Category: No Photo

Linda Blaauw

No PhotoName: Linda Edith Blaauw.
Died: May 23, 2006.
Age at death: 54.
Cause of death: Stabbed.
Location: Bayswater, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
Disability: Paranoid schizophrenia; cancer survivor.

Details:
The day before her death, Linda’s psychologist told her that he could not guarantee a cure, and that it was possible for her mental illness to relapse. The next morning, as Linda lay sleeping, her husband stabbed her in the neck with a kitchen knife, killing her.

Case Status:
Donovan Alexander Blaauw (Husband), convicted of murder, sentenced to 7-11 years.

Sources:
R v Blaauw [2008] VSC 129 (24 April 2008)

Christopher DeGroot

No PhotoName: 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

B. L.

No PhotoName: B. L. (Initials; full name unknown.)
Died: November 26, 2005.
Age at death: 13 months.
Cause of death: Brain damage; shaken baby.
Location: Alberta, Canada.
Disability: Developmental delay.

Details:
B. L. died of shaken baby syndrome, caused by his foster father.

Case status:
His foster father pleaded guilty to manslaughter; he was sentenced to five years, paroled within 2 years.

Source:
Learning from a sad, short life

Sarah Naylor

No PhotoName: Sarah Naylor.
Died: September 29, 2005.
Age at death: 27.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Springdale, Ohio, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Sarah’s mother shot her dead and then committed suicide.

Case status:
Jane Naylor (Mother), deceased.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Sarah Naylor
Mother kills autistic daughter, then herself

Abubakar Nadama

No PhotoName: Abubakar Tariq Nadama.
Died: August 23, 2005.
Age at death: 5.
Cause of death: Chelation therapy.
Location: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
In an effort to cure his autism, Abubakar’s parents took him to a doctor for chelation therapy. The doctor administered the wrong medication, too quickly, and Abubakar died.

Case status:
Roy Kerry (Doctor), charged with negligent manslaughter, charges dropped.
Abubakar’s parents (No crime).

Source:
Autism Memorial: Abubakar Nadama
Justice may yet prevail in the case of Abubakar Nadama
5-year-old British autistic boy dies after alternative therapy in U.S.
Abubakar Tariq Nadama – More Quackery Revealed

Britney Abbott

No PhotoName: Britney Abbott.
Died: August 21, 2005.
Age at death: 9.
Cause of death: Car crash.
Location: Auckland, New Zealand.
Disability: Usher syndrome.

Details:
Britney and her little sister both had Usher syndrome. Their father put them in the car and drove off a mountain, killing Britney. Her little sister survived.

Case status:
Garth Duwayne Abbott (Father), convicted of manslaughter, sentenced to 4 1/2 years, released after serving 19 months.

Source:
Father found guilty of manslaughter
Charges ‘ridiculous’ says wife
Killer may not be deported
Parole may bar father from family
Family fights to stay in NZ
Sentencing for man who killed daughter
Mass of the Angels for Britney
Killer immigrant given work permit instead of deportation order

Donna Spadea

No PhotoName: Donna Spadea.
Died: June 26, 2005.
Age at death: 59.
Cause of death: Poisoning.
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
Disability: Intellectual disability.

Details:
Along with several other intellectually disabled adults, Donna was imprisoned, starved, drugged, and beaten by Linda Weston, who acted as her Social Security payee so that she could steal Donna’s money. Donna died after two months of captivity while she was imprisoned in a tiny laundry room, and toxicology testing revealed that she had been poisoned with the drugs Linda had regularly mixed into her food.

Case status:
Linda Weston (Caretaker), multiple charges, life sentence + 80 years.
Gregory Thomas, charged with hate crimes.
Jean McIntosh, pleaded guilty, sentenced to 40 years.
Eddie Wright, pleaded guilty, sentenced to 27 years.
Nicklaus Woodard, pleaded guilty to several charges, including conspiracy, kidnapping and using a firearm in an act of violence, sentenced to 27 years.

Source:
‘Tacony dungeon’ woman who imprisoned disabled adults gets life sentence + 80 years
Daughter of Tacony dungeon ‘mastermind’ gets 40 years – Metro Philadelphia
Tacony ‘dungeon’ case ends with admission of hate crimes against disabled
Seven years after rescue, ‘Tacony dungeon’ victims confront tormentor sentenced to 40 years
‘Pastor Wright,’ codefendant in Tacony dungeon case, gets 27 years in prison
“Basement of horrors” indictment brings light to 2008 Norfolk death
‘Tacony dungeon’ woman who imprisoned disabled adults gets life sentence + 80 years

Anne-Marie Debaine

No PhotoName: Anne-Marie Debaine.
Died: May 14, 2005.
Age at death: 26.
Cause of death: Drowning.
Location: Pontoise, France.
Disability: Physically and mentally disabled; epilepsy.

Details:
Anne-Marie’s mother drugged her, then drowned her in the bathtub. She told the court that she had done it because she was exhausted from caring for her daughter.

Anne-Marie grew up in residential centers, but returned to live with her mother four years before her death.

Case Status:
Lydie Debaine (Mother); admitted to the killing. Acquitted.

Sources:
L’immense détresse d’une mère qui a tué sa fille handicapée
The Debaine’s affair: the consequences of a “denial of life”
Euthanasia case goes to retrial

Patrick Markcrow

No PhotoName: Patrick Markcrow.
Died: March 29, 2005.
Age at death: 36.
Cause of death: Asphyxia.
Location: Long Crendon, Buckinghamshire, England, UK.
Disability: Down syndrome, autism.

Details:
Patrick’s mother drugged him and then suffocated him with a plastic bag.

He attended a day center where carers described Patrick as “a loving, private man”, who enjoyed swimming and going to a local coffee shop.

Case status:
Wendolyn Markcrow (Mother); pled guilty to manslaughter; given a 2-year suspended sentence.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Patrick Markcrow
Mother who killed son with Down’s syndrome gets suspended sentence

Grace Parkes

No Photo
Name: Grace Winifred Parkes.
Died: January 16, 2005.
Age at death: 83.
Cause of death: Head injury.
Location: Sydney, Australia.
Disability: Diabetes, hypertension, Paget’s disease, Bells palsy, glaucoma, goitre, osteoporosis and osteoarthritis.

Details:
Grace’s son bludgeoned her to death.

Case status:
Phillip Raymond Parkes (Son), pleaded guilty to murder, sentenced to 13-18 years.

Source:
Regina v Phillip Raymond Parkes [2006] NSWSC 331