Location: USA – Page 50 – Disability Day of Mourning

Pernell Robinson

Name: Pernell Robinson.
Died: July 15, 2017.
Age at death: 49.
Cause of death: Blunt-force trauma.
Location: Daytona beach, Florida, USA.
Disability: Schizophrenia, bipolar disorder.

Details:
Pernell had been subjected to abuse by his caregiver for years. Hospitalized for his injuries, he told police that his caregiver had beaten him, but later retracted his statement and went back to live with her. Eventually, she took out a life insurance policy on him and beat him to death.

Case status:
Diane Reid (Caregiver), convicted of second-degree murder and neglect of a disabled adult, sentenced to life.

Source:
Disgusting Woman TORTURED a DISABLED!!! Man To Death for NO REASON!!!
Daytona caregiver gets life for killing man for insurance payout
Daytona woman found guilty of killing disabled man for insurance money
Police: Disabled man’s death ‘suspicious’
Police: Death of Daytona Beach man, 49, ruled homicide
Daytona man’s death a homicide; police offer $5,000 reward
Caretaker responsible for mid-July death of Daytona Beach man, police say
Caregiver charged in murder of Daytona Beach man

Virginia Villa

Name: Virginia Villa.
Died: July 12, 2017.
Age at death: 73.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Pacoima, California, USA.
Disability: Chronic illness.

Details:
Virginia was shot by her husband in a murder-suicide.

She was a foster mother to many children, and worked as a special education assistant before she retired.

Case status:
Gilbert Villa (Husband), deceased.

Source:
Elderly couple killed in Pacoima murder-suicide is identified
Virginia Villa, 73 – The Homicide Report
Virginia Villa, age 73

James Walker

No Photo Name: James Walker.
Died: July 11, 2017.
Age at death: 72.
Cause of death: Traumatic injury.
Location: Glendale, Arizona, USA.
Disability: Disabled veteran; wheelchair user.

Details:
James was murdered by his stepson because he refused to get out of bed.

Case status:
Heath Allen McConkey (Stepson), convicted of second-degree murder, sentenced to 13 years.

Source:
Glendale man accused of beating disabled stepfather to death
Glendale police: Man beat disabled stepfather to death
Glendale man allegedly beat disabled stepdad to death
Final release order and order regarding counsel
Glendale man accused of fatally beating disabled stepfather
Arizona Man Allegedly Beat Disabled Stepdad to Death for Not Getting Out of Bed
Glendale man accused of beating disabled stepfather to death pleads not guilty
Glendale Man Pleads Not Guilty to Fatally Beating Stepfather

Micah and Olivia Gee

Photo of Olivia and Micah Gee, two African-American toddlers. Olivia is wearing a pink sweater and has her hair tied back in a headband with a big purple flower on it. Micah is wearing a striped blue-and-green shirt, and has his arms around his sister. Name: Micah Gee.
Age at death: 3.

Name: Olivia Gee.
Age at death: 2.

Died: July 10, 2017.
Cause of death: Internal bleeding from blunt trauma.
Location: New York City, New York, USA.
Disability: Severe asthma.

Details:
When Olivia and Micah were found dead in their beds on the same night, they were thought to have died of asthma attacks. But on autopsy, it became clear that the brother and sister had been beaten to death.

Case status:
Jade Spencer (Mother), charged with six counts of first-degree manslaughter, six counts of second-degree manslaughter, and assault.

Source:
Bronx Mother Indicted on Manslaughter, Assault Charges in Deaths of Her Two Toddlers in 2017
Mother Charged With Manslaughter In 2017 Deaths Of 2 Bronx Toddlers
Siblings, ages 2 and 3, die after breathing trouble
Seeking answers to toddlers’ death
Investigation Continues Into Deaths Of Bronx Toddler Siblings
Bronx Toddlers’ Deaths Are Ruled Homicides
Deaths of toddler siblings ruled homicides
Deaths of young siblings in the Bronx ruled homicides
Bronx toddlers bled to death after savage beating
Medical Examiner Says Blunt Force Trauma Killed Young Bronx Siblings
Beaten Bronx Toddlers Died of Internal Bleeding, NYPD Says
Bronx Toddlers Were Beaten to Death, Medical Examiner Says
Toddler Siblings From The Bronx Were Beaten To Death

Leona Twiss

Black and white photo of Leona Twiss, a young woman in old-fashioned clothing. She has curly hair and light skin and is wearing a white blouse and flight attendant's cap. Name: Leona Twiss.
Died: July 9, 2017.
Age at death: 95.
Cause of death: Asphyxia.
Location: Fort Ann, Florida, USA.
Disability: Early dementia, frail elder.

Details:
Not long after Leona’s grandson moved into her house to help care for her, he and his wife conspired to kill her; he strangled her with a towel.

Case status:
Kevin L. Gonyea (Grandson), pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, sentenced to 15 years to life.
Melissa Gonyea (Grandson’s wife), pleaded guilty to hindering prosecution and tampering with physical evidence and other charges related to being an accomplice, sentenced to 3 1/3 to 10 years.

Source:
Gonyea sentenced to 15 years to life for strangling his grandmother
Fort Ann man charged with murder
Fort Ann grandson and his wife charged in death of 95-year-old grandmother
Local police travel to Florida for murder investigation
New York man charged with strangling his 95-year-old grandma
Man accused of killing grandmother, 95
Sheriff’s Office: Fort Ann woman found murdered, family members arrested
Murder suspect has new attorney, court date
Fort Ann couple indicted in connection with 95-year-old’s killing
Family: Woman in murder case deserves life, too
Videos show woman’s implication of husband, others in murder case
Wife of Fort Ann murder suspect pleads guilty
Murder case hearing postponed as subpoena issues debated
Gonyea mulling plea offer in grandmother’s murder
Fort Ann murder suspect talks plea deal again
NY man pleads guilty to strangling grandmother, 95
Following death of 95-year-old woman, two more family members charged
Police were suspicious of Twiss relatives at murder scene
Documents claim former guard told of killing inmates
Defense claims defendant is ‘immune’ in murder case

Peggy Schroeder

Photo of Peggy Schroeder, a middle-aged woman with wavy brown hair, fair skin, and glasses. Name: Peggy Schroeder.
Died: July 8, 2017.
Age at death: 53.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Morrison, Illinois, USA.
Disability: Deaf.

Details:
Peggy was shot to death by her teenage daughter. Her daughter and her friend then set the house on fire to hide the crime.

She was a faithful churchgoer and avid gardener.

Case status:
Anna Schroeder (Adopted daughter), pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, sentenced to 20 years.
Rachel Helm (daughter’s girlfriend), pleaded guilty to concealing a homicidal death and arson, sentenced to 11.5 years.

Source:
Rachel Helm gets over a decade in prison for helping Morrison teen hide mother’s death
‘I’m the child who shot and killed her own mom’: Morrison teen sentenced to 20 years in prison in mother’s 2017 death
“It’s kind of slap in the face”; Police upset with judge’s decision not to charge Anna Schroeder with 1st-degree murder
Neighbors react to fire, death investigation of Morrison resident
Community healing begins after Morrison murder
Teen girl asks DEAF mother to cover face before shooting her in the head, enlists friend to cover up murder by setting house on fire, hides gun in cemetery
Teenage girl posts ‘love you’ after allegedly killing mom
Fundraiser started for Morrison mom’s funeral expenses
Anna Schroeder: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know
Inside the prosecution debate: When kids kill

Angelina Costello

Name: Angelina Costello.
Died: July 6, 2017.
Age at death: 3.
Cause of death: Injury, malnutrition.
Location: Ogden, Utah, USA.
Disability: Premature, medically fragile.

Details:
Angelina died from starvation, burns, and blunt trauma. She had been abused by her parents for essentially her entire life. Her parents believed that because she was born premature, she was “cursed”, and that her disability meant she brought bad luck to the family.

Case Status:
Brenda Emile (Mother), pleaded guilty to aggravated murder, sentenced to life without parole.
Miller Eric Costello (Father), pleaded guilty to first-degree aggravated murder, sentenced to life without parole.

Sources:
‘Dehumanized and tortured by monsters’: Judge berates parents for horrific killing of toddler
The Awful Abuse 3-Year-Old Angelina Costello Suffered Before She Died — And How Her Mother Tried To Cover Up Her Wounds
Detective: On family videos, Angelina Costello ‘looks like a skeleton’
Costello pleads guilty in daughter’s starvation, beating death
Mother charged in brutal abuse death of 3-year-old can’t withdraw guilty plea, judge says

Edgar Carbajal

No Photo Name: Edgar Carbajal.
Died: June 20, 2017.
Age at death: 26.
Cause of death: Pneumonia, sepsis due to untended pressure sores.
Location: Austin, Texas, USA.
Disability: Cerebral palsy.

Details:
Edgar’s mother neglected him. He died of infected bedsores, sepsis, and pneumonia, weighing 50 pounds.

A visitor to his online obituary left the note, “You[r] laughter created the rainbow in our classroom.”

Case status:
Erica Yanet Flores (Mother), charged with charged with injury to a disabled individual by omission.

Source:
Austin mother charged in death of son with cerebral palsy due to ‘severe neglect’
Austin mom charged with neglect causing disabled son’s death
Mother charged in death of son with cerebral palsy due to ‘severe neglect’
Mother charged with neglect after disabled son dies from pneumonia at home
North Austin Woman Charged After Son With Cerebral Palsy Dies Of Apparent Neglect
JUST IN: Austin mother neglected son with cerebral palsy, leading to his death, police say
Police: Mother neglected son with cerebral palsy, leading to his death

Grant Heckman

Photo of Grant Heckman, a young man wearing a white sweater and smiling at the camera. He has fair skin and brown eyes and hair. Name: Grant Heckman.
Died: June 19, 2017.
Age at death: 28.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Westphalia, Michigan, USA.
Disability: Cerebral palsy.

Details:
Grant was shot by his father in a murder-suicide.

Grant was named prom king at his special education graduation ceremony. He liked going on walks with his grandfather, and his favorite song was Somewhere Over the Rainbow.

Case status:
George Heckman (Father), deceased.

Source:
‘Saw his son suffer too much, too long,’ friend says of principal in murder-suicide
Principal suspected of killing son, himself in murder-suicide
Police: Pewamo-Westphalia principal killed son, self
Death of elementary principal, son shock small Michigan town
“Losing touch with Reality”: The science behind murder-suicides
Principal suspected in murder-suicide acted ‘out of love,’ friend says
Principal kills himself and disabled son
Murder-suicide of principal, son “leaves a big hole in everyone’s heart”
Why? George Heckman Pewamo-Westphalia principal shoots disabled son dead then self – Scallywag and Vagabond
Police: Michigan elementary school principal killed severely handicapped son, self
Now what? A familiar fear when disabled children turn 26.

Johnnie and Shirley Ervin

No Photo Name: Johnnie Ervin.
Age at death: 67.
Disability: Mobility impairment (Used walker).

Name: Shirley Ervin.
Age at death: 69.
Disability: Dementia.

Died: June 18, 2017.
Cause of death: Stab wounds.
Location: Chicago, Illinois, USA.

Details:
Shirley and Johnnie’s son is charged with stabbing them to death.

Case status:
Dexter Barnes (Son), charged with first-degree murder.

Source:
Son charged in stabbing deaths of elderly parents held without bail
Son Stabbed Parents in ‘Unimaginable’ Double Murder: Court
Austin man charged with stabbing his elderly parents to death