Remembering the Disabled Murdered by Caregivers
Names on the main memorial list.
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
Name: Adrian Colon.
Disability: Autism.
Name: Alexis Colon.
Disability: Cerebral Palsy.
Died: April 11, 2013.
Age at death: 4.
Cause of death: Fire.
Location: West Allis, Wisconsin, USA.
Details:
Adrian and Alexis, twin brothers, and their sister Nayeli, were left locked into their room by their mother while she went out. While they were alone, a fire started and killed the three siblings. Their mother had received prior warnings about her neglect of the children.
Case status:
Angelica Belen (Mother), pleaded guilty to neglect, sentenced to 18 years in prison and 18 years of probation.
Source:
Three young children die in West Allis house fire, mother in custody
Mother of victims in fatal West Allis fire faced previous neglect charges
Couple wishes they would have done more for children killed in fire
Find a Grave: Adrian Colon
Autism Memorial: Adrian Colon
Name: Robert Gensiak.
Died: March 20, 2013.
Age at death: 32.
Cause of death: Sepsis.
Location: Scranton, Pennsylvania, USA.
Disability: Down syndrome.
Details:
Robert was severely neglected by his family; he died of blood poisoning from an untreated skin rash his body could not fight because he was so malnourished.
Case status:
Susan Gensiak (Mother), pled to third-degree murder, sentenced to 10-20 years in prison
Joan Gensiak (Sister), convicted of neglect, sentenced to 6 years.
Rebekah Gensiak (Sister), convicted of misdemeanor neglect, sentenced to 6-23 months in jail.
Source:
Susan Gensiak And 2 Daughters Charged With Murder Of Robert Gensiak, Disabled Man
Lackawanna County woman’s sentence overturned in disabled brother’s neglect death
Joan Gensiak re-sentenced to same term for starvation death of brother
Name: Gerald Lee Lakes.
Died: March 13, 2013.
Age at death: 24.
Cause of death: Starvation, dehydration.
Location: Lexington, Kentucky, USA.
Disability: Intellectual disability.
Details:
Gerald was neglected and starved to death by his parents.
Case status:
Jerry Lakes (Father), pleaded guilty to second-degree manslaughter, two counts of knowing abuse or neglect of an adult, three counts of exploitation, and three counts of theft by failure to make required disposition of property, sentenced to 20 years.
Peggy Whitlock (Mother), guilty to two counts of knowing abuse and neglect, sentenced to 10 years.
Source:
Lexington couple sentenced for neglect in death of mentally handicapped son
Detectives: Father of man who starved to death spent thousands in a casino
Name: Marci Garvin.
Died: March 11, 2013.
Age at death: 39.
Cause of death: Pneumonia, dehydration.
Location: Fort Worth, Texas, USA.
Disability: Cerebral palsy, intellectual disability, epilepsy.
Details:
Marci’s father and sister neglected her so badly that she died of infection, pneumonia, and dehydration.
Marci had spent 18 years working part-time for the Star-Telegram human resources office. Sadly, the same newspaper was later to publish the report on her death.
Case status:
Mike Garvin (Father), convicted of injury to the disabled and sentenced to 10-20 years in prison.
Tabby Martinjak (Sister), convicted of injury to the disabled and sentenced to 10-20 years in prison.
Source:
Father, daughter sentenced to 20 years in prison in death of disabled woman
Failing Marci: A disabled woman’s story of triumph and tragedy | Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Failing Marci: Investigation raises questions about care and oversight for disabled woman – Fort Worth Star-Telegram (TX), 3/1/2015 Bexar County, Texas
Name: Susan Margaret Walter.
Died: March 2, 2013.
Age at death: 47.
Cause of death: Blunt force trauma.
Location: Covington, Georgia, USA.
Disability: Intellectual disability.
Details:
Susan was beaten to death by her caregiver.
Case status:
Cornelius Richardson-Bethea (Caregiver), convicted of malice murder and abuse of a disabled adult, sentenced to life without parole.
Source:
Mentally challenged Newton woman found beaten to death
Caregiver gets life for mentally challenged woman’s beating death
Name: Darnell “DJ” Lamount Hunter Jr.
Died: February 20, 2013.
Age at death: 18.
Cause of death: Starvation.
Location: Peoria, Illinois, USA.
Disability: Intellectual disability.
Details:
DJ was neglected and starved to death by his father.
He was a Dragon Ball Z fan who also liked reading, video games, and basketball.
Case status:
Darnell Hunter Sr. (Father); pled guilty to manslaughter and neglect; sentenced to 12 years.
Source:
Darnell Hunter sentenced to 12 years for fatally neglecting his impaired son
Darnell Lamount Hunter Jr. – View Obituary & Service Information
Name: Tia Ann Jones.
Died: February 18, 2013.
Age at death: 12.
Cause of death: Infection.
Location: Cleveland, Ohio, USA.
Disability: Autism, ADHD.
Details:
Tia Ann’s parents neglected an infection in her feet until it spread and killed her.
Case status:
Randy D. Jones (Father), found guilty of involuntary manslaughter; sentenced to 10 years.
Carissa Jones (Mother), found guilty of involuntary manslaughter; sentenced to 10 years.
Source:
Tia Jones
Ohio Supreme Court will decide if 10-year prison sentence too long for parents convicted of letting sick child die
10-year prison sentence reinstated for Richmond Heights couple in daughter’s death
Name: Brandon Leon White.
Died: January 8, 2013.
Age at death: 15.
Cause of death: Asphyxiation.
Location: Denison, Texas, USA.
Disability: Autism, epilepsy, bipolar disorder.
Details:
Brandon had epilepsy and bipolar disorder, but he hadn’t taken his medication for a while–his family said they couldn’t afford it. Instead of getting him the medication, Brandon’s mother’s boyfriend tied him up and gagged him, then put a pillow over his face to make him stop struggling. Brandon died of suffocation.
Case status:
Robert Gray Jr. (Mother’s boyfriend); convicted of murder; sentenced to 45-90 years.
Source:
Autism Memorial: Brandon White
Denison teen dies at home
New details in death of Denison teen
Teen killed in Denison had ties to Jasper
Man arrested for murder in Denison teen’s death
Pennies from Heaven for Brandon
Denison Murder Suspect Testifies He Was Tired During Interrogations
Man sentenced to 90 years for Denison teen’s murder
Name: Quinten “Q-Man” Wood.
Died: January 4, 2013.
Age at death: 15.
Cause of death: Pneumonia.
Location: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA.
Disability: Chromosome 9 Ring.
Details:
Quinten’s father neglected him; he died of pneumonia related to starvation.
Quinten was a fan of Star Wars and Daft Punk.
Case status:
Michael Wood (Father), pleaded guilty to neglect, given a suspended sentence and one year of probation.
Source:
Valerie Wood-Harber Got Justice for Her Brother – and Other Disabled Kids
Justice for Quinten
Father, DHS Employees Facing Charges In Quinten Wood Death
How a disabled boy’s heartbreaking story inspired real legislation