PhotoName: Margaret Mary “Peggy” Benjo.
Died: June 5, 2008.
Age at death: 76.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Deltona, Florida, USA.
Disability: Chronic illness, dementia; disabled elder.

Details:
Peggy was shot to death by her husband.

Case status:
Robert Benjo (Husband), pleaded guilty to manslaughter, sentenced to two years house arrest and 13 years probation.

Source:
Elderly Deltona man charged in wife’s murder, saying she no longer had will to live
Deltona man, 82, pleads guilty to killing wife
Mercy or Murder? Man Kills Dying Wife
Sheriff: Elderly husband charged in Deltona wife’s murder earlier today — accused says wife no longer had will to live with illness
Deltona man, 82, gets suspended sentence for killing his ailing wife

Katherine Mudski

No PhotoName: Katherine Mudski.
Died: June 3, 2008.
Age at death: 73.
Cause of death: Malnutrition, infection.
Location: Flint, Michigan, USA.
Disability: Breast cancer.

Details:
Katherine’s son neglected her, and she died from a combination of malnutrition, dehydration, and infected bedsores.

Two years before Katherine’s death, she called a mailman into her home and asked him to help. The mailman called the police, who came to the house, stayed for 13 minutes, and did nothing to help Katherine.

Case status:
Christopher A. Mudski (Son), pleaded guilty to manslaughter, sentenced to 316 days time served. Arrested later for similarly neglecting his cousin, who was hospitalized.

Source:
911 tapes show police were called by mailman months before Katherine Mukdsi’s death; son faces murder charges for alleged neglect
Man convicted in mother’s death accused in similar neglect case
Elder abuse cases bring big charges, offenders actually receive lesser sentences
Flint Township man will stand trial for murder in neglect case involving his elderly mother

Peggy Mehrman

Black and white photo of Peggy Mehrman, an elderly woman with pale freckled skin and short permed white hair, her eyebrows carefully shaped.Name: Peggy Albury Mehrman.
Died: May 28, 2008.
Age at death: 79.
Cause of death: Overdose.
Location: Tampa, Hillsborough County, Florida, USA.
Disability: A “debilitating neuromuscular disease”.

Details:
Peggy was poisoned over several months with overdoses of her own medication by a neighbor who had moved in with her as her caregiver.

Case status:
Jana Porter Mallory (Caregiver/Neighbor), second-degree murder and elderly abuse, 30 years.

Source:
Jana Porter MALLORY

Jaylen Brown

No PhotoName: Jaylen Brown.
Died: May 13, 2008.
Age at death: 13.
Cause of death: Sepsis.
Location: Chicago, Illinios, USA.
Disability: Cerebral palsy.

Details:
Even though she had help from two nurses, Jaylen’s mother neglected him so badly that he died from blood poisoning due to severe, infected bedsores.

Case status:
Kesheia Phillips (Mother), convicted of misdemeanor child neglect.
Loren Brown (Nurse), acquitted.
Morris Brinkley (Nurse), sentenced to 2 years of probation and 60 days of community service, license suspended.

Source:
Mom, home care aide go on trial in neglect death
‘Severe’ neglect blamed in death
Severely Disabled 13-Year-Old Died From Neglect

Aleksi Toledo

No PhotoName: Aleksi Morgan Pressey Toledo.
Died: May 13, 2008.
Age at death: 4.
Cause of death: Neglect.
Location: San Bernardino County, California, USA.
Disability: Autism, juvenile diabetes.

Details:
Aleksi’s diabetes treatment was withheld and he was starved and dehydrated. He died of diabetic ketoacidosis with no fat left on his body. It is alleged that his mother chose not to seek medical attention, even though she could have saved his life had she done so.

Case status:
Father, D. T., no charges
Mother, unnamed, charged with child endangerment.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Aleksi Toledo
D.T. v. Superior Court
Death Record

Lavender Banks

Photo of Lavender Banks, a little girl in a pink dress and pink hair ribbons. She has a cleft lip.Name: Lavender Banks.
Died: May 2, 2008.
Age at death: 3.
Cause of death: Asphyxia, blunt trauma.
Location: Elk Grove, California, USA.
Disability: Cleft lip/palate.

Details:
Lavender was beaten and smothered by her adoptive mother.

She was an international adoptee from China.

Case status:
Sabrina Banks (Adoptive mother), pleaded no contest to second-degree murder, sentenced to 15 years to life.

Source:
Lavender Banks

Madeline Neumann

Photo of Madeline Neumann, a fair-skinned teen girl in a green T-shirt. Her brown hair is tied back in a ponytail, and her bangs are falling over her face.Name: Madeline Kara Neumann.
Died: March 23, 2008.
Age at death: 11.
Cause of death: Untreated diabetes.
Location: Weston, Wisconsin, USA.
Disability: Juvenile diabetes.

Details:
Madeline’s parents, who believed that visiting a doctor was “idolatry”, refused to get Madeline medical treatment. Madeline died of untreated diabetes.

Case status:
Leilani Neumann (Mother), convicted of second-degree reckless homicide and sentenced to serve one month per year in jail for six years.
Dave Neumann (Father), convicted of second-degree reckless homicide and sentenced to serve one month per year in jail for six years.

Source:
Wisconsin Couple Sentenced in Death of Their Sick Child
Kara Neumann case
Homeschooling’s Invisible Children: Madeline Kara Neumann

Nicolai Emelyantsev

Photo of Nicolai Emelyantsev, a solemn infant in pajamas; he has a wisp of blond hair and a round face with very pale skin.Name: Nicolai Emelyantsev.
Died: March 7, 2008.
Age at death: 14 months.
Cause of death: Skull fracture.
Location: Tooele, Utah, USA.
Disability: Down syndrome.

Details:
Nicolai’s adoptive mother killed him by deliberately slamming him against the floor, causing a skull fracture.

Case status:
Kimberly Emelyantsev (Adoptive mother), pleaded guilty to child-abuse homicide, sentenced to 1-15 years.

Source:
Kimberly Emelyantsev | Murderpedia, the encyclopedia of murderers
Nicolai Emelyantsev