Location: USA – Page 72 – Disability Day of Mourning

Tony Myhand

Photo of a white marble gravestone reading, "Tony Myhand, SP4 US Army, Feb 7 1957 to Mar 11 2016." Name: Tony Myhand.
Died: March 11, 2016.
Age at death: 59.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Montgomery, Alabama, USA.
Disability: Unspecified; wheelchair user.

Details:
Tony and his son were arguing because his son would not give Tony the keys to the van. Angered, his son shot him twice, in the neck and chest, killing him. Tony was unarmed.

Case status:
Christopher Myhand (Son), convicted of murder, sentenced to 11-22 years.

Source:
Montgomery man convicted of fatally shooting his father in 2016
Montgomery man accused of murdering father during family altercation
Montgomery Man Convicted of Fatally Shooting His Father in Argument Over Keys

Mary Palley

Photo of Mary Palley. She is an older woman with graying blonde hair and fair skin. She is wearing glasses and a pearl necklace. Name: Mary Flynn Palley.
Died: March 11, 2016.
Age at death: 73.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Logan, Utah, USA.
Disability: Parkinson’s disease.

Details:
Mary Palley was a retired lawyer. She was an advocate for abuse victims, served as a historian for Citizens Against Physical and Sexual Abuse, and did pro bono work for abuse victims, helping them get protective orders.

When she became disabled because of Parkinson’s disease, her husband killed her and then committed suicide.

Case status:
Dell Andrew Johnson (Husband), deceased.

Source:
Logan woman killed in apparent murder-suicide remembered as advocate for victims of abuse
Mary Palley Obituary
Couple identified after letter to newspaper leads Logan police to apparent murder-suicide
‘Something about Mary:’ Logan woman remembered for her passion, selflessness
Police continuing to look for answers in apparent murder-suicide
Logan woman killed in apparent murder-suicide remembered as advocate for victims of abuse

Cynthia Busch

Name: Cynthia Busch.
Died: March 10, 2016.
Age at death: 24.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Fairfield Township, Ohio, USA.
Disability: Developmental disability.

Details:
Cynthia was shot by her mother in a murder-suicide.

Case status:
Barbara Busch (Mother), deceased.

Source:
Fairfield Twp. Police identify mother, daughter found dead in murder-suicide
Mother fatally shoots disabled daughter, self in Fairfield Twp.
Police: Mother Killed Daughter, then Killed Herself
Police: Overwhelmed mother killed developmentally disabled daughter
Cynthia Busch Obituary
autism wars: On The Murder of Cynthia Busch
No Mystery Here: Call a Murderer a Murderer
Cynthia Busch: The Disability Holocaust Continues

Roberta Rybinski

Name: Roberta A. Rybinski.
Died: March 8, 2016.
Age at death: 51.
Cause of death: Stabbed.
Location: Tonawanda, New York, USA.
Disability: Bipolar disorder.

Details:
Roberta, who was living on disability payments due to her bipolar disorder, was abused by her boyfriend. At one point she was able to leave him and get a protection order, but eventually she moved back into his apartment–an apartment to which he held the only key.

Roberta was stabbed to death by her boyfriend.

Case status:
John M. Avent (Boyfriend), convicted of murder, sentenced to 25 years to life.

Source:
Judge tells convicted murderer his 25 years-to-life prison sentence is well-deserved
Jury convicts boyfriend in Tonawanda woman’s murder
Man arrested in connection to Tonawanda murder
Police investigate Town of Tonawanda woman’s death

Michael Furst

Photo of Michael Furst. He is a young man being held up by someone behind him; he is up to his waist in water and leaning over to look into the water. He has red hair and fair skin; his arms are curled over his chest because of spasticity. He wears a blue T-shirt. Name: Michael Furst.
Died: March 6, 2016 (Body found; died February 2016).
Age at death: 24.
Cause of death: Starvation.
Location: Peshtigo, Wisconsin, USA.
Disability: Cerebral palsy.

Details:
Michael died of starvation because his mother, though she was paid a government stipend to care for him, did not feed him. When he was found dead, his body weighed only 36 pounds.

Case status:
Renee Furst (Mother), died of a drug overdose several days after Michael died.

Source:
Peshtigo man with cerebral palsy starved to death by mother — also dead
Peshtigo starvation death investigation complete

Jessica Cunningham

Name: Jessica Kay Cunningham.
Died: February 29, 2016.
Age at death: 15.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Harvey Township, Minnesota, USA.
Disability: Depression, self-injury.

Details:
Jessica was shot by her older brother in a murder-suicide. He also shot her pet German Shepherd.

Her sister wants her remembered as “a beautiful, blonde-haired girl who loved dogs, drawing, movies, makeup, movie stars and so much more.”

Case status:
David Cunningham (Brother), deceased.

Source:
Murder-suicide: Grieving sister speaks out
Teens fatally shot in Meeker County
After murder-suicide, Minn. man faces child neglect, obstruction
Sheriff: 2 Teens Killed In Meeker County Ruled Murder-Suicide
Murder-suicide begs the question: Why?
2 teens found dead in rural Minnesota home were murder-suicide
Murder-suicide begs the question: Why?

Maddox Lawrence

Name: Maddox Lawrence.
Died: Three days before February 23, 2016 (Body found).
Age at death: 22 months.
Cause of death: Blunt trauma.
Location: Syracuse, New York, USA.
Disability: Cancer survivor.

Details:
Maddox’s father kidnapped her, beat her to death with a baseball bat, and burned her body. Apparently, he was jealous of all the attention Maddox received while she was being treated for eye cancer.

Case status:
Ryan Lawrence (Father), pleaded guilty to first-degree murder, sentenced to 25 years to life.

Source:
‘They were two kids struggling’: Maddox’s parents were stressed about money, child’s health
A toddler survived cancer. Then her father beat her to death, burned her and tossed her in a creek.
Father killed his 21-month-old who survived cancer ‘because he was jealous of the attention she got’
Jealous dad murdered cancer survivor daughter with baseball bat and burned body after she was showered with attention
Maddox Lawrence murder: Dad battered toddler to death with a baseball bat
NY dad, jealous of the attention his cancer-survivor daughter received, pleads guilty to killing her
>Toddler Survives Cancer, Father Kills Her for Receiving Too Much Attention
Exclusive: In prison, Baby Maddox’s dad and killer faces ultimate question: Why? (video)

Nancy Parker

No Photo Name: Nancy Parker.
Died: February 20, 2016.
Age at death: 75.
Cause of death: Infection.
Location: Haverhill, Massachusetts, USA.
Disability: Disabled elder; bowel disease, unable to care for herself.

Details:
Nancy was left on the floor of her home for five days by her daughter and granddaughter. She was eventually taken to the hospital, but died of infection.

Case status:
Katherine Saintil-Brown (Daughter), convicted of negligent homicide, criminal neglect of an elder adult and failure to report adult abuse; sentenced to 1-3 years and mental health counseling.
Meritel Saintil (Granddaughter), convicted of negligent homicide, sentenced to 2-4 years in prison.

Source:
Woman jailed for her mom’s death in Exeter
Woman found guilty of causing her mother’s death
Daughter pleads not guilty in mother’s death
Woman convicted of negligent homicide in grandmother’s death
N.H. Paramedics Find Neglected Elderly Woman in Squalor
Deliberations continue in elder abuse death trial Jury to decide fate of granddaughter charged with negligent homicide

Deborah Harris

No Photo Name: Deborah Harris.
Died: February 18, 2016.
Age at death: 22 months.
Cause of death: Blunt trauma.
Location: San Jacinto, California, USA.
Disability: Developmental delay.

Details:
Deborah was beaten to death; her body showed signs of abuse and starvation. She was the youngest of three girls; her older sisters survived.

Case status:
Tamara Barker (Mother), charged with child cruelty resulting in death, sentenced to 10 years 8 months.
Malick Harris (Father), charged with child cruelty resulting in death, sentenced to 10 years 8 months.

Source:
Parents of San Jacinto toddler charged in her death a year later
Parents charged in daughter’s death in San Jacinto are arrested in Wyoming
Inmate Locator

James Hill

Photo of James Hill, an adult man with black hair and light skin. He is smiling. He has a short goatee and mustache. Name: James Matthew Hill.
Died: February 18, 2016.
Age at death: 33.
Cause of death: Stabbed.
Location: Enterprise, Alabama, USA.
Disability: Cerebral palsy.

Details:
James was murdered by his roommate, who had also been his caregiver. Police say he was bound, blindfolded, and repeatedly stabbed.

Neighbors remember James as “a blessing” who would do anything for others. They often saw him going to a nearby restaurant, where he ate nearly every day.

Case status:
David Montel Cunningham (Caregiver; roommate); pleaded guilty to murder, sentenced to 40 years.

Source:
Enterprise man arrested in stabbing death
Enterprise man pleads guilty to murdering his roommate