Location: USA – Page 80 – Disability Day of Mourning

Katharine Mihok

Black and white newspaper photo of a smiling girl with a round face and short, light hair. She is wearing glasses. Name: Katharine Renai Mihok.
Died: July 23, 2014.
Age at death: 8.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Norfolk, Virginia, USA.
Disability: A rare chromosomal disorder affecting movement and intellectual development.

Details:
Katharine’s mother shot her to death, then killed herself.

From Katharine’s obituary: “Katharine was an energetic and happy child. She loved throwing kisses in the air, posing for pictures, being outdoors discovering, dancing to music, being in the pool, going to school, Girl Scouts and earning badges, and visiting with people. Most of all, she loved her family and her big sister.”

Case status:
Karla M. Mihok (Mother), deceased.

Source:
UPDATE: Norfolk mother kills 8-year-old daughter before taking her own life; woman now identified
Obituary: Karla Mae and Katharine Renai Mihok
Region sees 2 murder-suicides by women – rare tragedy

Theodore Meyer

Photo of Theodore Meyer, an elderly white man in a suit and black tie, wearing glasses. Name: Theodore Meyer.
Died: June 28, 2014.
Age at death: 91.
Cause of death: Blunt force chest trauma.
Location: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA.
Disability: Dementia, heart disease.

Details:
Theodore’s son beat him to death with his own cane.

Case status:
Donald Ray Meyer (Son), convicted of second-degree murder, sentenced to 12 years.

Source:
Oklahoma City man gets 12 years in prison for fatal beating of father, 91
Oklahoma City Man Charged With Murder In Father’s Death

Shirley Beck

Photo of Shirley Beck. She is a woman with long blonde hair and pale skin; she is wearing a colorful sweater. Name: Shirley Beck.
Died: June 26, 2014.
Age at death: 39.
Cause of death: Blunt trauma.
Location: Clarksville, Tennessee, USA.
Disability: Unspecified mental disability (received disability payments); abuse survivor.

Details:
Shirley lived in a non-traditional relationship, as a “house slave” to her BDSM mistress and their housemates. Her mistress helped her manage her finances, which she could not do on her own, but Shirley was the one who did the chores.

Typically, such relationships involve a lot of trust on both sides; crucially, the “slave” role is voluntary, and any injury is superficial. However, Shirley’s mistress betrayed her trust. Instead of pretending to hold Shirley captive, she actually imprisoned Shirley; rather than staging a “safe, sane, consensual” BDSM scene, she and her housemates inflicted a severe, hours-long beating with a metal rod. Shirley died of her injuries.

Shirley loved feeding birds.

Case status:
Cynthia Dianne Skipper (Partner), negligent homicide and kidnapping, 25 years.
Derek M. Vicchitto (Housemate), facilitation of second-degree murder and kidnapping, 25 years.
Matthew Lee Reynolds (Housemate), first-degree murder and kidnapping, 59 years to life.
Alphonso Richardson (Housemate), first-degree murder and kidnapping, life plus 25 years.

Source:
Jury to get ‘house slave’ slaying case Thursday
Defense: Slain ‘house slave’ wanted beatings
Four on trial in ‘house slave’ slaying
From wife and mother to ‘slave’ to murder victim
The Last Four Hours of Shirley Beck’s Life – Kate Kinsey (NSFW)
3 sentenced in BDSM slaying

Kenyon Slacks

Name: Kenyon Jakobian Slacks.
Died: June 24, 2014.
Age at death: 3.
Cause of death: Morphine overdose.
Location: Augusta, Georgia, USA.
Disability: Multiple medical problems, including Ohtahara syndrome (rare epilepsy type).

Details:
Kenyon may have died from a morphine overdose administered by his foster mother. However, because his health had been so delicate beforehand, murder could not be proven and his foster mother walked free.

Case status:
Elizabeth Osei (Foster mother), charged with murder, acquitted.

Source:
Parent At Nation’s Leading For-Profit Foster Care Firm Facing Murder Charges
Care-giver indicted on murder charges in child’s overdose death
Murder trial begins in death of disabled foster child
Elizabeth Osei acquitted of murder in foster child case
PHOTOS: Toddler Kenyon Slacks and foster mom Elizabeth Osei
Foster Care news and Updates: Foster mom killed 3-year-old boy with morphine dose

David Alan

No Photo Name: David Alan.
Died: June 14, 2014.
Age at death: 59.
Cause of death: Blood loss.
Location: Rutland, Massachusetts, USA.
Disability: Bipolar disorder, anxiety.

Details:
David’s brother went to David’s home, killed him with pliers and a knife, then dismembered his body. David had a restraining order against his brother.

Case status:
Michael S. Dowjat (Brother), convicted of second-degree murder, sentenced to 15 years to life.

Source:
Rutland Murder Victim Described As A Recluse
Self-defense, says Holden man charged in brother’s death
Fate of Michael Dowjat, Holden man charged in brother’s slaying, headed to jury
Dowjat trial jurors get look at sawed bones
Michael Dowjat found guilty of stabbing estranged brother 70 times and then cutting off his head
Man Pleads Not Guilty to Murder of Brother
Holden man convicted of killing younger brother whose body was dismembered

Samantha Marcus

Black and white school photo of Samantha Marcus, a girl with light skin and long, dark hair, smiling for the camera. Name: Samantha Marcus.
Died: June 8, 2014.
Age at death: 17.
Cause of death: Asphyxia.
Location: Waukegan, Illinois, USA.
Disability: Muscular dystrophy.

Details:
Samantha and her mother, Sun Marcus, were both strangled to death by her father.

Samantha’s favorite subject in school was graphic arts. She played video games in her free time, and had two dogs named Snickers and Penny.

Case status:
Anthony Marcus (Father), pleaded guilty to first-degree murder, sentenced to 45 years.

Source:
Waukegan Man Charged With Killing Wife, Disabled Daughter
SAMANTHA MARCUS Obituary (1997 – 2014)

Rebecca Cotten

Photo of Rebecca Cotten, a very thin young woman. She is leaning forward toward another woman standing in front of her, so that her face is not visible. Name: Rebecca Cotten.
Died: May 29, 2014.
Age at death: 22.
Cause of death: Starvation.
Location: Memphis, Tennessee, USA.
Disability: Cerebral palsy.

Details:
Rebecca was allegedly abused and starved by her mother. She died weighing 40 pounds.

Case status:
Jennifer Cotten (Mother); charged with abuse and aggravated assault.
Nicholas Newquest, charged with abuse.

Source:
Second arrest made in death of 24-year-old woman with disabilities
Abused woman who weighed 40 pounds dies
Mother charged in death of disabled daughter, 22, who weighed 40lbs

Mary Driscoll

No Photo Name: Mary Driscoll.
Died: May 24, 2014.
Age at death: 94.
Cause of death: Head injury.
Location: Brick, New Jersey, USA.
Disability: Dementia, “frail”.

Details:
Mary’s granddaughter came home drunk and angry from a date and took out her anger on her grandmother, beating her badly, leaving her lying on the floor without medical attention for a weekend, and then beating her again.

A friend of her granddaughter’s who saw Mary’s injuries called 911. Mary was taken to the hospital, but she had suffered head injuries that were too severe to survive. She died eight days after the initial beating.

Case status:
Katherine Schubert (Granddaughter), pleaded guilty to manslaughter, sentenced to 5-10 years.

Source:
Mary F. Driscoll Obituary
Granny killer, teacher’s murder on the docket
Woman sentenced for beating grandmother to death
Woman drank Maker’s Mark, beat grandma to death

Barbara Poucher

No Photo Name: Barbara Poucher.
Died: May 23, 2014.
Age at death: 86.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Ormond Beach, Florida, USA.
Disability: Alzheimer’s disease.

Details:
Barbara was shot dead in her bed by her husband in a murder-suicide.

Case status:
John Poucher (Husband), deceased.

Source:
Caregivers who kill their spouses share traits, experts say
2 dead in apparent murder-suicide in Ormond Beach
Police: Ormond man, 89, shoots, kills wife with Alzheimer’s, then himself
Double-Killing in Ormond Beach: Not Murder-Suicide, But Mercy and Heroism

Anja Dewees

No Photo Name: Anja Dewees.
Died: May 20, 2014.
Age at death: 45.
Cause of death: Skull fracture.
Location: Enfield, Connecticut, USA.
Disability: Chronic illness; liver failure; alcoholism.

Details:
Anja was neglected and abused by her husband and caretaker. She died of a particularly vicious beating, weighing only 70 pounds.

Case status:
John Dewees Jr. (Husband), pleaded guilty to manslaughter, sentenced to 15 years in prison.

Source:
Anja Dewees – Thursday, May 22nd, 2014
Enfield Murder Suspect Did Not Want to Change Wife’s Diaper: Police
Enfield man gets 15 years in beating death of chronically ill wife