Hector Pizarro

Photo of a young man with tan skin and short black hair, wearing a red shirt. He has his hand raised to chin level.Name: Hector J. Pizarro.
Died: September 4, 2019.
Age at death: 16.
Cause of death: Malnutrition.
Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.
Disability: Congenital disability, autism, epilepsy, mobility impaired.

Details:
Hector had been known to child protective services for some time. At one point, he was found to weigh only 60 pounds and monitored by child welfare until he gained weight to 68-70 pounds. But once watchful eyes were averted, Hector was once again neglected.

Hector’s mother brought him to the emergency room, weighing 42 pounds. He died shortly thereafter from malnutrition, with a bedsore covering one side of his body, making it clear that he was neglected to death. Her neighbors had been completely unaware that Hector even lived there.

Case status:
Iraida M. Pizarro-Osorio (Mother), convicted of chronic child neglect resulting in great bodily harm, sentenced to 4 years probation.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Hector Pizarro
Milwaukee woman sentenced to 4 years’ probation in death of son
Autism Memorial: Hector Pizarro
16-year-old Milwaukee boy weighed 42 lbs.; mother charged with his death
Mom charged in death of 16-year-old son who weighed just 42 pounds
Milwaukee mom charged with starving her son to death
16-year-old boy weighs 42 pounds at death, mother charged
Milwaukee mom charged with neglect of teenage son, weighed just 42 pounds at time of death
Mother charged in death of disabled, 42-pound teen

Skylea Carmack

Photo of a girl with light, freckled skin, brown hair pulled back, smiling for the camera.Name: Skylea Carmack.
Died: September 4, 2019.
Age at death: 10.
Cause of death: Asphyxia.
Location: Gas City, Indiana, USA.
Disability: Developmental disability, possibly autism.

Details:
Skylea’s stepmother strangled her, then reported her missing, saying she had vanished from her home. Police issued a Silver Alert, announcing that Skylea had a history of running away to her mother’s home and might have an autism awareness blanket with her. Skylea’s body was found behind her home several days later.

Skylea was one of six siblings.

Case status:
Amanda Carmack (Stepmother), convicted of murder, neglect of a dependent, strangulation, and domestic battery; sentenced to life without parole.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Skylea Carmack
Jury recommends life without parole for Indiana woman convicted of killing 10-year-old stepdaughter
BREAKING: Missing 10-year-old girl found strangled in shed behind home [Police]
Skylea Carmack: Autopsy confirms girl found dead in shed was strangled as stepmom remains jailed for her
Court docs: Stepmom killed Gas City girl over charm bracelet. Abuse, confinement marked her last hours.

Deborah Leitch

Photo of a young woman with Down syndrome; she has very fair skin and fine blonde hair, and her maroon glasses are slipping down her nose. She is smiling. Name: Deborah Leitch.
Died: August 29, 2019.
Age at death: 24.
Cause of death: Starvation.
Location: South Shore, Blackpool, England, UK.
Disability: Down syndrome.

Details:
Deborah’s mother let her die from “severe emaciation and neglect;” Deborah was found starved in her home, with a severe and untreated scabies infection.

She was described by her family as a cheerful girl who was “always smiling.” She loved horses, had a boyfriend, and had attended college and a day-care program.

Case Status:
Elaine Clarke (Mother), pleaded guilty to gross negligence manslaughter, sentenced to 6 to 9 years 7 months.
Robert Bruce (Household member), charged with allowing or causing the death of a vulnerable adult; charges dropped.

Source:
SAR Learning Brief – Jessica “Jessica” is Deborah’s pseudonym.
Mother’s manipulation of social services left vulnerable woman to die of malnutrition in filthy bed
Mum who starved daughter to death will not have sentence increased
Mum who starved disabled daughter to death could see jail sentence increased
My monster ex starved our daughter to death – she’ll be out in just 6 years
Mum who allowed disabled daughter to die in squalor jailed
Mum abandoned daughter who starved to death in infested room
Evil mum starved disabled daughter to death in ‘maggot and faeces’ covered room
My ex starved our daughter to death while taking £215 a week in benefits
Mum left her disabled daughter to starve to death in ‘faeces-laden’ and ‘maggot-infested’ bedroom
My ex-wife starved our disabled daughter to death – I found out on Facebook
Pair appear in court accused of causing the death of ‘vulnerable’ disabled woman in South Shore
Blackpool woman’s death: Pair charged with manslaughter
Two charged with manslaughter over death of emaciated and neglected 24-year-old
Pair face charges over death of woman with Down’s syndrome by neglect
Two face charges after disabled girl was found dead with ‘severe emaciation’

Amy Nguyen

Photo of a teenage girl in a flowered baseball cap, lavender Bratz t-shirt, and black-and-white giraffe-print skirt. Name: Amy Nguyen.
Died: August 20, 2019.
Age at death: 14.
Cause of death: Traumatic injury.
Location: Ontario, California, USA.
Disability: Unspecified special needs.

Details:
Amy and her 4-month-old sister Kaitlyn were found dead, with “visible injuries”, and their mother was arrested on suspicion of having killed them.

Amy loved colorful clothing. She was fond of bows, headbands, skirts, and bracelets, and often complimented others on their clothes. She doted on her baby sister. Her classmates called her “Sweet Amy”, and remember how welcoming she was to new students and anyone who felt out of place.

Case status:
Linda Nguyen (Mother), charged with murder.

Source:
Friends say goodbye to Amy and Kaitlyn Nguyen
Woman accused of killing her two children to undergo mental evaluation
California Mother Under Investigation For Murder Of Her Daughters And Attempted Suicide
Ontario mother’s suicide notes detailed plan to kill her two daughters, ages 4 months and 14 years, police say | FOX 10 Phoenix
Mom is responsible for deaths of 2 girls found in Ontario home, police say
Ontario Mother Left Suicide Notes Indicating Plan to Kill Her 2 Daughters First, Police Say
Linda Nguyen: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know
LA-area mother left note detailing plan to kill her children, arrested in their death

Cristina Pangalangan

Photo of a young girl sitting in a wheelchair, lips pursed, looking annoyed. She has fair skin and her brown hair is messy.Name: Cristina Pangalangan.
Died: August 5, 2019.
Age at death: 13.
Cause of death: Heat stroke.
Location: Colleton County, South Carolina, USA.
Disability: Developmental disability, wheelchair user.

Details:
Cristina’s mother deliberately left her in the car for five hours on a hot August day. According to investigators, she checked on Cristina twice, once at noon, before continuing to leave her in the car, and then again at 3pm where she claimed to discover the car was locked and she and her boyfriend had to leave to get a spare set of keys. When first responders who received a call about a child in a locked car arrived on the scene, they found that Cristina had died.

Her eighth-grade teachers remember her as a “very motivated student” who smiled at everyone.

Case status:
Rita Pangalangan (Mother), convicted of murder, sentenced to 37 years.
Larry King (mother’s boyfriend), convicted of murder, sentenced to 32 years.

Source:
New bill aims to help get justice for victims of deadly child abuse
SC v. King, Pangalangan: Disabled Teen Death Trial
WATCH LIVE: Couple on trial for developmentally disabled teen’s hot car death
Testimony begins in murder trial of disabled 13-year-old in Colleton Co.
Mother, boyfriend left disabled Lowcountry girl to die in hot car, solicitor says
SC v. King, Pangalangan: Mom, her boyfriend sentenced in teen’s murder
Couple found guilty in death of 13-year-old with cerebral palsy left in car
Sick mum deliberately left disabled daughter to cook to death in baking car
Trial for murder of special needs Walterboro girl will begin in late August
Delayed murder trial painful for loved ones of Walterboro girl left to die in hot car
Department of Social Services facing lawsuit after girl with special needs dies in car
Lowcountry mother charged with murder in teen’s hot car death resigns from teaching job
13-year-old special needs girl found dead in car in SC; 2 people arrested, authorities say
Report: Two charged with murder after deliberately leaving disabled 13-year-old in car for several hours
Man, woman charged with murder in Colleton County after girl’s death in hot car
Teacher, boyfriend charged in 13-year-old’s death
Teacher mum ‘left disabled daughter, 13, to die in roasting hot car for 5 hours’
Colleton girl’s accused killers had multiple brushes with police amid rocky relationship
Authorities identify 13-year-old girl who died after being left in car
Mom, boyfriend left disabled girl in vehicle 5 hours before death, Colleton deputies say
Teacher of the Year ‘left her disabled teenage daughter to die in roasting car’
Cristina Pangalangan hot car death: Rita Pangalangan & Larry King charged w/ murder
Mother, Boyfriend Charged With Murder After 13-Year-Old Girl With Special Needs Dies in Hot Car
Woman leaves kids in hot car week after sister died in their mom’s hot car, SC police say

Malachi Lawson

A small boy with thick glasses, front teeth missing, hair in cornrows, wearing a soccer shirt. He has dark-brown skin and black hair.Name: Malachi Lawson.
Died: August 4, 2019.
Age at death: 4.
Cause of death: Burns.
Location: Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
Disability: Walked with a limp; possibly autism

Details:
Malachi’s mother and stepmother initially reported him missing. Police say that, when questioned, they admitted they had burned him by making him sit in a bathtub full of hot water after he had a potty-training accident. Malachi’s body was found in a dumpster.

Malachi loved Paw Patrol and Mickey Mouse. He liked dancing and his favorite color was blue. He had been taken into foster care, but returned to his mother and her partner.

Case status:
Alicia Lawson (Mother), pleaded guilty to neglect resulting in death, sentenced to life with all but 30 years suspended and 5 years probation.
Shatilka Lawson (Stepmother), found guilty of neglect resulting in the death of a minor, first-degree child abuse, reckless endangerment, tampering with evidence and false statement; sentenced to 30 years in prison and 5 years probation.

Source:
Alicia Lawson Pleads Guilty In Death Of 4-Year-Old Son Malachi Lawson
Missing Baltimore 4-Year-Old Found Dead in a Dumpster: Police
‘Remembering Our Superhero’ | 4-Year-Old Malachi Lawson Laid To Rest Tuesday
Family says goodbye to 4-year old Baltimore boy with songs, praise and a comic book in a tearful service
Autism Memorial: Malachi Lawson

Lukas Castillo

Lukas, a child with frizzy brown hair and olive-toned skin, is about to blow into a pink birthday blower tied with pink ribbons. He is wearing a black shirt.Name: Lukas Castillo
Died: July 20, 2019.
Age at death: 6.
Cause of death: Head injury.
Location: Waukesha, Wisconsin, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Lukas’s stepfather hit him in the head until he was unconscious; hours passed before he was brought to the hospital. On arrival, he was too injured to live. He had his sixth birthday while he was unconscious at the hospital, and died two days later.

Case status:
Carl Bookout (Stepfather), pleaded no contest to first-degree reckless homicide, sentenced to 22 years in prison and 20 years probation.
Edzaida “Selina” Pace (Mother), convicted of failure to act to prevent great bodily harm to a child, sentenced to 1 year in jail and 5 years probation.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Lukas Castillo
Stepfather sentenced: 22 years in death of 6-year-old boy with autism
Waukesha Man Sentenced To 22 Years In Prison For Causing His Stepson’s Death
Waukesha mother faces child neglect charges after 6-year-old son dies
A Waukesha mother has been charged with child neglect after her 5-year-old died from abuse
Autistic 6-year-old brutally beaten by sex offender stepfather suffers skull fracture before bleeding to death
‘Stepdad battered boy, 6, so hard his brain was forced to one side of his skull’
Step-dad arrested in connection with death of his six-year-old stepson
Stepfather faces homicide charge in death of 6-year-old boy with autism who ‘fell down the stairs’

Ari Ase, Mya Ase, and John Savage

Photos of a young boy with dark-brown skin and short hair, a young girl with brown skin and her hair in dreads, with rhinestones glued onto the photograph, and a toddler boy with tan skin, wearing a too-big Carolina Panthers baseball cap.Name: Ari Ase.
Age at death: 8.
Disability: Autism.

Name: Mya Ase.
Age at death: 7.
Disability: Autism.

Name: John Savage.
Age at death: 3.
Disability: Autism.

Died: July 7, 2019.
Cause of death: Carbon monoxide poisoning.
Location: Syracuse, New York, USA.

Details:
Ari, Mya, and John were all autistic. Ari smiled all the time; Mya sang songs. Both liked music. Mya was a talented artist whose teacher thought she would one day become famous. Ari would read the dictionary for fun. Three-year-old John, a precocious boy who could already count and spell, loved reading books.

Their mother packed the three children into a rental car and ignited a charcoal grill, filling the car with carbon monoxide and killing them all.

Case status:
Crystal Savage (Mother), deceased.

Source:
DA: Mom in murder-suicide was in “utter despair”, kids were “high maintenance” for her
Dad IDs mom, 3 children killed in Syracuse murder-suicide
Dad of boy killed by mom in Syracuse murder-suicide: ‘He was everything that I had’ (video)
Woman and 3 Children Died From Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Inside Vehicle: Report
Crystal Savage’s sister: Her story is ‘bigger than’ murder-suicide
Syracuse mother’s trail of hardship ends with murder-suicide
Community Gathers to Remember Kids Lost in Murder-Suicide
Mom lights a charcoal grill in trunk of a rental car to kill herself, three children: Report
Mom’s struggles and note at center of probe into her suicide, murder of 3 kids
Autism Memorial: Ari Ase, Mya Ase, and John Savage

Syamala

No PhotoName: Syamala.
Died: July 7, 2019.
Age at death: Adult.
Cause of death: Traumatic injury.
Location: Pedha Kothapalli, Nagarkurnool, India.
Disability: Mental illness.

Details:
Syamala was a married woman, but when she became mentally ill, her husband left her and she had to move back in with her parents. One night, her father allegedly killed her with a sickle.

Case status:
Eranna (Father), arrested.

Source:
Man hacks disabled daughter to death at Nagarkurnool

Kushal

No PhotoName: Kushal.
Died: July 4, 2019.
Age at death: 2.
Cause of death: Head injury.
Location: Aswal, Hunsur taluk, Karnataka, India.
Disability: Epilepsy.

Details:
Kushal’s parents tried to conduct an exorcism to cure him of his epilepsy. Police say they beat him severely with a banana stem. He died of severe head injuries.

Case status:
Parimala and Shashikumar (Parents), arrested.

Source:
Kid beaten to death by parents in exorcism