Remembering the Disabled Murdered by Caregivers
Names on the main memorial list.
Name: Marian Roberts.
Died: August 17, 2013.
Age at death: 57.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Oakland, California, USA.
Disability: Quadriplegic, TBI.
Details:
Marian was shot by her father in a murder-suicide.
Case status:
William K. Roberts (Father), deceased.
Source:
Oakland father, daughter shot to death in murder-suicide
Oakland man kills disabled daughter, self
Elderly Oakland man kills disabled daughter, self
Oakland father, daughter shot to death in murder-suicide
Name: Matthew Hafer.
Died: Several days before July 27, 2013.
Age at death: 28.
Cause of death: Prescription drug overdose.
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.
Disability: Autism.
Details:
Matthew’s mother poisoned him with an overdose of prescription drugs.
Case status:
Joann Hafer (Mother), pled guilty to second-degree murder; sentenced to 10 years to life.
Source:
Autism Memorial: Matthew Hafer
Woman accused of killing son who had autism set for court
Police: Vegas woman drugged adult son to death
Mom accused of fatally drugging son appears in court
Police: Woman survives suicide attempt, arrested in death of disabled son
Court case
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.
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
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
Name: 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
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
Name: Seo (First name unknown).
Died: June 2013.
Age at death: 4.
Cause of death: Asphyxia.
Location: Yeosu, South Korea.
Disability: Autism.
Details:
This four-year-old girl’s mother strangled her to death.
Case status:
Ms. Seo (Mother); sentenced to 3 years.
Source:
Seo, 4-year-old female, name unknown
Korean Mother Kills Her Autistic Child, Gets 3 Years in Prison
Name: Levai Bonnar.
Died: May 21, 2013.
Age at death: 7.
Cause of death: Head injury.
Location: Sydney, Australia.
Disability: Intellectual disability.
Details:
Levai was beaten, starved, and humiliated by his parents. The abuse eventually proved fatal when Levai died of head injuries.
Levai’s killers nearly escaped justice by claiming the boy had died from falling off a pogo stick.
Case status:
Kayla James (Mother), convicted of manslaughter, sentenced to 10½ years.
Kodi James Maybir (Mother’s boyfriend), convicted of murder, sentenced to 31½ to 38 years.
Source:
Boy spent last months being abused: court
Life term urged for child killer Kodi Maybir
Christian hip-hop producer Kodi Maybir jailed for killing partner’s child
Name: Alexandru Radita.
Died: May 7, 2013.
Age at death: 15.
Cause of death: Sepsis, untreated diabetes.
Location: Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Disability: Juvenile diabetes.
Details:
Alexandru was neglected and confined to his room, and treatment for his diabetes was withheld. He died of a bacterial infection he could not fight because he was so badly malnourished.
Case status:
Emil Radita (Father), convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to 25 years to life.
Rodica Radita (Mother), convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to 25 years to life.
Source:
Testimony from convicted father of teen in malnourishment death delayed until June
Supreme Court won’t hear appeals of couple convicted in diabetic son’s death
Alex Radita’s Parents Guilty Of Murder: Dead 15-Year-Old Starved, Neglected
Parents face homicide charges in death of son
Alex Radita, 15, weighed 37 pounds when he died, murder trial hears
Alex Radita lay dead for up to 36 hours, police officer testifies at parents’ murder trial
Calgary murder trial hears diabetic teen was malnourished, covered in ulcers
Raditas guilty of 1st-degree murder of teen son who weighed 37 lb. at death
Diabetic boy’s parents who ‘didn’t believe in doctors’ found guilty of murder
A diabetic boy’s religious parents ‘didn’t believe in doctors.’ Now they’re guilty of his murder.
Can the sad, short life of one boy save others?
Appeal dismissed for Calgary parents convicted of murder in teen’s death