Mary Swierzewski

Photo of Mary Swierzewski, a middle-aged woman with fair skin and chin-length blond hair, wearing a red blouse.Name: Mary Swierzewski.
Died: July 6, 2013.
Age at death: 59.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: East Rockhill, Alabama, USA.
Disability: “Mentally handicapped”.

Details:
Mary was shot by her father in a murder-suicide.

Mary “loved to dance. She also enjoyed volunteering at the Sellersville Theater, Quakertown Library and participating with the Silver Sneakers at the Upper Bucks YMCA. Mary loved bells and took great pride in her collection. She also enjoyed watching Dora, the Explorer and Sponge Bob.”

Case status:
Thaddeus Swierzewski (Father), deceased.

Source:
Murder/Suicide – Thaddeus Swierzewski (Bucks County, PA)
Mary Swierzewski (1953-2013) – Find a Grave.

Terry Smith

Photo: A boy with brown hair and light-brown skin, smiling; he is wearing a blue striped shirt.Name: Terry “JuJu” Smith.
Died: July 5-6, 2013 (Exact day unknown).
Age at death: 11.
Cause of death: Head injury.
Location: Menifee, California, USA.
Disability: ADHD; possibly autistic.

Details:
Terry was killed by his half-brother.

Terry loved picnics. His favorite color was blue.

Case status:
Skylor Atilano (Half-brother), pled guilty to voluntary manslaughter, sentenced to 12 years; spent 5 years in a juvenile detention center before being released.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Terry “JuJu” Smith
Teen Gets 12-Year Sentence for Half Brother’s Murder
Brother imprisoned for Terry Smith’s 2013 death is released
Terry Smith Murder
Terry Smith Jr. – The strange, sad story of a murdered 11 year old boy in Menifee, California
Terry Smith’s Brother: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know

Robert Guinyard Jr.

Photo of a small boy with dark-brown skin and a very short buzz cut, wearing a green T-shirt, looking over his shoulder at the camera, and smiling.Name: Robert Guinyard Jr.
Died: July 1, 2013.
Age at death: 4.
Cause of death: Internal bleeding.
Location: Richland County, South Carolina, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Robert was tortured to death by his parents, who beat him so severely and so often that he bled out internally.

Case status:
Robert Guinyard Sr. (Father), sentenced to life without parole.
Courtney Thompson (Mother), sentenced to life without parole.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Robert Guinyard, Jr.
In the Arms Of the Angels: Robert Guinyard Jr.
Doctor: Child Had Multiple Bone Fractures
Richland County parents arrested, charged with homicide in son’s death
DSS Death: “The System Failed Robert”
Prosecutor: DSS ignored many pleas for help as ‘demon’ Richland parents tortured son to death
Parents sentenced to life in prison in 4-year-old son’s death

Joseph Johnson Jr.

No PhotoName: Joseph Johnson Jr.
Died: June 19, 2013.
Age at death: 14 months.
Cause of death: Burns.
Location: Little Rock, Arkansas, USA.
Disability: Unspecified severe birth defects.

Details:
Joseph’s father scalded him with hot water. He died of the burns after just over two weeks in the hospital.

Case status:
Joseph Dwayne Johnson (Father), pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, sentenced to 40 years.

Source:
LR father takes plea in death of toddler
Bail set at $1 million for father charged with killing toddler

Monica Schemm

Photo of Monica Schemm, a woman with fair skin and strawberry-blonde hair pulled back in a ponytail. She is smiling; she is wearing glasses and a Christmas sweater.Name: Monica Schemm.
Died: June 12, 2013.
Age at death: 49.
Cause of death: Suffocation.
Location: Crescent, Oklahoma, USA.
Disability: Brain cancer survivor; traumatic brain injury from a fall.

Details:
Monica’s husband tied her to a chair, then tied a plastic bag over her head to suffocate her. He initially tried to disguise it as a home invasion, but when found out, claimed it was a “mercy killing”.

Case status:
Mark Schemm (Husband), convicted of first-degree murder, sentenced to life without parole.

Source:
Husband arrested for robbery claim, murder of wife
Oklahoma court upholds man’s life sentence in wife’s death

Alex Spourdalakis

Photo of a teenage boy, smiling, with fair skin and dark hair in a buzz cut; he is wearing a gray striped shirt. The photo is propped up with a bunch of yellow roses.Name: Alex Spourdalakis.
Died: June 9, 2013.
Age at death: 14.
Cause of death: Stabbed.
Location: River Grove, Illinois, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Alex’s mother and caregiver tried to kill him with an overdose of painkillers; when that didn’t work, they stabbed him to death.

Case status:
Dorothy Spourdalakis (Mother), pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter, sentenced to 4 years; released immediately on credit for time served.
Jolanta Agatha Skrodzka (Godmother), pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter, sentenced to 4 years; released immediately on credit for time served.

Source:
Autism Memprial: Alex Spourdalakis
Suburban mom admits to stabbing autistic son to death
Mother, godmother plead guilty to involuntary manslaughter of severely autistic teen
Mother, godmother who killed autistic teen released from prison
How Murder Victims With Disabilities Get Blamed For Their Own Deaths
New Report Discovers That the Media Normalizes the Murders of People with Disabilities

Marcel Hill

No PhotoName: Marcel Hill.
Died: May 18, 2013.
Age at death: 38.
Cause of death: Traumatic injury.
Location: Jackson, Mississipi, USA.
Disability: Mental illness, cognitive impairment, physical disability.

Details:
Marcel was beaten and stabbed to death by his girlfriend, who had a long-term history of abusing him.

He worked at a fast-food restaurant.

Case status:
Camia Gamet (Girlfriend), convicted of first-degree murder, sentenced to life without parole.

Source:
Judge screams ‘I hope you die in prison’ at woman who murdered disabled boyfriend
Broken glass, dented frying pan, busted lamp found near body of Marcel Hill, allegedly beaten, stabbed to death by girlfriend
Camia Gamet, 30, arraigned on charge of open murder for allegedly beating boyfriend to death
Case manager testifies she warned Marcel Hill of Camia Gamet, the woman accused of killing him
Woman accused of murder tells detective she came upon boyfriend’s body; trial continues Monday
Camia Gamet | Murderpedia, the encyclopedia of murderers
Jim Fisher True Crime: The Camia Gamet Murder Case: Marcel Hill’s Violent Life and Brutal Death

John Satanoski

Photo of John Satanoski, an older white man with graying hair and brown eyes. He is looking directly at the camera and not smiling.Name: John Louis Satanoski.
Died: May 7, 2013.
Age at death: 65.
Cause of death: Neglect.
Location: Bunnell, Florida, USA.
Disability: Dementia.

Details:
John depended on his niece to care for him, but she left him alone for a week while she visited friends. When he was found, John was unconscious, and died a week later.

Case status:
Holly Lyn Norris (Niece), pleaded guilty to manslaughter, sentenced to 2 years.

Source:
Pleading Guilty to Manslaughter Death of Invalid Uncle, Woman Now Faces Up to 15 Years in Prison
Bunnell woman charged with manslaughter in uncle’s death

Aliyah Branum

Photo of a toddler with wispy blond hair and fair skin, wearing a green shirt, grinning at the camera.Name: Aliyah Marie Branum.
Died: April 26, 2013.
Age at death: 2.
Cause of death: Blunt force trauma; fractured skull.
Location: Citrus County, Florida, USA.
Disability: Multiple congenital disabilities.

Details:
Aliyah was beaten to death by her mother.

Case status:
Chelsea Huggett (Mother), pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and aggravated child abuse; sentenced to 30 years.

Source:
Chelsea HUGGETT
ANGELIZD’s Place – Child Abuse Pages – Aliyah Marie Branum

Victoria Prokopovitz

Photo of middle-aged woman with curly blonde hair, pale skin, and glasses, smiling for the camera.Name: Victoria Prokopovitz.
Died: April 25, 2013 (Last seen; body not found).
Age at death: 59.
Cause of death: Unknown homicide.
Location: Pittsfield, Wisconsin, USA.
Disability: Depression, dissociative identity disorder, colon cancer survivor, mobility impaired (used walker or cane).

Details:
When Victoria disappeared and her husband reported her missing, police quickly became suspicious because her husband’s new girlfriend lied to police during a hearing to determine whether a crime had been committed. Though how Victoria died was never discovered because her body was never found, a jury concluded that she had been killed by her husband.

Victoria’s husband had access to a sludge pond full of industrial chemicals which could have been used to dispose of a body, and made statements to the effect that Victoria was dead and never coming back. Victoria’s husband was convicted of first-degree intentional homicide. Police say he had a financial motive to want Victoria dead, was tired of caring for her and wanted to be available to be with his new girlfriend.

Case Status:
James Prokopovitz (Husband), convicted of first-degree intentional homicide; charged with domestic abuse, perjury and resisting or obstructing an officer. Sentenced to life without parole.
Kathryn Friday (Husband’s girlfriend), pleaded no contest to perjury, conspiracy to commit perjury, and obstruction; died by suicide before sentencing.

Source:
Daughters beg for answers as James Prokopovitz gets life in prison without parole for killing wife, who’s still missing
Wisconsin man convicted of murdering his missing wife
Missing woman’s son, daughter testify during Day 2 of murder trial
Missing woman murder trial delayed after judge breaks ankle
More witnesses testify on Day 3 of missing woman murder trial
WATCH LIVE: Missing woman’s son takes stand on second day of murder trial
Prosecution, defense make opening statements in missing woman murder trial
Victoria Lynn Prokopovitz – The Charley Project
9 women, 6 men to hear trial of man accused of killing wife
Woman connected to disappearance case dies before sentencing