Relationship: Parent – Page 54 – Disability Day of Mourning

Ayahna Comb

Name: Ayahna Comb.
Died: January 29, 2014.
Age at death: 9.
Cause of death: Malnutrition/dehydration.
Location: Houston, Texas, USA.
Disability: Cerebral palsy.

Details:
Ayana was fatally neglected by her mother. When she died, her mother wrapped her in blankets and put her 15-pound body in the crisper drawer of her refrigerator.

Case status:
Amber Keyes (Mother), pleaded guilty to injury to a child by omission, sentenced to 20-40 years.

Source:
Death of girl found wrapped in blankets in refrigerator ruled a homicide
Mother of girl, 9, found dead in refrigerator sentenced to 40 years

Photo of Lucas Ruiz, an infant lying on a fleece throw; he has light skin, neat brown hair, and a round face. Name: Lucas Ruiz.
Died: January 24, 2014.
Age at death: 17 months.
Cause of death: Alcohol poisoning.
Location: Belle Chasse, Louisiana, USA.
Disability: Down syndrome.

Details:
Lucas’s mother poisoned him with hand sanitizer injected into his feeding tube.

Case status:
Erika Wigstrom (Mother), charged with first-degree murder, pleaded guilty, sentenced to 40 years.

Source:
Belle Chasse mom booked with fatal poisoning of her 17-month-old son

Damien Veraghen

Name: Damien Veraghen.
Died: January 20, 2014.
Age at death: 9.
Cause of death: Asphyxia.
Location: Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA.
Disability: Autism, epilepsy.

Details:
Damien was drugged and suffocated by his mother in a murder-suicide.

Damien liked playing catch, and loved sports in general. He played in the Miracle League of Green Bay. Every week, Damien played a game with friends in the league. He loved the baseball bats.

He also liked to run the vacuum cleaner at home; neighbors would hear the vacuum cleaner and know it was Damien.

Case status:
April Veraghen (Mother), deceased.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Damien Veraghen
April and Damien Veraghen, Obituary
Mother-son deaths at west-side apartment ruled murder, suicide
Friends remember victims of murder-suicide
Mother-son murder-suicide investigation closed

Aidan Bossingham

Photo of a young boy with light olive-toned skin, wearing a sweatshirt and a Cardinals baseball cap. Name: Aidan Edward Bossingham.
Died: January 12, 2014.
Age at death: 12.
Cause of death: Starvation.
Location: Kenmare, North Dakota, USA.
Disability: Growth hormone deficiency.

Details:
Aidan’s mother refused him treatment for his growth hormone deficiency and starved him until he died.

Case status:
Jessica Lee Jensen (Mother); pled guilty to murder and child neglect; sentenced to 40 years in prison with 15 years suspended.

Source:
North Dakota woman sentenced in child starvation case
N.D. 13-year-old weighed 21 pounds; mom accused in his starvation death

Saharah Weatherspoon

Photo of Saharah Weatherspoon, a toddler girl sitting in a pink car seat. She has very curly black hair and brown skin. Name: Saharah Weatherspoon.
Died: January 1, 2014.
Age at death: 23 months.
Cause of death: Head injury.
Location: Ringgold, Georgia, USA.
Disability: Developmental delay.

Details:
When doctors noticed Saharah’s bruises in the months before her fatal head injury, Saharah’s foster mother said Saharah was falling down because of her developmental delay and asked for a helmet. Saharah died of severe head injuries; she had been beaten to death by her foster mother.

Case status:
Clara Louise Edwards (Foster mother), pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter, sentenced to 20 years.

Source:
Former Ringgold foster mom pleads guilty to killing baby, sentenced to 20 years
Defense wraps up its case with afternoon of testimony in Clara Edwards murder trial
Jury Reaches Verdict in Foster Child Death Case

Omaree Varela

Name: Omaree Varela.
Died: December 27, 2013.
Age at death: 9.
Cause of death: Blunt trauma, internal bleeding.
Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA.
Disability: ADHD, PTSD, mild developmental delay.

Details:
Omaree was kicked to death by his mother.

Six months before he died, Omaree called 911 for help; but the investigation came to nothing.

Case Status:
Synthia Varela-Casaus (Mother), convicted of murder, sentenced to 40 years.
Stephen Casaus (Stepfather), convicted of convicted of child abuse resulting in death, sentenced to 30 years; sentence overturned, still in prison in drug charges, but may have his sentence reduced to 10.5 years.

Sources:
Omaree Varela’s parents – All about their troubles with the law
Omaree Varela’s stepfather to be re-sentenced
Omaree death settlement cloaked in secrecy – Albuquerque Journal

Mickey Liposchok

No Photo Name: Mickey Liposchok.
Died: December 17, 2013.
Age at death: 52.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Port Vue, Pennsylvania, USA.
Disability: Intellectual disability.

Details:
Mickey’s father shot him and then killed himself.

Case status:
Richard Liposchok (Father), deceased.

Source:
Father, disabled son found dead; friends call killing an ‘act of love’

Randle Barrow

Photo of a boy with dark skin and curly dark hair, sitting on a therapy ball. He is wearing a blue collared shirt and white pants. Name: Randle Barrow.
Died: December 14, 2013.
Age at death: 8.
Cause of death: Drowning.
Location: Huntsville, Alabama, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Randle’s mother took him to the Tennessee River, drowned him, and then went home and killed herself. She was said to be “overwhelmed by all the events in her life”.

His behavioral therapist describes Randle Barrow like this: “Randle made every kid in his classroom smile constantly. He was hilarious; the happiest kid. He would do anything for anybody. If he saw a child upset, he cried for that child. He understood.”

Case status:
Delicia Barrow (Mother), deceased.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Randle Barrow
Deaths of mom, autistic child believed to be murder-suicide
Police: Randle Barrow’s Mother Drowned Him in Tennessee River, Then Killed Herself
Friends Of Randle Barrow Say His Mother Was Devoted, Caring
Police say autistic child was murdered by his mother

John Clark

No Photo Name: John Wyatt Clark.
Died: November 29, 2013.
Age at death: 14 months.
Cause of death: Staph infection.
Location: Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Disability: Unknown; developmental delays.

Details:
Through his entire life, John’s parents never took him to the doctor, even though he was very small for his age and had obvious developmental delays. They also fed him an extreme diet that did not include all the nutrients he needed. When he was 14 months old, he died from malnutrition and a staph infection that overwhelmed his weakened body.

Case status:
Jennifer Clark (Mother), convicted of criminal negligence causing death and failure to provide the necessaries of life, sentenced to 32 months in prison.
Jeromie Clark (Father), convicted of criminal negligence causing death and failure to provide the necessaries of life, sentenced to 32 months in prison.

Source:
Religious Vegan Parents Convicted in Starvation Death of Son
Calgary parents found guilty in connection with death of 14-month-old son
Clark trial hears how gravely ill son was when sent to ICU

Stephanie Owen

Photo of Stephanie Owen and her mother Sharon Hayter. Stephanie is a young woman with long brown hair; her head is thrown back and she is laughing. Sharon is a woman with short brown hair and glasses; she is smiling and hugging Stephanie. Name: Stephanie Owen.
Died: November 28, 2013.
Age at death: 29.
Cause of death: Blunt trauma.
Location: Knowsley, Merseyside, England, UK.
Disability: Intellectual disability; mobility impairment; diabetic.

Details:
Stephanie’s father bludgeoned her and her mother, Sharon Hayter, to death with a claw hammer.

Case status:
William Owen (Father), pleaded guilty to murder, sentenced to 29 years, 90 days in prison.

Source:
Life sentence for doting dad who murdered his wife and disabled daughter at the family home
William Owen jailed for life for murdering daughter and partner
Claw hammer killer agreed bizarre ‘death pact’ with late partner before murdering disabled daughter