DJ McCollum

A young man with light-brown skin, photographed in profile. His brown hair is in short dreads, and he has a fuzzy mustache. He is wearing a black T-shirt and blue bib. Burn scars are visible on his face and the stub of his hand.Name: DJ McCollum.
Died: October 24, 2024.
Age at death: 32.
Cause of death: Stabbed.
Location: Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.
Disability: Severe burn survivor; wheelchair user.

Details:
DJ lived with his adoptive mother, Patricia and Kaydence, his 11-year-old sister. Concerned neighbors called the police, saying an armed man with a knife was in the home. That led to an hours-long standoff, with SWAT teams negotiating, before they were finally able to enter the home. There, they found DJ, his mother, and his 11-year-old sister dead from stab wounds. The suspect, who turned out to DJ’s brother-in-law, had self-inflicted stab wounds, of which he died after he was taken to the hospital. He had a history of arrests for domestic violence.

DJ and Kaydence had been two of Patricia’s many foster children. DJ, who had been severely burned as an infant, became Patricia’s foster son and then, at ten years old, her adopted son. She raised him through childhood and adolescence and watched him accept his high school diploma, walking on prosthetic legs.

Case Status:
Anthony Mathis (brother-in-law), deceased.

Sources:
Ohio foster mom, daughter and disabled son killed in murder-suicide
‘Hero’ foster mom, her daughter and disabled son stabbing victims
Cincinnati foster mom, adopted son killed in triple homicide
Man who stabbed his family to death had recent history of arrests for violence

89-year-old woman

No PhotoName Unknown.
Died: October 24, 2024.
Age at death: 89.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Pottstown, Pennsylvania, USA.
Disability: Unspecified; nursing home resident.

Details:
This woman’s husband came to visit her at her nursing home, shot her dead, and shot himself.

Case Status:
Ruled murder-suicide. Her husband died that night at the hospital.

Sources:
Husband, wife die in murder-suicide in nursing home
DA: Shooter in murder-suicide at East Coventry senior living facility dies overnight
Shooting at Chester County nursing and care facility was ‘murder-attempted suicide,’ DA says [Updated]
Murder-attempted suicide at Chester County nursing home
89-year-old woman killed in murder and attempted suicide at Chester County nursing home, DA says

Kris Knox

a young Black man wearing a baseball cap faces to the rightName: Kris Knox.
Died: October 20, 2024.
Age at death: 26.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Warren, Michigan, USA.
Disability: Brain cancer, mental health disability.

Details:
Police were summoned to Kris’s home after his brother ran to a neighbors house for help, saying that his mother had threatened him with a gun. When the police checked on Kris and his mother, they found that she had shot him and then killed herself. His brother, who had escaped the house, survived unhurt.

Case Status:
His mother; deceased.

Sources:
2 dead in Warren, police suspect murder-suicide – CBS Detroit
Mother, son dead after murder-suicide in Warren
Police: Warren mom fatally shoots special needs son before taking her own life
Grandma of Warren man shot by mom in apparent murder-suicide said family struggled with health issues

Barbara Brandt

Photo of an older woman wearing a red shirt and glasses, which are slipping down her nose. She has light skin, and her short gray hair is wispy.Name: Barbara “Bobbie” Brandt.
Died: October 4, 2024.
Age at death: 81.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Cromwell, Connecticut, USA.
Disability: Unspecified; wheelchair user.

Details:
Bobbie’s husband went to her nursing home and fatally shot her before killing himself.

Bobbie left behind her two cats, which had been living with her husband and were taken into custody by animal control when he died.

Case Status:
Dennis Brandt (Husband), deceased.

Sources:
Nursing Home Murder-Suicide: Cops ID Husband, Wife Dead in CT
Cromwell neighbors shocked, saddened by nursing home murder-suicide: ‘There’s an empty spot’
Nursing Home Murder-Suicide: Cops ID Husband, Wife Dead in Cromwell
Cromwell nursing home resident killed in apparent murder-suicide
Police ID husband, wife killed in apparent murder-suicide at Apple Rehab Cromwell
Cromwell Nursing Home Murder-Suicide IDs Released: Police
Murder-suicide at Cromwell nursing home raises ‘discussion’ on safety protocols, official says

Donna Kitzmiller

Photo of a middle aged woman with short brown hair, light skin, and red cheeks. She is wearing glasses and a light-yellow sweater, and smiling broadly at the camera.Name: Donna L. Kitzmiller.
Died: September 28, 2024.
Age at death: 80.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Grand Haven Charter Township, Michigan, USA.
Disability: Alzheimer’s disease.

Details:
Donna’s husband fatally shot her before fatally shooting himself. He told a 911 operator that he was “giving [her] a merciful ending”.

Donna was a retired elementary school teacher. She loved nature and wildlife, enjoyed reading and watching movies, and cared for pet Golden Retrievers and cats.

Case Status:
William Kitzmiller (Husband), deceased.

Sources:
Retired cop, 80, shot wife in ‘merciful’ end to her Alzheimer’s disease, 911 call shows
Retired Cop Fatally Shot Wife, Then Himself, Claiming ‘Merciful Ending’ Because of Her Alzheimer’s: 911 Call
William & Donna Kitzmiller Obituary | Sep 28, 2024 | Grand Haven, MI

Carmel McDougall

Photo of an older woman in a lacy white dress, wearing a corsage of red roses on her wriest. She is smiling. Her skin is brown, and her short black hair is curly. There are balloons in the background.Name: Carmel McDougall.
Died: September 18, 2024.
Age at death: 85.
Cause of death: Brain trauma.
Location: Roosevelt, New York, USA.
Disability: Dementia.

Details:
Carmel died from head injuries sustained after a fall. According to video recordings from their home security system, the fall happened because Carmel’s son put her in a headlock and swung her around, causing her to lose her balance; police say he was “frustrated with [her] declining health”. Videos from two weeks before show her daughter “constrict[ing] her mother’s ability to move and breathe”.

Carmel was born in Jamaica and had lived in Canada before moving to New York. Her passion for cooking invigorated her career as a hospital dietician. Along with her own four children, she fed and cared for many children in her community. She was a devoted Christian who spent much of her time after retirement doing volunteer work for the Most Holy Rosary Church.

Case Status:
Michael Rainford McDougall (Son), charged with second-degree manslaughter, first-degree endangerment of a vulnerable person, and criminally negligent homicide.
Nichole McDougall Mullings (Daughter), charged with first-degree endangerment of a vulnerable person.

Sources:
LI Son Charged After Abuse Of Mother Leads To Her Death: DA
Roosevelt siblings indicted in elder abuse case, mother dead.
Obituary of Carmel McDougall

Elijah Hale

Photo of a small boy with light-brown skin and brown eyes. He is grinning. He is wearing a red coat with a fuzzy black hood.Name: Elijah Anthony Hale.
Died: September 5, 2024.
Age at death: 5.
Cause of death: Hot water burns.
Location: Walkertown, North Carolina, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Elijah suffered severe burns, believed to have been inflicted when he was put into a bathtub full of scalding hot water. Elijah’s stepfather was arrested for child abuse, and Elijah was taken to the hospital, where he was diagnosed with third-degree burns. He lived for 46 days before dying from his injuries.

Elijah loved animals and loved his family. An active, energetic child, he spent his days singing, running, and playing ball.

Case Status:
James Wilford Huff (Stepfather), charged with first-degree murder.

Sources:
Prosecutors to seek death penalty against man charged with killing 5-year-old autistic stepson
Autism Memorial: Elijah Hale
Stepfather charged with first-degree murder in death of 5-year-old autistic boy in Walkertown
Autistic boy, 4, dies after being severely burned in bathtub
Walkertown man charged with murder after death of child, Forsyth County deputies say

Jimmy Cardwell

No PhotoName: Jimmy Lamar Cardwell.
Died: August 28, 2024.
Age at death: 71.
Cause of death: Sepsis, osteomyelitis.
Location: Rockledge, Florida, USA.
Disability: Hemiparesis after stroke.

Details:
Paramedics responded to Jimmy’s house to find him thin, filthy, and with multiple infected wounds. He was taken to the hospital, where doctors tried to save his life with emergency surgery, but died later that day. Police say his son admitted to bathing him only every few months and not seeking help for his father’s medical conditions, including the pressure sores that eventually became infected and killed him.

Case Status:
Alton Cardwell (Son), charged with aggravated manslaughter.

Sources:
Brevard County man charged with manslaughter of his father, deputies say
Rockledge Man Arrested for Aggravated Manslaughter of Disabled Father
Son accused in death of elderly father, found smelling of rotting flesh

Consuelo Gonzalez

No PhotoName: Consuelo Gonzalez.
Died: August 21, 2024.
Age at death: 88.
Cause of death: Infected bedsores, untreated broken hip, dehydration/malnutrition.
Location: Charleston, South Carolina, USA.
Disability: Disabled elder.

Details:
Consuelo was found at her home, having been badly neglected. She had severe, infected bedsores and a broken hip that had gone untreated for a long time. She was taken to the hospital, but died a day later.

Case Status:
Salvador Gonzalez Rivera (Son), charged with murder.

Sources:
Bond denied for Charleston man accused of murder after his mother was found bedridden, malnourished
Charleston man charged with murder after bedridden mother dies at hospital
Son’s charges upgraded to murder after bedridden woman dies at Charleston hospital

Kinsley James

Photo of a smiling toddler wearing a pink sweater. She has light-brown skin and her dark hair is pulled back into braids.Name: “Princess” Kinsley Armani James.
Died: May 20, 2024.
Age at death: 3.
Cause of death: Drowning.
Location: Darlington County, South Carolina, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Kinsley’s mother left her with relatives who were supposed to watch her; but they allegedly left her alone, and she left the house, fell into a creek, and drowned. At their bail hearing, Kinsley’s mother told the judge that her relatives had been so inattentive that 45 minutes passed before they even realized the toddler was gone.

Kinsley was a big fan of Cocomelon and loved anything that made music.

Case Status:
Christian Deon James (Uncle), charged with homicide by child abuse.
Nashanti McCollugh (Family member), charged with homicide by child abuse.

Sources:
2 charged in Darlington Co. drowning of nonverbal, autistic 3-year-old child
Caretakers charged after child was left unattended, drowned in nearby creek
‘My child was innocent’: Darlington Co. mom of 3-year-old who drowned demands justice
Autism Memorial: Kinsley James
Princess Kinsley James Obituary | May 20, 2024 | Florence, SC