Location: USA – Page 95 – Disability Day of Mourning

Jori Lirette

Photo of Jori Lirette, a young boy with fair skin and short blond hair in a buzz cut, wearing an orange striped polo shirt. Name: Jori Lirette .
Died: August 15, 2011.
Age at death: 7.
Cause of death: Decapitation.
Location: Thibodaux, Louisiana, USA.
Disability: Cerebral palsy.

Details:
Jori Lirette was killed and decapitated by his father, who had been talking about killing him to “put him out of his misery” since Jori was born.

Case status:
Jeremiah Wright (Father); not guilty by reason of insanity.

Source:
Hundreds mourn murdered boy, 7
Court: Dad threatened to kill slain son as baby
Man Who Decapitated 7-Year-Old Son, Left His Head In Driveway Learns His Fate

Christina Sneary

Portrait photo of a solemn teenage girl with brown skin and black hair, wearing large hoop earrings and a black-and-white outfit. Name: Christina Sneary.
Died: August 3, 2011.
Age at death: 14.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Ferry Pass, Florida, USA.
Disability: Developmentally disabled.

Details:
Christina’s older foster sister shot her.

Case status:
Elena Rendell (Foster sister, age 17), convicted as a youthful offender of manslaughter, sentenced to 1 year in jail and 5 years probation.

Source:
Former Northview Student Convicted Of Killing Younger Adoptive Sister; Will Serve One Year In Jail

Benjamin Barnhard

Photo of a teenage boy with fair skin and brown, curly hair, wearing a black suit and a lei draped around his neck. Name: Benjamin Barnhard.
Died: August 3, 2011.
Age at death: 13.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Kensington, Maryland, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Benjamin was shot to death by his mother, who killed herself one day later.

Case status:
Margaret Ferne Jensvold (Mother), deceased.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Benjamin Barnhard
Autism Tragedy as Psychiatrist Mother Allegedly Murders Son, Commits Suicide in MD
‘She was going to kill me too,’ says ex-husband of psychiatrist who shot her autistic ‘Too Fat For 15’ son before turning the gun on herself
Mother, Son Deaths In Kensington, MD Ruled Murder-Suicide

Alejandra Molina

No Photo Name: Alejandra Molina.
Died: August 1, 2011.
Age at death: 7 months.
Cause of death: Heat stroke, dehydration.
Location: Columbus, Georgia, USA.
Disability: Prematurity, special dietary needs.

Details:
Alejandra was neglected by her mother. Born premature and needing extra calories to grow, she was supposed to be fed every few hours, but instead, her mother left her alone for sixteen hours in a hot room. She died of dehydration and heat stroke, five pounds underweight and covered with insect bites.

Case status:
Jessica Shah (Mother), found guilty of first-degree murder, sentenced to life; sentence overturned because of inappropriate jury instructions; granted new trial; found guilty of involuntary manslaughter and reckless conduct, sentenced to 7-10 years.

Source:
Mother gets new sentence in infant death case in which bugs fed on chld’s body.
Columbus mom whose dead baby was eaten by bugs gets reduced sentence
A mother was sentenced to life for killing her baby. Then her conviction was thrown out.
S16A1083. SHAH v. THE STATE.
Columbus pediatrician: 7-month-old baby died slowly; 9 lbs. at death

Julie Cirella

Name: Julie Cirella .
Died: July 23, 2011.
Age at death: 8.
Cause of death: Anaphylaxis.
Location: Plainview, Nassau County, New York, USA.
Disability: Cerebral palsy, severe peanut allergy.

Details:
Julie was asphyxiated by her mother. Her mother initially said she had given Julie peanuts, to which Julie had a severe allergy; however, though medics found the girl had died of asphyxiation, they found no peanuts in her system–but they also found no Benadryl or epinephrine, both medications which her mother claimed to have administered. How Julie died may never be known, but she was either actively killed by her mother, or else died because her mother refused to use her EpiPen or antihistamines when she had a deadly allergic reaction.

Julie’s mother made a suicide gesture, which she survived; she was found with a ligature around her neck, and a suicide note nearby that read “her daughter should die”.

8-year-old Julie Cirella died on the day she was supposed to be a flower girl in her uncle’s wedding. Her uncle was the one who found her body.

Case status:
Veronica Cirella (Mother), pleaded guilty to manslaughter, sentenced to 12 years, released after 6 years.

Source:
Veronica CIRELLA

JaQuinn Brewton

Photo of a small boy with dark skin and short black hair, wearing a blue jacket. He is holding up both forefingers to the camera. Name: JaQuinn Brewton.
Died: July 12, 2011.
Age at death: 3.
Cause of death: Pancreatic laceration from blunt trauma.
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
Disability: Intellectual disability.

Details:
JaQuinn was beaten and burned by his godmother and her boyfriend. His mother had turned him over to their care because she was staying in a homeless shelter. He died from internal injuries after two weeks at the hospital.

Case status:
Nadera Batson (Godmother), convicted of third-degree murder, sentenced to 28 1/2 to 57 years in prison.
Marcus King (Godmother’s boyfriend), pleaded guilty to third-degree murder, sentenced to 10-20 years in prison.

Source:
Godmother Sentenced in Blow Torch, Beating Death of 3-Year-Old Boy
Guilty verdict in torture death of boy, 3
Police: boy died from horrific abuse

Joseph and Nacuma Conant

No Photo Name: Joseph Conant.
Age at death: 11.
Disability: Autism.

Name: Nacuma Conant.
Age at death: 33.
Disability: Mentally disabled.

Died: July 7, 2011.
Cause of death: Multiple murder.
Location: Wheatland, Wyoming, USA.

Details:
Joseph and Nacuma were both killed by Joseph’s father, Nacuma’s brother, in a mass shooting that also claimed the lives of Everett Conant, 18, and Charles Conant, 13, both Joseph’s brothers.

Nacuma was extremely talented in art, and could draw anything anyone asked him to draw. He was working on a post-apocalyptic novel.

Joseph loved animals. As a toddler, he used to ride on his grandmother’s guide dog.

Case status:
Everett E. Conant III; pleaded no contest to murder; sentenced to five consecutive life sentences without parole.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Joseph Conant and family
Pastors recount lives of four slain Wyoming family members
Grieving Town Mourns 4 Wyoming Shooting Victims

Chad Jackson

Name: Chad Jackson.
Died: July 2, 2011.
Age at death: 25.
Cause of death: Starvation.
Location: Grand Junction, Michigan, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Chad’s mother starved him to death.

Case status:
Yodi Jackson (Mother), pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter, sentenced to 6 months in jail.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Chad Jackson
Mom sentenced in death of autistic son
Autopsy: Adult son with autism starved
Van Buren County man with autism was starved to death by his mother, police say
Mom charged in death of son with autism

Romana Bones

No Photo Name: Romana Bones.
Died: June 30, 2011.
Age at death: 13.
Cause of death: Sepsis.
Location: Duval County, Florida, USA.
Disability: Intellectual disability.

Details:
Romana was starved and neglected by her mother. She died of septic shock.

Case status:
Jessica Rivera (Mother), convicted of child neglect, sentenced to 12-18 years in prison.

Source:
Romana Bones, 13
DCF releases child neglect case documents
Woman Gets 18 Years for Daughter’s Death

Christina Meeks

Photo of a toddler girl with pale skin and strawberry-blond hair in pigtails, smiling; she is wearing a pink shirt. Name: Christina Noel Meeks.
Died: June 20, 2011.
Age at death: 4.
Cause of death: Heart attack.
Location: Muskogee, Oklahoma, USA.
Disability: Developmental delay; heart disease.

Details:
Christina died of a heart attack the day after an alleged violent sexual assault by her uncle. Nurses at the hospital reported extensive bruising.

Case status:
Robert Meeks Jr. (Uncle), child sexual abuse, charges dropped with the possibility of re-filing charges.
Betty Hall (Grandmother), neglect, charges dropped with the possibility of re-filing charges.

Source:
Child Neglect Charge Dismissed In Muskogee Girl’s 2011 Death
Affidavit Details Abuse Allegations In Muskogee Girl’s Death