Location: USA – Page 43 – Disability Day of Mourning

Kayla Mirsky

No Photo Name: Kayla Mirsky.
Died: December 12, 2018.
Age at death: 19.
Cause of death: Hypothermia.
Location: Scottsville, Virginia, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Kayla’s mother regularly made her stand in the corner for hours as a punishment. She did this so often that Kayla learned to sleep standing up. But one night, Kayla was unable to stand any longer, so her mother put her outside in the cold. In the morning, Kayla was dead from hypothermia.

Kayla leaves behind 17-year-old and 14-year-old siblings.

Case status:
Suzanne Ruth Mirsky (Mother), pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and two counts of child abuse; sentenced to 16 years.

Source:
Scottsville woman sentenced in death of autistic daughter – Fluvanna Review
Scottsville woman to serve 16 years in prison for death of daughter
Fluvanna Co. Sheriff’s Office makes arrest in connection with 2018 murder
Autism Memorial: Kayla Mirsky

Rebecca Ballenger

No Photo Name: Rebecca Ballenger.
Died: December 11, 2018.
Age at death: 70.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Clinton, Mississippi, USA.
Disability: Stroke.

Details:
Rebecca’s husband allegedly went to the nursing home where she was staying after her stroke and shot her multiple times.

Case status:
Thomas Ballenger (Husband), charged with murder.

Source:
Police have arrested an elderly man in connection with death at Clinton nursing home.
“She didn’t want to live like this”: Bond denied for elderly man accused of killing ill wife of 40 years in nursing home
The quiet acceptance of ‘mercy killings’ in the US: Even in states where euthanasia is illegal, courts are often turning a blind eye
Elderly Mississippi man murders wife who had stroke, police say

Frances King

No Photo Name: Frances King.
Died: December 5, 2018.
Age at death: 85.
Cause of death: Malnutrition and untreated bladder infection.
Location: Palm Coast, Florida, USA.
Disability: Dementia, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis.

Details:
Soon after Frances’s daughter called emergency services to report that her mother was unresponsive, medics arrived to find her dead in filthy conditions. Medical examiners established that Frances was badly malnourished and neglected, and declared her death a homicide. The Sheriff’s office reports that despite her disability, she had not been to the doctor in 13 months.

Case Status:
Kim Zaheer (Daughter), charged with manslaughter.

Source:
Sheriff: Palm Coast woman arrested in death of elderly, malnourished mother
Manslaughter Charge for Daughter Accused of Leaving Mom to Die Like a ‘Prisoner in a Concentration Camp’
Woman arrested for manslaughter in her disabled mother’s death by starvation, neglect
Florida woman accused of killing elderly mother who was found wearing garbage bag as diaper
Cold Case Unit solves manslaughter case from 2018
Palm Coast woman charged in 2018 death of elderly mother found to be malnourished in deplorable living conditions

Michael Keene

Name: Michael Keene.
Died: November 30, 2018.
Age at death: 51.
Cause of death: Stabbed.
Location: Hartford, Connecticut, USA.
Disability: Unspecified; work-related injury.

Details:
Michael was stabbed to death and his body stashed in a container for some days before he was found.

He was a retired construction worker who had lived in Florida, and was known for helping people put up storm shutters before hurricanes.

Case status:
Jessica Keene (Daughter), charged with first-degree murder.
Quahzier Bouie (Daughter’s boyfriend), charged with murder, conspiracy to commit murder and tampering with evidence.

Source:
Man rejects plea deal in Windsor Locks murder case
Daughter charged with Windsor Locks man’s murder
Windsor Locks woman, seven-months pregnant, said fatal stabbing of father was self-defense – Hartford Courant
New details emerge in alleged Windsor Locks murder

Patricia Way

Name: Patricia Way.
Died: November 25, 2018.
Age at death: 76.
Cause of death: Asphyxia.
Location: Waterbury, Connecticut, USA.
Disability: Unspecified; nursing home resident.

Details:
Patricia was allegedly strangled by her boyfriend.

She liked sewing and going to the beach, and was a New York Yankees fan. She was a retired unit clerk.

Case status:
John Jensen (Boyfriend), charged with murder; developed vascular dementia and became incompetent to stand trial.

Source:
81-year-old man charged with murder at Waterbury nursing home ruled incompetent
Man, 81, charged in nursing home death of girlfriend, 76
81-year-old man accused of strangling 76-year-old woman to death at nursing home
Police: 81-year-old man charged with strangling girlfriend, 76, in nursing home
Waterbury nursing home resident strangled to death in domestic attack, warrant shows
Waterbury nursing home homicide suspect said girlfriend ‘had to die because she was evil’
Patricia Way
Lawsuit Against Waterbury Nursing Home After 81-Year-Old Allegedly Kills Girlfriend

Cyra Harrison

Photo of Cyra Harrison, a teenage girl with brown hair tied up in a ribbon, grinning excitedly at the camera and wearing two blue first-place ribbons pinned to her hoodie. Name: Cyra Shantell Marie Harrison.
Died: November 23, 2018.
Age at death: 25.
Cause of death: Failure to thrive and dehydration due to neglect.
Location: Elizabeth, Louisiana, USA.
Disability: Cerebral palsy.

Details:
When Cyra’s death was reported, sheriff’s deputies who examined Cyra’s body and the conditions she had been living in concluded that she had died from “severe intentional neglect”. She died of dehydration in a filthy house.

The first-place ribbons she is wearing in her picture may be bowling ribbons, a sport Cyra enjoyed.

Case status:
Karen Johnson Harrison (Mother), pleaded guilty to manslaughter and conspiracy to commit second-degree murder, sentenced to 50 years.
Marilyn Sue Maricle (Housemate), pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit second-degree murder, conspiracy to commit cruelty to the infirmed, and conspiracy to commit cruelty to a juvenile; sentenced to 15 years.
Glen Elva Maricle (Housemate), pleaded no contest to manslaughter, conspiracy to commit second-degree murder, and cruelty to the infirm; sentenced to 30 years.

Source:
Glen Maricle gets 30 years in starvation death of woman with cerebral palsy
As part of a plea deal, suspect outlines plot to starve young Rapides Parish woman with cerebral palsy
Woman testifies cousin, husband were having affair as they plotted to starve daughter
Mother takes plea deal in case of daughter’s death day before jury selection
Attempt to continue trial of mother accused in daughter’s death fails
Trial for mother accused of neglect in daughter’s death moved to June 2020
Mother accused in daughter’s death denied release from jail
Attorney makes bid for sanity commission, trial delay in neglect-death case
Trial for Karen Johnson Harrison, accused in daughter’s death, moved to June 2020
Mom of Rapides neglect-death victim to face trial first
State will prosecute mother of neglected daughter first in Rapides murder case
2 defendants in neglect death case reject offers of life sentences
3 accused in Elizabeth woman’s neglect death to be arraigned next week
Arrests made after special needs patient died, found in deplorable living conditions
Sheriff: Extreme neglect leads to death of special needs person
Mom, couple charged in death of Elizabeth special-needs patient
Arrests made after special needs patient died, found in deplorable living conditions
Elizabeth woman who died from alleged neglect identified
Police release identity of woman killed
Authorities ID special-needs woman believed slain by neglect
Prosecutor intends to seek bond increase in ‘heinous’ neglect death case
Cyra Harrison Obituary
Court dates set for 2 in case of Elizabeth woman’s neglect death
Rapides grand jury indicts three in the murder of woman with cerebral palsy
Arraignment set for three charged with murder of woman with cerebral palsy
3 accused in Elizabeth woman’s neglect death plead not guilty

Lucinda Palma

Photo of an older woman in a flannel jacket; she is smiling. She has light skin and short, curly hair dyed red. Name: Lucinda Palma.
Died: November 20, 2018.
Age at death: 70.
Cause of death: Stabbed.
Location: Anaheim, California, USA.
Disability: Disabled elder.

Details:
Lucinda’s housemate stabbed her twelve times, killing her. He later told the police that he wanted to put Lucinda “out of her misery”.

Case Status:
Michael Hallgren (Housemate), convicted of second-degree murder.

Sources:
Man convicted of killing woman, 70, with butcher knife at Anaheim boarding home

Emily Hampshire

Name: Emily Ikue-Rose Hampshire.
Died: November 3, 2018.
Age at death: 14.
Cause of death: Diabetic ketoacidosis.
Location: Alton, Illinois, USA.
Disability: Type I diabetes.

Details:
When Emily was diagnosed with diabetes, her mother concealed the diagnosis and neglected to treat her. Emily died of diabetic ketoacidosis, and her mother only called the paramedics after her heart stopped.

Emily was an outgoing girl who “never met a stranger”. She was a cheerleader, a dancer, a singer, and an actor. She played volleyball and competed in local beauty contests and talent shows. At school, she was a good student who focused on reading and writing.

Case status:
Amber L. Hampshire (Mother), pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter, sentenced to 7 years.

Source:
Amber Hampshire sentenced in diabetic teen daughter’s death | ksdk.com
Teenager’s Death Is a Reminder of How Critical It Is for Parents to Support Chronically Ill Kids
Alton teen died after mother concealed her diabetes, charges allege — ‘totally treatable’ and ‘heartbreaking’, says prosecutor
Mother charged with involuntary manslaughter in death of diabetic teen
Emily Ikue-Rose Hampshire of Alton Obituary
Emily Hampshire Fundraiser
Teen died after mother concealed diabetes, charges claim
Mother Allegedly Hid Daughter’s Diabetes Diagnosis, Leading to the Girl’s Death
Mother Charged With Manslaughter After Daughter Dies From Lack of Diabetes Treatment
Mother charged with involuntary manslaughter for daughter’s death after concealing girl’s diabetes
A Woman Was Arrested For Allegedly Not Treating Her Daughter’s Diabetes And Letting Her Die
Girl that Died from Diabetes Saw a Chiropractor Instead of a Doctor

Michelle Bucalo

Photo of a woman with fair skin, a round face, long brown hair, and a wide smile. She is wearing light, neatly done make-up. Name: Michelle Lyn Bucalo.
Died: October 31, 2018.
Age at death: 32.
Cause of death: Shooting.
Location: Severn, Maryland, USA.
Disability: Mental illness.

Details:
Michelle’s father shot her dead as she slept. In a statement made after he was sentenced, the state attorney said that “he and his friends and family blamed the victim for her own death as if killing her was the only solution. It was not.”

Michelle had been a paralegal before being fired because of her mental illness. She also designed jewelry.

Case Status:
Donald John Bucalo (Father), open plea to second-degree murder; sentenced to 20 years in prison, with 10 years suspended and 2 1/2 years credit for time served; parole eligibility in 5 years.

Source:
Michelle Lyn Bucalo, age 32
Terrified by his daughter’s mental illness, Severn man killed her while she slept. Now he’ll serve eight years in jail.

Gabrielle Michaelis

Name: Gabrielle Michaelis-Cifoni.
Died: October 31, 2018.
Age at death: 58.
Cause of death: Stomach cancer.
Location: Sarasota, Florida, USA.
Disability: Stomach cancer.

Details:
When she became disabled, Gabrielle’s daughter allegedly kept Gabrielle sedated with high doses of sedatives and painkillers, which were found in dangerous levels in a blood sample drawn from her body after death.

Gabrielle was an altruistic woman, mother of two children and grandmother to seven. She was a well-loved professor of mathematics, repeatedly named Professor of the Year. She was a devout Catholic with a good sense of humor.

Case status:
Josephine Scheid (Daughter), charged with murder; pleaded guilty to stealing a valuable family Bible and sentenced to a year’s probation. Murder charges dropped; sufficient evidence could not be gathered because the body was immediately cremated without autopsy.

Source:
Woman gets probation after charges she killed her Cape mom are dropped
Murder charges dropped against Florida woman accused of killing her mother in 2018 in Dennis Township
Investigation Reveals Daughter Murdered Her Own Disabled Mother For $9000 Using Painkillers And Sedatives For Financial Gain
A year later, investigators charge daughter with using drug cocktail to kill her mother
A Sarasota Woman Arrested For Killing Her Disabled Mother By Using Combination Of Painkillers And Sedatives
Florida woman accused of using sedatives to kill disabled mother
Gabrielle Michaelis-Cifoni Obituary