Main List – Page 14 – Disability Day of Mourning

Alayah-Rose Savarese

Name: Alayah-Rose Savarese .
Died: June 25, 2012.
Age at death: 8.
Cause of death: Ruptured stomach.
Location: New York City, New York, USA.
Disability: Cerebral palsy.

Details:
Alayah died from a ruptured stomach. Her case was known to social services, and there had been multiple complaints of neglect and reports of bruises on Alayah’s body.

Case status:
Nicole Diggs (Mother) and Oscar Thomas (mother’s boyfriend); charged with neglect, but the charges were dropped. They later inherited $2.1 million that had been placed in trust for Alayah’s care.

Source:
Alayah-Rose Savarese

Markea Blakely-Berry

Name: Markea Blakely-Berry.
Died: June 15, 2012.
Age at death: 16.
Cause of death: Starvation.
Location: Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
Disability: Intellectual disability.

Details:
Markea was starved to death by her mother.

Case status:
Ebony Berry (Mother), pled guilty to involuntary manslaughter, sentenced to 30 years.

Source:
Girl, 16, dies weighing just 40lb after being ‘starved by her food-obsessed mother’

James Thompson

No Photo
Name: James Thompson.
Died: June 12, 2012.
Age at death: 42.
Cause of death: Starvation, medical neglect.
Location: The Bronx, New York City, New York, USA.
Disability: Autism, intellectual disability.

Details:
James was starved to death by his niece. He died with a fractured arm and leg, weighing less than half of the 142 pounds he had weighed two years earlier.

Case status:
Naisia Norman (Niece), convicted of manslaughter, sentenced to 2-6 years in prison.

Source:
Inmate Lookup » NYS Department of Corrections and Community Supervision
Prosecutors: Woman let uncle starve
Autism Memorial: James Thompson
Niece Accused of Starving Autistic Uncle Worked as Home Health Aide
Bronx Woman Held in the Death of Her Uncle
AUtism Memorial: James Thompson

Howard Spracher

No Photo Name: Howard E. Spracher.
Died: June 5, 2012.
Age at death: 67.
Cause of death: Malnutrition, trauma.
Location: St. Louis, Missouri, USA.
Disability: Visually impaired, physical/mental ill health.

Details:
Howard’s girlfriend locked him into a bare room, starved him, and beat him. He died of his injuries.

Howard worked for sixteen years for the city of Omaha as a public events worker.

Case status:
Darlene Coulibaly (Girlfriend/Housemate), pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, domestic assault, and elder abuse; sentenced to 20 years in prison.

Source:
Caretaker charged after elderly St. Louis man’s death
St. Louis woman pleads guilty in death of housemate

James Moore

Potrait photo of a young man with fair skin and straight light-brown hair. Name: James Moore.
Died: June 1, 2012.
Age at death: 22.
Cause of death: Traumatic injury.
Location: Phoenix, Arizona, USA.
Disability: Intellectual disability.

Details:
James’s sister and her husband beat him, starved him, and neglected his injuries until he died.

Case status:
Carlena Pinkerton (Sister), pleaded guilty to murder and abuse, sentenced to 13 years in prison.
Joshua Pinkerton (Brother-in-law), pleaded guilty to murder and abuse, sentenced to 7 years in prison.

Source:
Phoenix couple sentenced in abuse, death of brother
2 caregivers arrested, charged with murder

Perry Jones

Photo of Perry Jones, an adult man in a red sweater; he has brown skin, black hair, and a mustache. Name: Perry Edward Jones.
Died: April 19, 2012.
Age at death: 51.
Cause of death: Strangled.
Location: Matoaca, Chesterfield County, Virginia, USA.
Disability: “Severely disabled”.

Details:
Perry was strangled by his mother, who also killed his father.

Case status:
Estelle Virginia Jones (Mother); sentenced to 5 years in prison.

Source:
Estelle Virginia JONES

Daniel Corby

Photo of Daniel Corby, a small boy with short brown hair and fair skin, smiling and covering his mouth with his hands. Name: Daniel Corby.
Died: March 31, 2012.
Age at death: 4.
Cause of death: Drowned.
Location: San Diego, California, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Daniel’s mother drowned him in the bathtub. She said she had killed him because he was autistic, she was sick of taking care of him, and she had gone $70,000 into debt for autism treatment.

Daniel learned all of the letters of the alphabet when he was three.

Case status:
Patricia Corby (mother) pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to 15 years to life.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Daniel Corby
Woman sentenced in tub drowning of autistic son, 4
Murder of Daniel Corby
Mom gets 15 years in autistic son’s tub drowning
Mother admits she drowned autistic son, 4, in bathtub because ‘she was sick of taking care of him’ and was $70,000 in debt after paying for his care
‘She felt like she had no life’: Mother drowns autistic four-year-old
Mother who drowned 4-year-old autistic son sentenced to life term

George Hodgins

No Photo Name: George Hodgins.
Died: March 6, 2012.
Age at death: 22.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Sunnyvale, California, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
George’s mother killed him, then shot herself.

George communicated by means of a VOCA and often wore headphones, listening to music. He was very active and loved being outdoors, but was frightened of the neighbors’ dogs.

Case status:
Elizabeth Hodgins (Mother), deceased.

Source:
Autism Memorial: George Hodgins
Guest opinion: Death by Legislature
Sunnyvale police: Mother killed 22-year-old autistic son, then herself
Parents of autistic children speak out on Sunnyvale murder-suicide
The Murder of George Hodgins
Sunnyvale mom kills autistic son, self, police say
Murder of George Hodgins
Sunnyvale police: Mother killed 22-year-old autistic son, then herself
Sunnyvale Killings Called Murder-Suicide: Neighbor
The After-Effects of a Mother’s Murder/Suicide
Autistic support group to host Sunnyvale vigil for George Hodgins, killed in murder-suicide

Russell Fox

Name: Russell Wayne Fox.
Died: March 4, 2012.
Age at death: 8.
Cause of death: Pneumonia.
Location: Suwannee County, Florida, USA.
Disability: ADHD, developmental delay, cystic fibrosis.

Details:
Russell was denied medical care and not fed enough. He died at the age of 8 from complications of cystic fibrosis. Medical neglect was a contributing factor.

Russell “enjoyed playing outside and watching Spongebob Squarepants.”

Case status:
Lesa Rose Fox (Adoptive mother), not charged. In 2018, she was sentenced to 2 years for a presumably unrelated aggravated assault.

Source:
Russell Wayne Fox
Russell Fox, 8

Daniel Pelka

Photo of a small boy in a red sweater; he has fair skin and blond hair and is smiling. Name: Daniel Pelka.
Died: March 3, 2012.
Age at death: 4.
Cause of death: Head injury.
Location: Coventry, West Midlands, England, UK.
Disability: None. Killer claimed he was autistic.

Details:
Daniel, who was not autistic, died from beatings and starvation by his mother and stepfather, who told a co-worker that Daniel was not worth beating because he was autistic and would not feel pain.

Case status:
Magadelena Luczak (Mother), sentenced to 30 years to life, died in prison.
Mariusz Krezolek (Stepfather); sentenced to 30 years to life, died in prison.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Daniel Pelka
Daniel Pelka’s brutal stepfather refused treatment before death in prison.
PELKA: WHAT THE JUDGE TOLD EVIL CHILDKILLERS
Mom & Boyfriend Jailed for Murdering 4-Year-Old: 5 Fast Facts You Need to know
Daniel Pelka: Professionals failed ‘invisible’ murdered boy, report says
Everyone to blame but no one punished: Teachers, doctors, the police and social workers escape justice after missing 27 chances to save tragic Daniel Pelka
Sibling of four-year-old boy ‘beaten to death by mother and her partner hoarded biscuits and nuts for him because he was left to starve’