Category: Relationship: Parent

Parents, foster parents, stepparents, parents’ significant others.

Janelle Johnson

Black and white photo of Janelle Johnson. She is a young African-American girl in a white dress, sitting in a power wheelchair and smiling.Name: Janelle Abriana Johnson.
Died: July 2, 2016.
Age at death: 5.
Cause of death: Drowning.
Location: Port Arthur, Texas, USA.
Disability: Paralyzed; wheelchair user.

Details:
Janelle’s father put her in the tub for a bath; then he allegedly left the room. Janelle, who could not hold her head out of the water, drowned.

Case status:
Jermaine Johnson (Father), under investigation.

Source:
Police investigating drowning death of 5-year-old Port Arthur girl
4-year-old drowns in bathtub in Port Arthur apartment
Special needs girl, 5, drowns in bathtub
Port Arthur child dies due to apparent drowning
Janelle Abriana Johnson

Jordan Burling

Photo of a fair-skinned teenage boy, smiling; he is wearing square-rimmed glasses and a black beanie with the Atari logo.Name: Jordan Burling.
Died: June 30, 2016.
Age at death: 18.
Cause of death: Pneumonia.
Location: Leeds, England, UK.
Disability: Developmental and behavioral problems, mobility impaired.

Details:
At sixteen years old, Jordan’s family took him out of school, claiming they were home-schooling, and neglected him.

Jordan was left on an air mattress by his family. There, he slowly died of malnutrition and infected bedsores. He died of pneumonia, weighing only 37 kg (82 pounds).

The body of Jordan’s baby brother was found in Jordan’s closet. It could not be determined whether he had been born alive.

Jordan liked WWE wrestling, video games, and football.

Case status:
Dawn Cranston (Mother), convicted of manslaughter, sentenced to four years.
Denise Cranston (Grandmother), convicted of manslaughter, sentenced to four years.
Abigail Burling (Sister), convicted of causing or allowing a vulnerable adult’s death, sentenced to 18 months.

Source:
‘No-one’ responsible for grandson’s death
Mum and gran accused of neglecting teen who ‘rotted to death’ in family home
Family on trial after dead teen and baby found in Leeds house
Teen ‘starved to death by mum, sister and gran was as thin as death camp victim’
Son ‘left to rot to death was as thin as a WW2 death camp victim’
Emaciated man’s family ‘reclusive’
Emaciated son was ‘pale and drawn’
The teenager left to waste away
Women jailed after teen ‘rotted to death’
Shocking pictures show teenager left to ‘rot to death’ by his mother and gran
Women jailed after teen ‘rotted to death’

Shaelynn Lehano-Stone

Black and white photo of Shaelynn Lehano-Stone as a baby. She is a girl with light skin and dark hair and eyes. She is holding a baby's toy and chewing on it.Name: Shaelynn Lehano-Stone.
Died: June 28, 2016.
Age at death: 9.
Cause of death: Starvation.
Location: Hilo, Hawaii, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Shaelynn was starved and deprived of water and medication by her parents and grandmother. She died of pneumonia caused by malnutrition.

Case status:
Kevin Lehano (Father), pleaded no contest to manslaughter, sentenced to 10 years probation.
Tiffany Stone (Mother), pleaded no contest to manslaughter, sentenced to 10 years probation.
Henrietta Stone (Grandmother), charged with second-degree murder.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Shaelynn Lehano-Stone
Father receives probation in child starvation death
Woman found guilty of manslaughter in death of 9-year-old daughter
Family of 9-year-old Big Island girl who starved to death is suing the state for wrongful death
Shaelynn Lehano-Stone
Hilo girl allegedly starved to death was once ward of state
CPS had been in contact with Hawaii girl starved to death since she was a toddler
Father faces mental exam in alleged child starvation
Suit alleges state’s to blame for starvation death of 9-year-old Hilo girl

Mason Bryan

Photo of Mason Bryan, a toddler boy with curly brown hair, tan skin, and dark-brown eyes. He is smiling slightly.Name: Mason Bentlee Bryan.
Died: June 24, 2016.
Age at death: 4.
Cause of death: Blunt trauma.
Location: Aiken, South Carolina, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Mason liked jumping off the furniture. He watched Thomas the Tank Engine, The Lion King, and Cars, and he had a little brother named Wyatt.

Mason was beaten to death by his mother’s boyfriend.

case status:
Derek Matthew Roberson (Mother’s boyfriend), pleaded guilty to homicide by child abuse, sentenced to 25 years in prison.
Amanda Bryan (Mother), charged with child neglect.

Source:
Aiken man pleads guilty to abusing autistic child to death, gets 25 years
Couple charged in homicide of 4-year-old child
Mom and mom’s boyfriend formally charged in 4-year-old’s death
Mother, live-in boyfriend accused of killing 4-year-old in Aiken Co.
Mason Bentlee Bryan’s Obituary on The Aiken Standard

Tammara Killam

No PhotoName: Tammara Killam.
Died: June 21, 2016.
Age at death: 25.
Cause of death: Dehydration.
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Tammara and her twin sister Brooke, who was also autistic and intellectually disabled, were left alone in an RV by their father. The women had no power or water and had been given nothing but bread and water to eat for a week. They were left without air conditioning or access to water in the 122-degree desert heat. Their father had given them cell phones, but the phones no longer worked.

Tammara died of dehydration; Brooke survived.

Case status:
Roger Carter Killam (Father), convicted of neglect of a vulnerable person, sentenced to 6 years.

Source:
Roger Carter Killam | High Desert State Prison | Nevada Inmates & Offenders
Woman dies after father leaves her in Laughlin RV with no power
Father held in death of daughter left overnight in sweltering RV in Laughlin

Kira Friedman

Photo of Kira Friedman. She is a toddler with straight brown hair and tan skin. She is barefoot, wearing a fancy white dress.Name: Kira Rain “Ziigwani-diindiisi” Friedman.
Died: June 5, 2016.
Age at death: 2.
Cause of death: Drowning.
Location: Bemidiji, Minnesota, USA.
Disability: Developmental delay.

Details:
When Kira soiled herself, her foster father put her into an 18-gallon tub in the shower, turned the shower on, and left. The tub filled with water and Kira, who could not escape the tub, drowned.

Case status:
Nathan Jackson Sr. (Foster father), charged with manslaughter and second-degree murder; convicted of manslaughter, sentenced to 4 3/4 years in prison.

Source:
Bemidji foster dad sentenced for toddler’s shower drowning
Charges: Admitted drug user left 2-year-old foster girl to drown
COURTS: More details emerge in death of 2-year-old

Amir Ross

No PhotoName: Amir Ross.
Died: May 31, 2016.
Age at death: 1.
Cause of death: Traumatic injury.
Location: Decatur, Georgia, USA.
Disability: Developmental disabilities; tube-fed.

Details:
Amir was beaten to death by his parents.

Case status:
Eric Ross (Father), convicted of child cruelty and murder, sentenced to 20 years.
Angel Branch (Mother), convicted of child cruelty and murder, sentenced to 20 years.

Source:
Couple Beat Disabled Toddler To Death: Charges
DeKalb pair accused of killing disabled toddler with ‘unknown object’

Elsie Scully-Hicks

Photo of a baby wearing a white knit sweater, smiling; she has wispy blonde hair and fair skin.Name: Elsie Scully-Hicks.
Died: May 29, 2016.
Age at death: 18 months.
Cause of death: Traumatic injury.
Location: Llandaff, Wales, UK.
Disability: Developmental delay.

Details:
Adopted at ten months, Elsie was beaten and shaken to death by her adoptive father eight months later, only two weeks after the adoption was finalized.

Case status:
Matthew Scully-Hicks (Adoptive father), convicted of murder, sentenced to 18 years to life.

Source:
Elsie Scully-Hicks: Dad jailed for life for murder
Gay father killed his only 18-month-old daughter just two weeks after adopting her
Murder accused described girl as ‘Satan dressed in baby grow’, court told
Elsie Scully-Hicks: first picture emerges of toddler allegedly murdered by father
Father guilty of shaking to death baby he adopted two weeks earlier
Adoptive dad guilty of baby’s murder

Jazmine Walker

Photo of Jazmine Walker, a small infant with dark skin and curly black hair. She is wearing a pink headband and dress, and is sucking her thumb.Name: Jazmine Walker.
Died: May 25, 2016.
Age at death: 6 months.
Cause of death: Starvation.
Location: Harvey, Illinios, USA.
Disability: Spina bifida; 8 weeks premature.

Details:
Jazmine died of starvation and neglect, weighing 4.8 pounds.

Case status:
Chequita D. Bell (Mother), convicted of involuntary manslaughter; sentenced to 10 years, paroled after 2 years 4 months.

Source:
After 3 kids die despite DCFS involvement, it urges faster probes
$1M bail set for mom accused of child endangerment after infant dies
Mom charged after death of 5-month-old in Harvey
Parents in custody after 5 1/2-month-old dies in Harvey
South Suburban Mom Held On $1 Million Bond After Infant Daughter Dies

Jose Castillo-Cisneros

Photo of Pepe Castillo-Cisneros. He is a toddler boy with tan skin and dark brown hair, and is smiling widely with his mouth open.Name: Jose “Pepe” Castillo-Cisneros.
Died: May 23, 2016.
Age at death: 3.
Cause of death: Traumatic injury.
Location: Battle Ground, Oregon, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Pepe was beaten and stabbed to death by his mother’s boyfriend because he cried about a movie he didn’t want to watch.

He liked Mickey Mouse.

Case status:
Ricardo Gutierrez (Mother’s boyfriend), convicted of murder, sentenced to 45 years to life.

Source:
Man sentenced to 45 years in prison in toddler’s murder
Man faces murder allegation in Battle Ground boy’s death
GoFundMe account started for family of toddler allegedly killed by mom’s boyfriend
Washington man charged with murder of girlfriend’s autistic three-year-old son
Three-year-old BG boy allegedly murdered by mother’s boyfriend
Man faces murder allegation in Battle Ground boy’s death
Murder trial begins in fatal beating of Battle Ground toddler
Murder trial looks at special needs of toddler who was killed
Testimony describes murder suspect’s dislike of 3-year-old