Category: Relationship: Parent

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

Madison Garcia

Photo of Madison Garcia, a fair-skinned baby strapped into a car seat. She has a big white bow on her head. There are lots of dangle toys hanging all around her.Name: Madison McKenzie Garcia.
Died: September 2, 2013.
Age at death: 13 months.
Cause of death: Malnutrition, dehydration.
Location: West Columbia, South Carolina, USA.
Disability: Down syndrome.

Details:
Madison’s parents starved her to death.

Case status:
Tracy Roach (Mother), pleaded guilty to murder, sentenced to life without parole.
Filiberto Garcia Campos (Father), pleaded guilty to murder, sentenced to life without parole.

Source:
Pair charged after infant daughter dies from malnutrition, dehydration
Father gets life in prison after infant with Down syndrome starved to death
Lexington dad gets life sentence after infant daughter dies from malnutrition, dehydration

Marian Roberts

No PhotoName: Marian Roberts.
Died: August 17, 2013.
Age at death: 57.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Oakland, California, USA.
Disability: Quadriplegic, TBI.

Details:
Marian was shot by her father in a murder-suicide.

Case status:
William K. Roberts (Father), deceased.

Source:
Oakland father, daughter shot to death in murder-suicide
Oakland man kills disabled daughter, self
Elderly Oakland man kills disabled daughter, self
Oakland father, daughter shot to death in murder-suicide

Hayley Bell

Photo of a sleeping fair-skinned toddler girl, draped in cloth.Name: Hayley Dea Bell.
Died: August 1, 2013.
Age at death: 8.
Cause of death: Pneumonia, malnutrition.
Location: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Disability: Developmental disability; tube-fed; epilepsy.

Details:
Hayley’s mother refused services and took her daughter out of school. Hayley died of starvation and pneumonia, weighing 12 kilograms (26 pounds).

Case status:
Elisha Bell (Mother), caregiver. No charges.

Source:
Starved, sick and unschooled: Did child protection fail Hayley?
Bell, Hayley Dea

Matthew Hafer

No PhotoName: Matthew Hafer.
Died: Several days before July 27, 2013.
Age at death: 28.
Cause of death: Prescription drug overdose.
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Matthew’s mother poisoned him with an overdose of prescription drugs.

Case status:
Joann Hafer (Mother), pled guilty to second-degree murder; sentenced to 10 years to life.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Matthew Hafer
Woman accused of killing son who had autism set for court
Police: Vegas woman drugged adult son to death
Mom accused of fatally drugging son appears in court
Police: Woman survives suicide attempt, arrested in death of disabled son
Court case

Mary Swierzewski

Photo of Mary Swierzewski, a middle-aged woman with fair skin and chin-length blond hair, wearing a red blouse.Name: Mary Swierzewski.
Died: July 6, 2013.
Age at death: 59.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: East Rockhill, Alabama, USA.
Disability: “Mentally handicapped”.

Details:
Mary was shot by her father in a murder-suicide.

Mary “loved to dance. She also enjoyed volunteering at the Sellersville Theater, Quakertown Library and participating with the Silver Sneakers at the Upper Bucks YMCA. Mary loved bells and took great pride in her collection. She also enjoyed watching Dora, the Explorer and Sponge Bob.”

Case status:
Thaddeus Swierzewski (Father), deceased.

Source:
Murder/Suicide – Thaddeus Swierzewski (Bucks County, PA)
Mary Swierzewski (1953-2013) – Find a Grave.

Robert Guinyard Jr.

Photo of a small boy with dark-brown skin and a very short buzz cut, wearing a green T-shirt, looking over his shoulder at the camera, and smiling.Name: Robert Guinyard Jr.
Died: July 1, 2013.
Age at death: 4.
Cause of death: Internal bleeding.
Location: Richland County, South Carolina, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Robert was tortured to death by his parents, who beat him so severely and so often that he bled out internally.

Case status:
Robert Guinyard Sr. (Father), sentenced to life without parole.
Courtney Thompson (Mother), sentenced to life without parole.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Robert Guinyard, Jr.
In the Arms Of the Angels: Robert Guinyard Jr.
Doctor: Child Had Multiple Bone Fractures
Richland County parents arrested, charged with homicide in son’s death
DSS Death: “The System Failed Robert”
Prosecutor: DSS ignored many pleas for help as ‘demon’ Richland parents tortured son to death
Parents sentenced to life in prison in 4-year-old son’s death

Joseph Johnson Jr.

No PhotoName: Joseph Johnson Jr.
Died: June 19, 2013.
Age at death: 14 months.
Cause of death: Burns.
Location: Little Rock, Arkansas, USA.
Disability: Unspecified severe birth defects.

Details:
Joseph’s father scalded him with hot water. He died of the burns after just over two weeks in the hospital.

Case status:
Joseph Dwayne Johnson (Father), pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, sentenced to 40 years.

Source:
LR father takes plea in death of toddler
Bail set at $1 million for father charged with killing toddler

Amelia Dew

No PhotoName: Amelia Dew.
Died: June 19, 2013.
Age at death: 2.
Cause of death: Head injury.
Location: Gosport, England, UK.
Disability: Myotonic dystrophy.

Details:
When Amelia was brought to the hospital with a massive head injury, her stepfather, who had been watching her, claimed she had hit her head on a chair she was strapped into during tube-fed meals. Amelia died four days later.

Initially, her stepfather was arrested, but not charged. Two years later, doctors who examined Amelia came forward, stating that her injuries were highly consistent with shaken baby syndrome.

Case status:
Robin Dowse (Stepfather), no charges.
Inquest underway.

Source:
The inquest into the death of two-year-old Amelia Dew has been halted due to police receiving new information
Inquest into Gosport toddler’s death due to restart after police probe ends
Police investigation into Gosport toddler’s death reopened

Alex Spourdalakis

Photo of a teenage boy, smiling, with fair skin and dark hair in a buzz cut; he is wearing a gray striped shirt. The photo is propped up with a bunch of yellow roses.Name: Alex Spourdalakis.
Died: June 9, 2013.
Age at death: 14.
Cause of death: Stabbed.
Location: River Grove, Illinois, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Alex’s mother and caregiver tried to kill him with an overdose of painkillers; when that didn’t work, they stabbed him to death.

Case status:
Dorothy Spourdalakis (Mother), pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter, sentenced to 4 years; released immediately on credit for time served.
Jolanta Agatha Skrodzka (Godmother), pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter, sentenced to 4 years; released immediately on credit for time served.

Source:
Autism Memprial: Alex Spourdalakis
Suburban mom admits to stabbing autistic son to death
Mother, godmother plead guilty to involuntary manslaughter of severely autistic teen
Mother, godmother who killed autistic teen released from prison
How Murder Victims With Disabilities Get Blamed For Their Own Deaths
New Report Discovers That the Media Normalizes the Murders of People with Disabilities

Miss Seo

No PhotoName: Seo (First name unknown).
Died: June 2013.
Age at death: 4.
Cause of death: Asphyxia.
Location: Yeosu, South Korea.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
This four-year-old girl’s mother strangled her to death.

Case status:
Ms. Seo (Mother); sentenced to 3 years.

Source:
Seo, 4-year-old female, name unknown
Korean Mother Kills Her Autistic Child, Gets 3 Years in Prison