Category: No Photo

Chevana Fox

Photo UnavailableName: Chevana Marie Fox.
Died: February 28, 2021.
Age at death: 28.
Cause of death: Hypoxic brain injury due to strangulation.
Location: Napier, New Zealand.
Disability: Juvenile Huntington’s disease.

Details:
Chevana’s mother strangled her. Her mother called emergency services to report what she had done, and Chevana was taken to the hospital; but her brain had been without oxygen too long, and she died four weeks later.

Case Status:
Cherlyene May Lawrence (Mother), pleaded guilty to murder, sentenced to 6 years 6 months.

Source:
Mum who killed terminally-ill daughter sentenced to six and a half years in jail
Napier mother admits murdering daughter with juvenile Huntington’s disease
Mother admits killing disabled daughter in Napier

Janevive Adienge

Photo UnavailableName: Janevive Adienge.
Died: February 25, 2021.
Age at death: Child.
Cause of death: Poisoning.
Location: Homa Bay, Kenya.
Disability: Unspecified.

Details:
Janeveve’s uncle told her mother that he was signing Janeveve up for some help from a charity, but then he instead signed Janeveve and her mother up for a life-insurance policy, with himself as the beneficiary. A year later, one of her uncle’s friends distracted her mother with some forms that he said she needed to fill out to get assistance; while her mother was busy, he gave Janeveve poison. Janeveve’s mother called for help, but it arrived too late for the girl, who died. The killer and an associate were both convicted of murder, but the judge found that, although the uncle had been involved in the plot, there was insufficient evidence to charge him.

Case Status:
Lucas Odhiambo Okello (Uncle), not charged.
Kevin Ogot (Killer), convicted of murder.
Moses Omondi Sumba (Accomplice), convicted of murder.

Sources:
Two found guilty of killing disabled child for insurance claim
Two found guilty of killing disabled child for insurance claim

Connie Hunt

No PhotoName: Connie Hunt.
Died: February 15, 2021.
Age at death: 72.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Chocowinity, North Carolina, USA.
Disability: Dementia, physical disability.

Details:
Connie’s ex-son-in-law, who lived with her and her daughter, killed her with a shotgun.

Case Status:
James Carver (Ex son-in-law), pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, sentenced to 25-31 years in prison.

Sources:
Chocowinity man admits to murder
Chocowinity man pleads, sentenced in murder case
Beaufort County man charged with murder in death of ex-mother-in-law
Beaufort County man sentenced to 25-31 years in prison for murder of ex-mother-in-law

Jerome Brown

No PhotoName: Jerome Brown.
Died: February 14, 2021.
Age at death: 11.
Cause of death: Starvation.
Location: Paynesville, Greater Monrovia, Liberia.
Disability: Epilepsy.

Details:
Jerome was born with epilepsy, and when she could not find a cure for him in the spiritual treatments she sought, his mother left him to his father to raise. A neighbor reported finding him close to death in his father’s home; shortly after being found, Jerome died.

Jerome’s mother says that his father starved him to death, and that photos of his body in an extremely emaciated condition corroborate her claims. Police initially declared that he had died of epilepsy; but Jerome’s death was eventually declared to be a homicide and his father and stepmother arrested.

Case Status:
Emmanuel Brown (Father), charged with manslaughter.
Wanneh Tarpalah (Stepmother), charged with manslaughter.

Source:
Little Jerome’s Mother Seeks Justice
Court To Try Couple For Alleged Manslaughter, After 11-Yr-Old Son Starved To Death
“No Foul Play in Little Jerome’s Death” (Caution: graphic images of starvation)
Child, 11, Starved to Death (Caution: graphic images of starvation)

Nanako Tokutani

No PhotoName: Nanako Tokutani.
Died: February 13, 2021.
Age at death: 10.
Cause of death: Drowning.
Location: Kawakami, Nagano Prefecture, Japan.
Disability: Unspecified.

Details:
Police found Nanako’s body floating in a lake, and her father, soaked with water, in his car in the parking lot. He allegedly kidnapped her from her special needs school, took her to the lake, and drowned her. He told police that his daughter’s disability was “a burden to [his] wife” and that he wanted to “escape this life”.

Case Status:
Kazuhiko Tokutani (Father), suspected of murder.

Source:
Nara: Man killed disabled 10-year-old daughter ‘to escape this life’
Man arrested in Nara Prefecture allegedly killed disabled daughter “to escape this life”

Teru Inaba

No Photo
Name: Teru Inaba.
Died: February 2, 2021.
Age at death: 83.
Cause of death: Head injury.
Location: Tokyo, Japan.
Disability: Cognitive impairment; bedridden.

Details:
Ms. Inaba’s adult child allegedly punched her several times in the face, and she died from her injuries. Police said they reported being “tired of caring for her”.

Case status:
Megumi Inaba (Offspring), charged with murder.

Source:
Tokyo: Man, 52, accused in fatal assault of disabled mother
Woman arrested over death of 83-year-old disabled mother
Megumi Inaba’s gender is not consistent in news reports. –Ed.

Ekanthachari

No PhotoName: Ekanthachari.
Died: February 1, 2021.
Age at death: 21.
Cause of death: Assault.
Location: Shanivarsanthe, Karnataka, India.
Disability: A “behavioral disorder”.

Details:
Ekanthachari’s father reported his death as an accident, saying he had fallen from a tree. But a post-mortem examination found that he had died from assault.

Case Status:
Mahendra Kumar (Father), arrested for murder.

Source:
Karnataka man kills son with behavioural disorder

Hezekiah Pettiford

No Photo
Name: Hezekiah Pettiford.
Died: January 28, 2021.
Age at death: 15.
Cause of death: Head injury.
Location: Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
Disability: Autism, ADHD.

Details:
Hezekiah was found unresponsive at his home and was taken to the hospital, where he died two days later from a severe head injury. He weighed only 75 pounds, indicative of malnutrition, and his injuries were consistent with chronic child abuse.

Hezekiah loved math, had an extensive vocabulary and enjoyed watching game shows like Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy. His favorite movie was Home Alone and he loved eating macaroni and cheese and chicken nuggets.

Case Status:
Stefanie Colon (Aunt), found guilty of first-degree child abuse resulting in severe physical injury and two counts of neglecting a minor; sentenced to 4 years.
Dion Ball Sr. (Uncle), convicted of first-degree murder and first-degree child abuse; sentenced to 25 years to life.

Sources:
Aunt, uncle charged with abuse, manslaughter in teen’s death
Hezekiah Pettiford – Baltimore, Maryland , Brooks Clinton Funeral Service, P.A. – Memories wall
Focus on preventing child abuse after family members charged in 15-year-old’s death

Manu Savaliya

No PhotoName: Manu Savaliya.
Died: January 27, 2021.
Age at death: 75.
Cause of death: Mauled by a leopard.
Location: Amrutpur, Gujarat, India.
Disability: Blind, intellectual disability.

Details:
Manu’s family allegedly chained him to his bed because he had fallen into a well when unattended, because he had bitten people, and because he “bothered the neighbors”. One night, Manu’s family had gone to a wedding, and the one relative left behind went with their domestic helper to go water their fields in the early morning. Manu, a strong man even at the age of 75, was attacked and killed by a leopard, unable to escape or fight back because of the chain.

Case status:
Police are investigating a complaint of wrongful confinement against Manu’s family.

Source:
Gujarat: Chained at farm for attacking villagers, 75-year-old blind man killed, eaten by leopard
Blind man chained to bed killed by leopard in Gujarat (Caution: graphic image of body)
Leopard mauls to death 75-year-old chained by family in Gujarat’s Amreli

“Sonam”

No PhotoName: “Sonam.”
Died: January 17, 2021.
Age at death: 22.
Cause of death: Strangled.
Location: Barabanki, Uttar Pradesh, India.
Disability: Mentally disabled.

Details:
“Sonam” (not her real name), a 22-year-old young woman, was found dead in a field, and her family claimed she had been raped. However, a postmortem discovered that she had not been raped, and police began investigating the family. According to police, Sonam’s family admitted that they wanted to “get rid of her” because she was mentally disabled, and they had heard that the families of rape victims were receiving large sums in compensation. After they lured her out to a nearby field, police say, her mother held her, her brother strangled her, and her father served as lookout.

Case status:
Her mother, arrested, legal action initiated.
Her father, arrested, legal action initiated.
Her brother, arrested, legal action initiated.

Source:
Body of young woman found in mustard field, investigation underway
Barabanki: Family wanted to get rid of mentally disabled girl, so killed her and created the story of rape and murder