Relationship: Parent – Page 34 – Disability Day of Mourning

Micah and Olivia Gee

Photo of Olivia and Micah Gee, two African-American toddlers. Olivia is wearing a pink sweater and has her hair tied back in a headband with a big purple flower on it. Micah is wearing a striped blue-and-green shirt, and has his arms around his sister. Name: Micah Gee.
Age at death: 3.

Name: Olivia Gee.
Age at death: 2.

Died: July 10, 2017.
Cause of death: Internal bleeding from blunt trauma.
Location: New York City, New York, USA.
Disability: Severe asthma.

Details:
When Olivia and Micah were found dead in their beds on the same night, they were thought to have died of asthma attacks. But on autopsy, it became clear that the brother and sister had been beaten to death.

Case status:
Jade Spencer (Mother), charged with six counts of first-degree manslaughter, six counts of second-degree manslaughter, and assault.

Source:
Bronx Mother Indicted on Manslaughter, Assault Charges in Deaths of Her Two Toddlers in 2017
Mother Charged With Manslaughter In 2017 Deaths Of 2 Bronx Toddlers
Siblings, ages 2 and 3, die after breathing trouble
Seeking answers to toddlers’ death
Investigation Continues Into Deaths Of Bronx Toddler Siblings
Bronx Toddlers’ Deaths Are Ruled Homicides
Deaths of toddler siblings ruled homicides
Deaths of young siblings in the Bronx ruled homicides
Bronx toddlers bled to death after savage beating
Medical Examiner Says Blunt Force Trauma Killed Young Bronx Siblings
Beaten Bronx Toddlers Died of Internal Bleeding, NYPD Says
Bronx Toddlers Were Beaten to Death, Medical Examiner Says
Toddler Siblings From The Bronx Were Beaten To Death

Omar Omran

Memorial left outside Omran Omar's apartment, consisting of flowers, stuffed animals, and notes. In the foreground is a sign that says, "Rest in peace, precious little boy." Name: Omar Omran.
Died: July 10, 2017.
Age at death: 3.
Cause of death: Stabbed.
Location: Kimmage, Dublin, Ireland.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Omar was stabbed to death by his mother.

Neighbors left flowers, notes, and toys outside his apartment building. One neighbor remembered that Omar used to throw his toys over his balcony, and his neighbor used to bring them back to him.

Case status:
Maha Al Adheem (Mother), charged with murder; found not guilty by reason of insanity, committed to mental hospital.

Source:
Mother of boy stabbed to death in Dublin is Iraqi doctor
Doctor arrested after son, 3, is found stabbed to death
Boy (3) killed in Kimmage ‘not a stranger to anyone’, says father
Mum accused of killing autistic son told police ‘it was my knife’
Doctor is held over fatal stabbing of autistic son, 3
Doctor ‘arrested after her autistic toddler is stabbed to death in their flat’
Mum arrested over toddler son found dead with stab wounds in apartment
Detectives investigating fatal stabbing of toddler (3) arrest woman
Stab victim Omar (3) laid to rest after ‘final kiss’ from father
Heartbroken father of stabbed Irish tot kisses him goodbye as he is laid to rest
Tearful Father Of Omar Omran Lays Stabbed Son To Rest
Doctor accused of murdering son was ‘amazing’ mother, neighbour tells court
Doctor who stabbed her son (3) to death in their south Dublin home found not guilty of his murder
Doctor found not guilty of murdering son (3) by reason of insanity

Angelina Costello

Name: Angelina Costello.
Died: July 6, 2017.
Age at death: 3.
Cause of death: Injury, malnutrition.
Location: Ogden, Utah, USA.
Disability: Premature, medically fragile.

Details:
Angelina died from starvation, burns, and blunt trauma. She had been abused by her parents for essentially her entire life. Her parents believed that because she was born premature, she was “cursed”, and that her disability meant she brought bad luck to the family.

Case Status:
Brenda Emile (Mother), pleaded guilty to aggravated murder, sentenced to life without parole.
Miller Eric Costello (Father), pleaded guilty to first-degree aggravated murder, sentenced to life without parole.

Sources:
‘Dehumanized and tortured by monsters’: Judge berates parents for horrific killing of toddler
The Awful Abuse 3-Year-Old Angelina Costello Suffered Before She Died — And How Her Mother Tried To Cover Up Her Wounds
Detective: On family videos, Angelina Costello ‘looks like a skeleton’
Costello pleads guilty in daughter’s starvation, beating death
Mother charged in brutal abuse death of 3-year-old can’t withdraw guilty plea, judge says

“Child D”

No Photo Name: “Child D”.
Died: July 2, 2017.
Age at death: Less than 1 year.
Cause of death: Neglect.
Location: Glasgow, Scotland, UK.
Disability: Spina bifida.

Details:
Child D, who cannot be named for confidentiality reasons, was born a twin; her twin was non-disabled. Because of her spina bifida, she needed to use a catheter to urinate, and her parents were taught to do this while she was in the hospital. Her family was known to social services.

Toward the end of her life, hospital staff noticed she was growing thin, and she was treated for a urinary tract infection. In the hospital, her father was observed not to be catheterizing the baby girl. At a medical appointment, professionals noted that she was “not her smiley self”.

When she was less than a year old, Child D was brought to the hospital unresponsive and declared dead. Authorities found her five siblings poorly cared for and her home badly kept. They concluded that Child D had been catheterized only intermittently, and that she had died due to the poor care given her by her parents.

Case Status:
Her parents were charged.

Sources:
Severly disabled baby girl found dead in Glasgow home was not properly cared for by parents, review found
Severely disabled ‘smiley’ Scots baby dies after being neglected by parents
Significant Case Review: Child D

Edgar Carbajal

No Photo Name: Edgar Carbajal.
Died: June 20, 2017.
Age at death: 26.
Cause of death: Pneumonia, sepsis due to untended pressure sores.
Location: Austin, Texas, USA.
Disability: Cerebral palsy.

Details:
Edgar’s mother neglected him. He died of infected bedsores, sepsis, and pneumonia, weighing 50 pounds.

A visitor to his online obituary left the note, “You[r] laughter created the rainbow in our classroom.”

Case status:
Erica Yanet Flores (Mother), charged with charged with injury to a disabled individual by omission.

Source:
Austin mother charged in death of son with cerebral palsy due to ‘severe neglect’
Austin mom charged with neglect causing disabled son’s death
Mother charged in death of son with cerebral palsy due to ‘severe neglect’
Mother charged with neglect after disabled son dies from pneumonia at home
North Austin Woman Charged After Son With Cerebral Palsy Dies Of Apparent Neglect
JUST IN: Austin mother neglected son with cerebral palsy, leading to his death, police say
Police: Mother neglected son with cerebral palsy, leading to his death

Grant Heckman

Photo of Grant Heckman, a young man wearing a white sweater and smiling at the camera. He has fair skin and brown eyes and hair. Name: Grant Heckman.
Died: June 19, 2017.
Age at death: 28.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Westphalia, Michigan, USA.
Disability: Cerebral palsy.

Details:
Grant was shot by his father in a murder-suicide.

Grant was named prom king at his special education graduation ceremony. He liked going on walks with his grandfather, and his favorite song was Somewhere Over the Rainbow.

Case status:
George Heckman (Father), deceased.

Source:
‘Saw his son suffer too much, too long,’ friend says of principal in murder-suicide
Principal suspected of killing son, himself in murder-suicide
Police: Pewamo-Westphalia principal killed son, self
Death of elementary principal, son shock small Michigan town
“Losing touch with Reality”: The science behind murder-suicides
Principal suspected in murder-suicide acted ‘out of love,’ friend says
Principal kills himself and disabled son
Murder-suicide of principal, son “leaves a big hole in everyone’s heart”
Why? George Heckman Pewamo-Westphalia principal shoots disabled son dead then self – Scallywag and Vagabond
Police: Michigan elementary school principal killed severely handicapped son, self
Now what? A familiar fear when disabled children turn 26.

Colton Johnson

Name: Colton Johnson.
Died: June 17, 2017.
Age at death: 2.
Cause of death: Cardiac arrest due to untreated infection.
Location: Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.
Disability: Short bowel syndrome.

Details:
Colton’s mother took him to the emergency room because his feeding tube had come out; when doctors there examined him, they realized that the feeding tube was leaking, and Colton had a blood infection and was in critical condition. They immediately decided to admit him into the ICU.

But Colton’s mother, instead of allowing the doctors to treat her son, despite being warned that he could die, took him home from the hospital against medical advice. Early the next morning, Colton’s heart stopped and he could not be revived.

Case status:
Robyn Johnson (Mother), pleaded guilty to neglect of a dependent resulting in death, sentenced to 25 years in prison.

Source:
Mother Who Refused Medical Care for Son Sentenced in His Death
Woman charged with neglect in child’s death here

Brianna Gussert

Name: Brianna Gussert.
Died: May 29, 2017.
Age at death: 13.
Cause of death: Sepsis.
Location: Appleton, Wisconsin, USA.
Disability: Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome.

Details:
Brianna was neglected by her mother, who declined help whenever she was offered it. She was kept in a filthy room, and her mother didn’t let her go to school, feed her, or change her diaper. She died from sepsis due to neglect, and her death wasn’t reported for five days. She weighed only 33 pounds, down from her normal weight of 50 pounds.

She was a sports fan who played baseball in a special-needs league. She enjoyed watching the Packers and the Badgers play football, and the Brewers play baseball.

Case status:
Nicole Gussert (Mother), convicted of child neglect resulting in death, sentenced to 17 years.

Source:
Wisconsin mom sentenced in disabled daughter’s neglect death
Mom left disabled daughter, 13, in a feces-filled diaper before sepsis death
Obituary for BRIANNA L. GUSSERT – Menasha, WI
Mother arrested in death of special needs daughter
An Appleton woman arrested for the death of her 13-year-old special needs daughter
Appleton Police arrest mom for death of special needs daughter
Appleton woman arrested in death of teenage daughter
Woman Faces Neglect Causing Death Charge
Wisconsin mother charged in horrific “slow death” of disabled daughter
Brianna Gussert: Heartbreak at every turn in Appleton girl’s death
No help came: Heartbreak at every turn in death of 13-year-old Brianna Gussert
Wisconsin mother charged in death of disabled daughter
Shocking case of alleged neglect: US mother charged over death of disabled daughter who ‘suffered immensely’
WATCH: Disabled girl in soiled diaper died ‘slow death’ due to neglect
Disabled teenage daughter found in soiled nappy dies in house smelling of ‘rotten food, human waste and death’
A Wisconsin Woman Allegedly Allowed Her Disabled Daughter To Die Slowly In Horrific Conditions
Girl in Appleton neglect case absent from school 162 days in final year before she died
Investigators: Appleton home smelled of “death”
Appleton mother charged in death of disabled daughter
Girl died of sepsis after mother left her sitting in excrement-filled diaper
Disabled teen neglected by mother and left to die
Teen Girl with Disabilities Suffered a ‘Slow Death’ from Her Mother’s Neglect, Authorities Allege
‘Smell In The Air Of Rotten Food, Human Waste And Death’ — Wisconsin Mom Accused Of Starving And Neglecting Daughter
Court records show 13-year-old Brianna Gussert’s decline over nearly 6 months
Wisconsin teen with disabilities suffered ‘slow death’ due to mother’s neglect, authorities say
As Jessica’s dad, I’m shocked by horrific death of girl with disabilities, but not surprised

Lovedeep Singh

No Photo Name: Lovedeep Singh.
Died: May 17, 2017.
Age at death: 12.
Cause of death: Traumatic injury.
Location: Fateh-Ullah-Shahwala, Dharamkot, Himachal Pradesh, India.
Disability: Mobility impaired; bedbound.

Details:
Lovedeep and his three-year-old sister Jasmine were killed by their father, who hacked them to death with an axe. Police said that he was frustrated because two of his sons were physically disabled. He initially tried to blame the crime on their mother and her brother, but then when the truth came out he ran from police.

Case status:
Sher Singh (Father), arrested on suspicion of murder.

Source:
Moga children double murder: Twist in the tale, police book father
Spate of crimes in Moga, 5 murders, three rapes in 10 days
Moga siblings’ murder: Day after, father booked for murder
Moga | Mother Kills Her Daughter And Stepson With An Axe

Sabrina Ray

Photo of Sabrina Ray. She is a thin girl with pale skin and dark brown hair in a boy cut. Her expression is solemn. Name: Sabrina Ray.
Died: May 12, 2017.
Age at death: 16.
Cause of death: Starvation.
Location: Perry, Iowa, USA.
Disability: Unspecified.

Details:
Sabrina was tortured and starved by her family. When she died at age 16 after being drop-kicked down the stairs by her adoptive brother and subsequently starving to death, she weighed 56 pounds and looked like an eight-year-old child.

Her death may have saved the lives of her two adopted sisters, who were also abused and were rescued from the home and taken to the hospital when Sabrina was found dead.

Case status:
Marc Ray (Adoptive father), pleaded guilty to child endangerment and kidnapping, sentenced to 35 years in prison.
Misty Ray (Adoptive mother), charged with child endangerment, child neglect, criminal conduct, theft, and fraud, sentenced to life in prison.
Carla Bousman (Adoptive grandmother), pleaded guilty to two counts of false imprisonment, two counts of child endangerment, on count of neglect of a dependent person, one count of accessory after the fact, and one count of obstructing prosecution, sentenced to 20 years in prison.
Josie Raye Bousman (Niece), pleaded guilty to neglect of a dependeent and child endangerment, sentenced to 14 years in prison.
Justin Dale Ray (Adoptive brother), pleaded guilty to two counts of willful injury, sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Source:
Starved teen looked like she was an ‘8-year-old,’ say day care visitors
Disabled Teen Drop-Kicked Down A Flight Of Stairs, Then Held Captive And Starved By Family, Including Grandma
Defenseless Adopted Teen Girl, 16, Drop-Kicked & Starved To Death In Iowa Home
Police: Brother ‘drop-kicked’ starved Iowa girl, grandmother helped in torture
Community mourns Sabrina’s death, plans grief services
A Voice for Sabrina Ray
More Change of Venue Motions Filed in Sabrina Ray Case
New Charges Leveled at Marc and Misty Ray
Perry Fire Department Hopes Justice Is Served For Sabrina Rays’ Death
Sabrina Ray case comes to a close as final family member is sentenced