Main List – Page 7 – Disability Day of Mourning

Kenyon Slacks

Name: Kenyon Jakobian Slacks.
Died: June 24, 2014.
Age at death: 3.
Cause of death: Morphine overdose.
Location: Augusta, Georgia, USA.
Disability: Multiple medical problems, including Ohtahara syndrome (rare epilepsy type).

Details:
Kenyon may have died from a morphine overdose administered by his foster mother. However, because his health had been so delicate beforehand, murder could not be proven and his foster mother walked free.

Case status:
Elizabeth Osei (Foster mother), charged with murder, acquitted.

Source:
Parent At Nation’s Leading For-Profit Foster Care Firm Facing Murder Charges
Care-giver indicted on murder charges in child’s overdose death
Murder trial begins in death of disabled foster child
Elizabeth Osei acquitted of murder in foster child case
PHOTOS: Toddler Kenyon Slacks and foster mom Elizabeth Osei
Foster Care news and Updates: Foster mom killed 3-year-old boy with morphine dose

Samantha Marcus

Black and white school photo of Samantha Marcus, a girl with light skin and long, dark hair, smiling for the camera. Name: Samantha Marcus.
Died: June 8, 2014.
Age at death: 17.
Cause of death: Asphyxia.
Location: Waukegan, Illinois, USA.
Disability: Muscular dystrophy.

Details:
Samantha and her mother, Sun Marcus, were both strangled to death by her father.

Samantha’s favorite subject in school was graphic arts. She played video games in her free time, and had two dogs named Snickers and Penny.

Case status:
Anthony Marcus (Father), pleaded guilty to first-degree murder, sentenced to 45 years.

Source:
Waukegan Man Charged With Killing Wife, Disabled Daughter
SAMANTHA MARCUS Obituary (1997 – 2014)

Rebecca Cotten

Photo of Rebecca Cotten, a very thin young woman. She is leaning forward toward another woman standing in front of her, so that her face is not visible. Name: Rebecca Cotten.
Died: May 29, 2014.
Age at death: 22.
Cause of death: Starvation.
Location: Memphis, Tennessee, USA.
Disability: Cerebral palsy.

Details:
Rebecca was allegedly abused and starved by her mother. She died weighing 40 pounds.

Case status:
Jennifer Cotten (Mother); charged with abuse and aggravated assault.
Nicholas Newquest, charged with abuse.

Source:
Second arrest made in death of 24-year-old woman with disabilities
Abused woman who weighed 40 pounds dies
Mother charged in death of disabled daughter, 22, who weighed 40lbs

Heaven Woods

Photo of Heaven Woods, a little girl with tan skin and curly brown hair, in a pink tutu, holding a doll. Name: Heaven Woods.
Died: May 20, 2014.
Age at death: 5.
Cause of death: Internal bleeding, blunt trauma.
Location: Forsyth, Georgia, USA.
Disability: ADHD; mother claims autism.

Details:
When Heaven had hand-shaped bruises on her throat, her mother claimed she was autistic and tried to choke herself. Eventually, Heaven was beaten to death by her mother and her mother’s boyfriend.

Case status:
Amanda Hendrickson (Mother), pleaded guilty to murder, sentenced to life.
Roderick Buckner (Mother’s boyfriend), pleaded guilty to murder, sentenced to life without parole.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Heaven Woods
Man pleads guilty in Heaven Woods’ death, mother still facing death penalty
Mom guilty in ‘savage’ beating death of 5-year-old Heaven Woods
Rome girl, 5, died of blunt force trauma; pregnant mother arrested
Grandmother of slain girl wants death penalty for daughter
Mother and boyfriend ‘beat her five-year-old daughter named Heaven to death three weeks after child services dropped abuse investigation’
Father of 5-year-old Heaven still in shock over her death

Magdalena Amunyoko

No Photo Name: Magdalena Nunyango Amunyoko.
Died: May 9, 2014.
Age at death: 26.
Cause of death: Sharp force injury.
Location: Ongwediva, Namibia.
Disability: A “rare condition that restricted her body functions”; speech impediment, wheelchair user.

Details:
Magdalena’s mother allegedly hacked her to death with a panga (a type of machete), and then burned her body.

Case status:
Magdalena’s mother, arrested.

Source:
No right to end another’s life – youth
Teacher Accused Of Barbecuing Disabled Daughter: Report
No right to end another’s life – youth
Teacher kills, burns daughter on braai stand

Olivia, Ben, and Max Clarence

Photo of a small boy with fair hair and pale skin, giggling and waving.

Photo of a small boy with fair hair and pale skin, smiling broadly.

Name: Olivia Clarence.
Age at death: 4.

Name: Ben Clarence.
Age at death: 3.

Name: Max Clarence.
Age at death: 3.

Died: April 22, 2014.
Cause of death: Smothered.
Location: New Malden, London, UK.
Disability: Spinal muscular atrophy type 2.

Details:
When twins Ben and Max were babies, their mother had requested DNR orders on them and Olivia; later on there were allegations that she had been tampering with their medical equipment, neglecting, and emotionally abusing her children. These allegations were dropped.

Oliva, Ben, and Max were all smothered by their mother when Olivia was four and Ben and Max were three years old.

Case status:
Tania Clarence (mother) pleaded guilty to manslaughter by diminished responsibility, and was hospitalized.

Source:
Woman smothered disabled twin sons before killing their sister, court hears
Was mum who smothered disabled kids ignored by social services because she was middle class?

Caitlin Wentzel

Photo of a young girl sitting in a wheelchair; she has curly blond hair, fair skin, and glasses, and she is wearing a brown T-shirt. Name: Caitlin Wentzel.
Died: April 21, 2014.
Age at death: 12.
Cause of death: Smothered.
Location: Mesa, Arizona, USA.
Disability: Osteogenesis imperfecta.

Details:
Caitlin’s mother poisoned her, then smothered her to death, before killing herself.

Caitlin enjoyed learning about cultures, reading, art and swimming. She was a proficient reader who read above her grade level.

Case status:
Marcia Wentzel (Mother), deceased.

Source:
Mother ‘overdosed and smothered’ her wheelchair-bound daughter, 12, who was suffering from a rare genetic disorder before ending her own life in murder-suicide
Marcia & Caitlin Wentzel Obituary – Mesa, AZ

Otto Smith

Photo of Otto Smith, a teenage boy in a red jacket. He has fair skin, and his brown hair is in a crew cut. He has a wispy mustache. There is water in the background. Name: Otto Smith.
Died: April 13, 2014.
Age at death: 18.
Cause of death: Asphyxia.
Location: Auburn, Seattle, Washington, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
After long-term severe abuse, Otto’s mother’s boyfriend restrained and smothered him. Despite witnessing months of abuse that nearly killed Otto and his brother several times, his mother did nothing to help.

Otto liked to watch The Lion King, and his favorite toy was a musical keyboard. His younger brother, who survived abuse for several months after Otto died, went on to testify in his murder trial. He is now safe, living with his grandparents.

Case status:
Matthew Christenson (Mother’s boyfriend); convicted of second-degree murder, homicide by abuse, felony harassment, sentenced to 65 years.
Pascia Backman (Mother), pleaded guilty to helping cover up the murder, ordered to mental health and drug treatment.

Source:
Man awaits resentencing for abusing autistic victim to death in Auburn
Autism Memorial: Otto Smith
Trial considers whether man killed, tortured girlfriend’s sons
Mom: Beau’s love left me ‘euphoric,’ then he killed my son
Brother of slain autistic teen: Abuse rendered me ‘hopeless’
Boyfriend found guilty of murdering woman’s autistic son
65 years for Auburn man in death of girlfriend’s autistic son he bound and gagged

Robert Robinson

Photo of a young man with light skin and curly brown hair, a thin beard and mustache, and brown eyes. He is wearing a black jacket over a white T-shirt. Trees can be seen in the background. Name: Robert Robinson.
Died: April 3, 2014.
Age at death: 16.
Cause of death: Tranquilizer poisoning.
Location: Prince Rupert, British Columbia, Canada.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Robert was poisoned by his mother, who also took her own life.

Robbie and his mother liked to hike a trail by the ocean.

Case status:
Angie Robinson (Mother), deceased.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Robert Robinson
Prince Rupert RCMP confirm murder-suicide in Ebert Street deaths
Social services for families with autistic children called into question following murder-suicide involving mother and son
Murder-suicide of B.C. autistic teen by his mother reignites debate over caregiver support
Prince Rupert mom left murder-suicide note saying she could no longer care for severely autistic son

Jonathan Samuel

No Photo Name: Jonathan Samuel.
Died: March 24, 2014.
Age at death: 13.
Cause of death: Traumatic injury.
Location: Coeur D’Alene, Idaho, USA.
Disability: Down syndrome, autism.

Details:
Jonathan’s brother shot him with a shotgun, then killed him with a knife and a machete. He also killed Jonathan’s father, Eldon Samuel Jr.

Jonathan’s brother claimed that it was Jonathan’s autism that caused their father to become addicted to painkillers and hit him, and that that was why he killed his father and brother.

Case status:
Eldon Gale Samuel III (Brother); convicted of first-degree murder and second-degree murder, sentenced to 20 years.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Jonathan Samuel
Teen confesses to killing family using a machete, guns and knife
Judge in family deaths case says suspect, 14, cited brother’s autism
Coeur D’alene Double Killing Leaves Family Grieving
Jury hears more about brother who was killed
Idaho teen sentenced 20 years in deaths of father, brother