Relationship: Parent – Page 60 – Disability Day of Mourning

Alayah-Rose Savarese

Name: Alayah-Rose Savarese .
Died: June 25, 2012.
Age at death: 8.
Cause of death: Ruptured stomach.
Location: New York City, New York, USA.
Disability: Cerebral palsy.

Details:
Alayah died from a ruptured stomach. Her case was known to social services, and there had been multiple complaints of neglect and reports of bruises on Alayah’s body.

Case status:
Nicole Diggs (Mother) and Oscar Thomas (mother’s boyfriend); charged with neglect, but the charges were dropped. They later inherited $2.1 million that had been placed in trust for Alayah’s care.

Source:
Alayah-Rose Savarese

Markea Blakely-Berry

Name: Markea Blakely-Berry.
Died: June 15, 2012.
Age at death: 16.
Cause of death: Starvation.
Location: Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
Disability: Intellectual disability.

Details:
Markea was starved to death by her mother.

Case status:
Ebony Berry (Mother), pled guilty to involuntary manslaughter, sentenced to 30 years.

Source:
Girl, 16, dies weighing just 40lb after being ‘starved by her food-obsessed mother’

Perry Jones

Photo of Perry Jones, an adult man in a red sweater; he has brown skin, black hair, and a mustache. Name: Perry Edward Jones.
Died: April 19, 2012.
Age at death: 51.
Cause of death: Strangled.
Location: Matoaca, Chesterfield County, Virginia, USA.
Disability: “Severely disabled”.

Details:
Perry was strangled by his mother, who also killed his father.

Case status:
Estelle Virginia Jones (Mother); sentenced to 5 years in prison.

Source:
Estelle Virginia JONES

Daniel Corby

Photo of Daniel Corby, a small boy with short brown hair and fair skin, smiling and covering his mouth with his hands. Name: Daniel Corby.
Died: March 31, 2012.
Age at death: 4.
Cause of death: Drowned.
Location: San Diego, California, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Daniel’s mother drowned him in the bathtub. She said she had killed him because he was autistic, she was sick of taking care of him, and she had gone $70,000 into debt for autism treatment.

Daniel learned all of the letters of the alphabet when he was three.

Case status:
Patricia Corby (mother) pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to 15 years to life.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Daniel Corby
Woman sentenced in tub drowning of autistic son, 4
Murder of Daniel Corby
Mom gets 15 years in autistic son’s tub drowning
Mother admits she drowned autistic son, 4, in bathtub because ‘she was sick of taking care of him’ and was $70,000 in debt after paying for his care
‘She felt like she had no life’: Mother drowns autistic four-year-old
Mother who drowned 4-year-old autistic son sentenced to life term

George Hodgins

No Photo Name: George Hodgins.
Died: March 6, 2012.
Age at death: 22.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Sunnyvale, California, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
George’s mother killed him, then shot herself.

George communicated by means of a VOCA and often wore headphones, listening to music. He was very active and loved being outdoors, but was frightened of the neighbors’ dogs.

Case status:
Elizabeth Hodgins (Mother), deceased.

Source:
Autism Memorial: George Hodgins
Guest opinion: Death by Legislature
Sunnyvale police: Mother killed 22-year-old autistic son, then herself
Parents of autistic children speak out on Sunnyvale murder-suicide
The Murder of George Hodgins
Sunnyvale mom kills autistic son, self, police say
Murder of George Hodgins
Sunnyvale police: Mother killed 22-year-old autistic son, then herself
Sunnyvale Killings Called Murder-Suicide: Neighbor
The After-Effects of a Mother’s Murder/Suicide
Autistic support group to host Sunnyvale vigil for George Hodgins, killed in murder-suicide

Russell Fox

Name: Russell Wayne Fox.
Died: March 4, 2012.
Age at death: 8.
Cause of death: Pneumonia.
Location: Suwannee County, Florida, USA.
Disability: ADHD, developmental delay, cystic fibrosis.

Details:
Russell was denied medical care and not fed enough. He died at the age of 8 from complications of cystic fibrosis. Medical neglect was a contributing factor.

Russell “enjoyed playing outside and watching Spongebob Squarepants.”

Case status:
Lesa Rose Fox (Adoptive mother), not charged. In 2018, she was sentenced to 2 years for a presumably unrelated aggravated assault.

Source:
Russell Wayne Fox
Russell Fox, 8

Daniel Pelka

Photo of a small boy in a red sweater; he has fair skin and blond hair and is smiling. Name: Daniel Pelka.
Died: March 3, 2012.
Age at death: 4.
Cause of death: Head injury.
Location: Coventry, West Midlands, England, UK.
Disability: None. Killer claimed he was autistic.

Details:
Daniel, who was not autistic, died from beatings and starvation by his mother and stepfather, who told a co-worker that Daniel was not worth beating because he was autistic and would not feel pain.

Case status:
Magadelena Luczak (Mother), sentenced to 30 years to life, died in prison.
Mariusz Krezolek (Stepfather); sentenced to 30 years to life, died in prison.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Daniel Pelka
Daniel Pelka’s brutal stepfather refused treatment before death in prison.
PELKA: WHAT THE JUDGE TOLD EVIL CHILDKILLERS
Mom & Boyfriend Jailed for Murdering 4-Year-Old: 5 Fast Facts You Need to know
Daniel Pelka: Professionals failed ‘invisible’ murdered boy, report says
Everyone to blame but no one punished: Teachers, doctors, the police and social workers escape justice after missing 27 chances to save tragic Daniel Pelka
Sibling of four-year-old boy ‘beaten to death by mother and her partner hoarded biscuits and nuts for him because he was left to starve’

Nubia Barahona

Name: Nubia Barahona.
Died: February 14, 2012.
Age at death: 10.
Cause of death: Blunt trauma.
Location: West Palm Beach, Florida, USA.
Disability: Congenital adrenal hyperplasia.

Details:
Nubia was allegedly abused by her foster, later adoptive, parents. When she showed up at school thin and ravenously hungry, her parents blamed her condition on her CAH, and the abuse was not investigated. Eventually Nubia was found beaten to death in her adoptive father’s truck.

Nubia is survived by her twin brother, Ivan, who was found in poor condition but recovered.

Case status:
Jorge Barahona (Adoptive father), charged with murder.
Carmen Barahona (Adoptive mother), pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and multiple counts of aggravated child abuse.

Source:
Child Murder Case Still Hasn’t Gone to Trial After More Than a Decade, Here’s Why
Murder of Nubia Barahona
‘Murderer who melted disabled daughter’s body in acid’ is attacked in jail
Before the torture, Nubia Barahona dreamed as a child

Jeshiah DeJesus

Photo: A small boy with olive-toned skin and stringy brown hair, smiling. Name: Jeshiah DeJesus.
Died: February 9, 2012.
Age at death: 9.
Cause of death: Stabbed.
Location: Deerfield Park, Florida, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Jeshiah was stabbed to death by his father after his father took their family hostage. After wounding his family and killing Jeshiah and 76-year-old Oliva DePlante, a bystander, his father committed suicide.

Case status:
William De Jesus (Father), deceased.
Deanna DeJesus (Mother), pleaded guilty to aggravated manslaughter, sentenced to 10 years in prison and 5 years probation.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Jeshiah DeJesus
Deanna De Jesus, Wife of Man Who Stabbed Sons, Gets 10-Year Sentence
Report: Broward County RV park killer kept sons despite molestation allegations
Boy describes father’s killing spree, mother’s inaction
‘Which one do you want me to do first?’ Psychotic father’s chilling question to his wife before he stabbed to death his older son, nine
More Weird Details Emerge in Deerfield Park RV Park Murder-Suicide

Michael Elkins

Photo of Michael Elkins, a young man with brown hair and a short beard; he is wearing a black hoodie with the hood up. Name: Michael Elkins.
Died: January 4, 2012.
Age at death: 25.
Cause of death: Pneumonia, malnutrition, sepsis.
Location: Waynetown, Indiana, USA.
Disability: Spinal cord injury, quadriplegia.

Details:
Michael fell off his bike and broke his neck when he was 13 years old. When he was 21, his mother was arrested for neglecting his care and he spent a year away from her. But he was returned to her custody, and at age 25, he died of pneumonia, malnutrition, and blood poisoning from infected bedsores.

Michael watched cartoons with his small nieces and nephews. He liked to go camping.

Case status:
Tammy S. Elkins (Mother), pleaded guilty to neglect of a dependent resulting in death, sentenced to 6 years of house arrest.

Source:
Michael Elkins Obituary
Woman faces felony neglect charge
Elkins pleads guilty to neglect
Elkins sentenced in neglect case