Relationship: Parent – Page 37 – Disability Day of Mourning

Brayson Price

Photo of Brayson Price, a young boy with short-cropped blond hair and fair skin, wearing jeans and a blue jacket. He is sitting outside on a grassy lawn. Name: Brayson Price.
Died: November 23, 2016.
Age at death: 5.
Cause of death: Asphyxia, drug overdose.
Location: Mooresville, Indiana, USA.
Disability: Fragile X, autism, developmental disability.

Details:
Brayson was poisoned and strangled by his mother and her boyfriend, who planned the murder together because they didn’t want to care for Brayson. They had already been physically abusing him for some time.

From his obituary: A loving, sweet, rambunctious boy, he offered hugs to all and saw no one as a stranger. His pride and joy was his F-150 Power Wheels. He loved the color pink. This special little guy was known to eagerly greet everyone and say, “Have a Nice Day.” Some favorite treats included pizza, spaghetti, hot dogs and all kinds of candy. Bray enjoyed cuddling and asked for backrubs saying, “Picky my back.”

Case status:
Steven Ingalls Jr. (Mother’s boyfriend), convicted of neglect and conspiracy to commit murder, sentenced to 39 years in prison.
Meghan Price (Mother), convicted of neglect and conspiracy to commit murder, sentenced to 36 years in prison.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Brayson Price
Man accused of killing five-year-old boy searched for ‘most painful torture’ techniques, documents say
Man ‘searched for most painful torture techniques then killed disabled boy, 5’
Prosecutors: Man accused of overdosing child searched for ‘most painful’ torture techniques
Prosecutor: Mooresville Man Wanted To Torture 5-Year-Old Boy To Death
Court docs: Mooresville man searched online for ways to ‘kill autistic child’
Man accused of killing 5-year-old boy searched for ‘most painful torture’ techniques, documents say
Jury trial underway in death of 5-year-old child with special needs
Morgan County man guilty in death of special needs boy
Jury finds Mooresville man guilty in death of 5-year-old boy
Burns, broken bones, 11 warnings: The tragic death of Brayson Price
Father sues Indiana child services over son’s death
Mooresville Woman Found Guilty Of Neglect Causing Death Of Dependent
Morgan County jury finds woman guilty in conspiracy to kill 5-year-old son

Chance Vanderpool

Photo of Chance Vanderpool, a toddler boy wearing a plaid shirt. He has fair skin and light blond hair. Name: Chance Vanderpool.
Died: November 22, 2016.
Age at death: 4.
Cause of death: Multiple traumatic injuries.
Location: Glen St. Mary, Florida, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Paramedics found Chance not breathing, covered in bruises. He was declared dead at the hospital. His mother said he had fallen down some stairs and hit his head in the shower; but the two eventually pleaded no contest to charges of fatally abusing the boy.

Case status:
Jonathan Register (Mother’s boyfriend), pleaded guilty to aggravated negligent homicide and aggravated child abuse, sentenced to 30 years.
Heather Naomi Stevenson (Mother), convicted of manslaughter and conspiracy to commit manslaughter, sentenced to 25 years.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Chance Vanderpool
The Baker County press
Mother of deceased autistic boy faces child abuse charges
Baker Sheriff investigating death of 4-year-old autistic boy
Arrest made for the death of 4-year-old autistic boy in Baker
4-year-old child with autism dies; Baker County man charged with child abuse of sibling
4-year-old boy with autism dies in Baker County
Baker County child with autism dies; Man charged with abuse of sibling
Man accused of abusing 2-year-old after sibling dies
Aggravated manslaughter charges filed against autistic boy’s mother and her boyfriend
Police: Couple burns, bruises, beats autistic child to death, and abuse little brother found with ‘genital bruising’
Mother of autistic boy, her boyfriend charged with manslaughter
Baker County couple charged with manslaughter in autistic boy’s death

Tevaun Williamson

Name: Tevaun Williamson.
Died: November 16, 2016.
Age at death: 7.
Cause of death: Blunt trauma, dehydration, malnutrition.
Location: Memphis, Tennessee, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Tevaun was found unresponsive in his home by first responders and declared dead at the hospital. His mother and her boyfriend were arrested on suspicion of having beaten and starved him.

Case status:
Michelle Williamson (Mother), convicted of second-degree murder and aggravated child neglect; sentenced to 17 years.
Daryl Lee (Mother’s boyfriend), charged with first-degree murder, aggravated child abuse, and aggravated child neglect.

Source:
Couple charged with murder in autistic 7-year-old’s death
Parents Charged in Boy’s Beating Death in Tennessee
Couple Indicted For Murder In Death Of Woman’s 7-Year-Old Son
Mother, boyfriend indicted in 2016 beating death of 7-year-old

Tyler Caudill

Photo of Tyler Caudill, a young boy with fair skin and brown hair. He has a wide smile. He is wearing a magenta T-shirt. Name: Tyler Joseph “TJ” Caudill.
Died: Late August 2016; body found November 13, 2016.
Age at death: 6.
Cause of death: Malnutrition.
Location: Portsmouth, Ohio, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
TJ was abused and starved by his mother and her boyfriend; then he went missing. His body has been found, and his mother and her boyfriend charged with murder when it was found that TJ’s death was a homicide. He had been abused, forced to stand and walk for hours at a time, locked in a bathroom, and starved to death.

Case status:
Margarita L. White (Mother), pleaded guilty to murder and child endangerment, sentenced to 18 years to life.
Douglas Lee Hunt (Mother’s boyfriend), convicted of aggravated murder, child endangerment, torture, abuse, tampering with evidence, and abuse of a corpse, sentenced to life without parole.

Source:
UPDATE: Mother, Boyfriend charged in death of 6-year-old boy
Mother, Boyfriend Arrested in 6 Year Old Boy’s Death
Portsmouth Police find body amidst search for missing 6-year-old
Scioto grand jury indicts couple in death of autistic boy
Appeals court upholds conviction/sentence

Isaac Ward

Name: Isaac Ward, also known as Isaac Ward Martinez.
Died: November 11, 2016.
Age at death: 2.
Cause of death: Fatal abuse.
Location: Forks, Washington, USA.
Disability: Developmental delay, mobility impaired.

Details:
The mother of Isaac’s foster mother, who was taking care of him while his foster mother was at work, pushed him so hard into the furniture that he suffered a massive head injury and died. An autopsy revealed that he had been subjected to abuse and neglect for at least two months, and his foster mother had done nothing to help him.

Case status:
Ramona Ward (Foster grandmother, related to Isaac), pleaded guilty to homicide by abuse, sentenced to 26 1/2 years.
Michelle A. Ward (Foster mother, related to Isaac, mandatory reporter), pleaded guilty to second-degree criminal mistreatment, sentenced to 2 year community corrections and 6 months of alcohol/drug treatment.

Source:
Ramona Ward sentenced to 26½ years in prison in boy’s killing
April trial date set in death of Forks toddler
Forks woman arrested in toddler’s death
Joint trial mulled in 2-year-old’s death in Forks
Mom, Daughter May Be Tried Together in Forks Boy’s Death
Trial delayed for suspect accused of killing Forks toddler

Faith Wilson

Name: Faith Wilson.
Died: November 11, 2016.
Age at death: 10 months.
Cause of death: Head injury.
Location: Clay, New York, USA.
Disability: Congenital heart disease.

Details:
Ten-month-old Faith was killed by her father when he struck her head deliberately against the changing table. He and his wife waited a day before taking her to the hospital. She died of head injuries.

Case status:
Brian Wilson (Father), pleaded guilty to manslaughter, sentenced to 19-23 years.
Stephanie Heppler (Mother), pleaded guilty to endangering the welfare of a child; conditional discharge.

Source:
Town of Clay man sentenced to 23 years in prison for the death of his daughter
Clay dad: I killed disabled daughter by shaking and hitting her head on changing table
Clay dad charged with manslaughter in baby’s death, mother faces lesser charge
Deputies: 9-month-old girl, allegedly injured by Clay father, has died

Andrea Spina

No Photo Name: Andrea Spina.
Died: November 7, 2016.
Age at death: 22.
Cause of death: Murder.
Location: Vespolate, Novara, Italy.
Disability: Autism, epilepsy.

Details:
Andrea’s father took him out of the institution where he lived; then, when Andrea was asleep, his father strangled him.

Case status:
Pietro Spina (Father), charged with murder, acquitted by reason of insanity.

Source:
Prosciolto Pietro Spina, l’uomo che uccise il figlio autistico e poi tentò il suicidio
Man kills disabled son, attempts suicide
The family drama in Vespolate: father kills disabled child and attempted suicide
Novara: uccide figlio disabile e tenta suicidio: padre ricoverato in ospedale
Novara, 52enne soffoca il figlio 20enne disabile e tenta il suicidio
“Non può restare solo” e disperato prende una sconcertante decisione
Vespolate, uccide il figlio disabile e tenta il suicidio
Uccide il figlio disabile e tenta il suicidio. Temeva che sarebbe rimasto da solo
Vespolate, padre uccide il figlio disabile e poi tenta il suicidio
Dramma a Vespolate: “Non riusciamo a darci spiegazioni del gesto di Pietro”
Il dramma di Vespolate: “Pietro voleva farla finita, ma nessuno immaginava uccidesse il figlio”

Janice and Robyn Frescura

Name: Janice Frescura.
Age at death: 68.
Disability: Lung cancer.

Name: Robyn Frescura.
Age at death: 50.
Disability: Unspecified.

Died: November 3, 2016.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Booral, Queensland, Australia.

Details:
Janice and her daughter Robyn were shot to death in a murder-suicide.

Case status:
John Frescura (Husband/father), deceased.

Source:
Three dead in apparent murder-suicide
Father calls police during murder-suicide
Three dead in suspected murder-suicide on Queensland’s Fraser Coast

Grace Packer

Photo of Grace Packer. She is a teenage girl with fair skin and straight brown hair. She is wearing hoop earrings, black-rimmed glasses, and a white flowered shirt. Name: Grace Anastasia Packer.
Died: July 11, 2016 (Reported missing); October 31, 2016 (Body found).
Age at death: 14.
Cause of death: Asphyxia, poisoning, blunt trauma.
Location: Quakertown, Pennsylvania, USA; Abington Township, Pennsylvania, USA.
Disability: Learning disability; mother claimed emotional/behavioral.

Details:
Grace and her twelve-year-old brother were both adopted into the same family. Her favorite colors were purple and light pink, and she loved flowers. She liked to help the special-needs students at her school.

When Grace disappeared, her mother said that she had stolen money and run away; then she did her best to stymie the police investigation and kept cashing Grace’s disability checks. Eventually, she brought out a forged letter she said was from Grace; the letter apologized for “being a burden”.

Grace’s body was found months later; she had been murdered. Grace had been beaten, poisoned, and raped by her mother’s boyfriend before finally being choked to death. Her body was dismembered and the parts scattered. Her mother watched and assisted in the killing.

Her mother said she had “behavioral problems” and an “emotional disorder” in order to portray Grace as an emotionally disturbed runaway, and she received disability payments to care for Grace as an adopted disabled child.

Case status:
Sara Packer (Adoptive mother), pleaded guilty to murder, sentenced to life in prison.
Jacob Sullivan (Mother’s boyfriend), convicted of murder, sentenced to death, died of natural causes on death row.

Natalie Finn

Name: Natalie Jasmine Finn.
Died: October 24, 2016.
Age at death: 16.
Cause of death: Malnutrition.
Location: Des Moines, Iowa, USA.
Disability: Reactive attachment disorder.

Details:
Natalie was one of several children, all of whom were neglected and abused by their mother. Natalie often went to neighbors’ houses to ask for food and clothing.

In the last year of her life, she was taken out of school, kept at home, and starved to death by her mother.

Neighbors and classmates remember her as a gentle, kind girl who did her best to help her siblings. Her two siblings were rescued when Natalie died and were hospitalized in poor condition; when they recovered, they went to live in foster homes. It is likely that Natalie’s efforts saved their lives.

Case status:
Nicole Marie Finn (Mother), convicted of first-degree murder and three counts of first-degree kidnapping, sentenced to life without parole.
Joseph Michael Finn II (Father), pled guilty to three counts of assault while participating in a felony causing serious injury, sentenced to 30 years.

Source:
Natalie Finn’s father sentenced to 30 years for helping ex-wife starve children
Nicole Finn gets 3 life sentences for starving 3 of her adopted children until 1 died
Teen, siblings were tortured by parents, court documents say
Parents charged in 16-year-old’s death appear in court
Court documents: Teen, siblings were tortured by parents
Teen who died had asked neighbors for food, clothes
Neighbor: Teen saw herself as siblings’ protector
Memorial For Sixteen Year Old Turns Into Heartfelt Apology From Peers
Teen who starved to death found in diaper on linoleum floor, records show
Trial begins in starvation death of West Des Moines teen
Photos show filthy living conditions inside Finn household
Natalie Finn’s school tried to warn the state she was in dire jeopardy, but it wasn’t enough to save her Nicole Finn repeatedly ignored officer, caseworker trying to see her, jurors told
Nicole Finn Murder Case: 5 Things About Mom Who Starved Daughter
Adoptive father of Iowa teen who starved to death pleads guilty