Main List – Page 28 – Disability Day of Mourning

Lakesha Victor

Photo of Lakesha Victor, a girl with a gap-toothed smile. Her head leans against a headrest. Name: Lakesha Victor.
Died: August 20, 2006.
Age at death: 10.
Cause of death: Starvation.
Location: Hinckley, Minnesota, USA.
Disability: Cerebral palsy, autism, epilepsy.

Details:
Lakesha, who was supposed to be given formula through her feeding tube, was not fed often enough. She lost weight rapidly and soon starved to death.

Case status:
Ludusky Sue Hotchkiss (Mother), pleaded guilty to second-degree manslaughter, sentenced to 32 months.
Ti-Heim Darrien Coston (Caregiver, mother’s boyfriend), charged with neglect, theft, and failure to report.

Source:
Arrest in girl’s starving death
“I didn’t notice. I wish I had.” Hotchkiss pleads guilty to manslaughter in daughter’s death
MN: Lakesha Victor – Disabled, Abused, Neglected, Dead
Autism Memorial: Lakeisha Victor
Mom Starved Disabled Daughter to Death, Say Cops

Marcus Fiesel

Photo of Marcus Fiesel, a small boy on a green lawn. He has pale skin and windswept brown hair in a bowl cut. He is shyly covering his mouth with his hands. Name: Marcus Fiesel.
Died: August 4-6, 2006 (exact day unknown).
Age at death: 3.
Cause of death: Dehydration, heat stroke, and/or positional asphyxia.
Location: Middletown, Ohio, USA.
Disability: Autism, developmental delay.

Details:
Marcus’s foster parents wrapped him up in a blanket, tied it with packing tape, and left him in a closet while they went away for three days. Marcus was dead when they returned.

Case status:
Liz Carrol (Foster mother), murder, sentenced to 54 to life.
David Carroll Jr. (Foster father), murder, sentenced to 16 years.

Source:
Parole denied for David Carroll, convicted of murder of Marcus Fiesel of Middletown
Man convicted in abuse, killing of 3-year-old foster son to get parole hearing
David Carroll is up for parole in murder of foster son, Marcus Fiesel, 3
Autism Memorial: Marcus Fiesel
Remembering the boy with the bright blue eyes

Danieal Kelly

Photo of Danieal Kelly, a girl sitting in a wheelchair, smiling and waving her arms. She has dark hair and light-brown skin, and is wearing a red T-shirt with denim overalls. Name: Danieal Kelly.
Died: August 4, 2006.
Age at death: 14.
Cause of death: Malnutrition, infection.
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
Disability: Cerebral palsy.

Details:
Danieal’s mother starved and neglected her.

Her name is pronounced the same as “Danielle”.

Case status:
Andrea Kelly (Mother), pleaded guilty to 3rd degree murder, endangering the welfare of a child; 20-40 years in prison.
Daniel Kelly (Father), convicted of endangering the welfare of a child, sentenced to 2 1/2 to 5 years in prison.
Dana Poindexter (Social worker), found guilty of endangering the welfare of a child, recklessly endangering another person and perjury, sentenced to 2 1/2 to 5 years in prison.
Mickal Kamuvaka (Social worker), found guilty of endangering the welfare of a child, involuntary manslaughter, tampering with evidence, perjury, forgery, reckless endangerment and conspiracy, sentenced to 2 1/2 to 5 years in prison.

Source:
Caseworker charged in connection to child’s beating death
Dad, workers get up to 5 years in starvation death
Father of Danieal Kelly on trial in girl’s death
Father, 2 Social Workers Found Guilty In Danieal Kelly Starvation Death Case
Danieal Kelly, Mom Let Daughter With Cerebral Palsy Rot And Starve To Death Because She Was Ashamed Of Her.

Daelynn Foreman

No Photo Name: Daelynn Foreman.
Died: July 31, 2006.
Age at death: 12.
Cause of death: Starvation.
Location: Sacramento, California, USA.
Disability: Cerebral palsy.

Details:
Daelynn was starved and neglected by her mother.

Case status:
Brandy Foreman (Mother), sentenced to 25 years to life.

Source:
Sacramento mom sentenced for killing by neglect
ANGELIZD’s Place – Daelynn Foreman
Sac woman given 25 years for neglect of daughter
Chris Cejas Memorial to Stop Child Abuse: Death puts focus on CPS

William Lash IV

Name: William Lash IV.
Died: July 14, 2006.
Age at death: 12.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: McLean, Virginia, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
William’s father killed his son before committing suicide.

William was an active child who was fond of ice-skating, roller-skating, and basketball.

Case status:
William Lash III (Father), deceased.

Source:
William Lash tragedy: Ex-Commerce Dept. official kills son, self
Ex-Bush Aide Fatally Shoots Son, Himself
Two Tearful Goodbyes
Autism Memorial: William Lash IV

Christopher DeGroot

No Photo Name: Christopher Aire DeGroot.
Died: May 19, 2006.
Age at death: 19.
Cause of death: Fire.
Location: Albany, Oregon, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Christopher’s parents locked him in his room and bolted it with a deadbolt. Then they set a fire in their home and left Christopher to burn to death.

Case status:
Nicolaas DeGroot (Father), pleaded no contest to criminally negligent homicide, sentenced to 6 months in jail.
Agnes DeGroot (Mother), pleaded no contest to criminally negligent homicide, sentenced to 6 months in jail.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Christopher DeGroot
Autistic Teen Struggled To Get Out Of Blazing Apartment
Couple Charged with Setting Fire to Kill Autistic Teen Son
Couple sentenced in fire death of autistic son

Katherine McCarron

Name: Katherine “Katie” McCarron Photo of Katie McCarron, a toddler girl with blond hair and pale skin, wearing a blue summer dresss, sitting on the carpet and playing with a Teletubby toy. .
Died: May 13, 2006.
Age at death: 3.
Cause of death: Asphyxia.
Location: Morton, Illinois, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Katie’s mother suffocated her with a plastic bag because she would not take a nap, saying that she had done it “to end [Katie’s] pain”.

Case status:
Karen McCarron (Mother); convicted of first degree murder; sentenced to 36 years.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Katie McCarron
Karen McCarron
“Katie McCarron”, CCDI
“Board Suspends Dr. McCarron’s License Indefinitely”
“Grandfather says Murder had nothing to do with Autism”
Katie McCarron, Charles-Antoine Blais, real children, real people.

Jasmine and Minnet Bowman

Portrait photo of Minnet and Jasmine Bowman. They are young, dark-skinned girls with their hair in braids and barrettes, smiling at the camera. — Minnet Bowman, left, and Jasmine Bowman.

Name: Jasmine Nicole Bowman.
Age at death: 7.

Name: Minnet Cecelia Bowman.
Age at death: 9.

Died: May 2006.
Cause of death: Asphyxia.
Location: Montgomery County, Maryland, USA.
Disability: Unspecified “special needs”.

Details:
Both Jasmine and Minnet were smothered by their adoptive mother. She then put their bodies in a freezer and continued to collect the subsidies she got for adopting special-needs children.

Case status:
Renee Bowman (Adoptive mother), murder, sentenced to 2 life terms plus 75 years without parole.

Source:
Renee Bowman

Ryan Davies

Photo of Ryan Davies, a boy with brown hair, squinting a little in bright sunlight. Name: Ryan Davies.
Died: April 12, 2006.
Age at death: 12.
Cause of death: Drowning.
Location: Stockport, Greater Manchester, England, UK.
Disability: Fragile X.

Details:
Ryan’s mother caused him to jump off a bridge, and then jumped off herself.

Ryan knew how to do wheelies on his bike.

Case status:
Alison Davies (Mother), deceased.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Ryan Davies
Ordeal that drove mum to suicide jump with autistic son
A mother and son smiling at the station. Then two specks on the edge of a bridge
Tragedy of mother and autistic son, 12

Hevin Jenkins

Photo of Hevin Jenkins, a baby looking at the camera over the bottle he is holding and sucking on. Name: Hevin Dakota James Lee Jenkins.
Died: December 15, 2005.
Age at death: 2.
Cause of death: Drowned.
Location: Hurricane, West Virginia, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Hevin was drowned by his aunt, and her boyfriend disposed of his body, which has never been found.

Case status:
Tonya Sloan (Aunt), second-degree murder, sentenced to 40 years.
Anthony Milam (Aunt’s boyfriend), accessory after the fact, sentenced to 1 year in prison.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Hevin Jenkins
Hevin Dakota James Lee Jenkins
Woman charged in her autistic nephew’s death