Esther Moraa

No PhotoName: Esther Moraa.
Died: August 2, 2010.
Age at death: 4 months.
Cause of death: Suffocated.
Location: Bokimweri, Nyamache District, Kenya.
Disability: Albinism.

Details:
Esther’s father convinced her mother to kill her because she had been born with albinism. Her mother suffocated her, then dumped her body in the river.

Case status:
Sara Kemunto Nyabuto (Mother), sentenced to one year in prison. Esther’s father fled and was not arrested.

Source:
Mother jailed for killing albino baby
Kenya : Woman kills albino child to avoid bad omen
Kenya : When mother finds it easy to kill her child
Woman kills albino child to avoid bad omen

Kenneth Holmes

Black and white side-profile photo of Kenneth Holmes, an African-American boy with his hair in cornrows.Name: Kenneth Holmes.
Died: July 28, 2010.
Age at death: 12.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: New York, New York, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Kenneth was shot to death by his mother, who then committed suicide herself. Police said she was “frustrated over the demands of raising an autistic child”.

Case status:
Michaela Jackson (Mother), deceased.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Kenneth Holmes
JA mom kills autistic son, herself
Mom suspected in murder-suicide involving autistic son posted heart-wrenching blog item before death
It’s Mick’s World

Zain and Faryaal Akhter

No PhotoName: Zain Syed Akhter.
Died: July 19, 2010.
Age at death: 5.
Disability: Autism.

Name: Faryaal Rashid Akhter.
Died: July 20, 2010.
Age at death: 2.
Disability: Developmental delay; her mother thought she also had autism.

Cause of death: Strangled.
Location: Dallas, Texas, USA.

Details:
Zain and Faryaal’s mother tried to make them drink bathroom cleaner; when they wouldn’t do it, she strangled them.

Case status:
Saiqa Akhter (Mother), found not guilty by reason of insanity; hospitalized.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Zain and Faryaal Akhter
Dallas mom, Saiqa Akhter, killed her two children because they were autistic: 911 recording
Mother cites kids’ autism as motive for their slayings in call to 911 operator
Texas Mom Says She Killed Kids Because They Were Austistic

Grace Carlson

Indistinct photo of Grace Carlson, a heavyset teenage girl with dark-brown skin and a white ribbon in her hair.Name: Grace Carlson.
Died: July 17, 2010.
Age at death: 13.
Cause of death: Poisoning.
Location: South Lyon, Michigan, USA.
Disability: “Seriously disabled”; born addicted to crack.

Details:
Grace’s mother poisoned her in a murder-suicide.

Case status:
Donna Carlson (Adoptive mother), deceased.

Source:
Details emerge about South Lyon murder-suicide attempt; police seek charge of murder 1

Wendy Garland

No PhotoName: Wendy Garland.
Died: July 8, 2010.
Age at death: 33.
Cause of death: Pending autopsy.
Location: Jersey City, New Jersey, USA.
Disability: Down syndrome, cerebral palsy.

Details:
Wendy died when her family left her in a filthy room that, in midsummer, had heated up to 100 degrees. When they found her dead, they moved her out of her room, but when police saw where Wendy had been staying, they arrested her family. It was discovered that she had not seen a doctor in three years.

Case status:
Florence Garland (Mother), charged with neglect of an elderly or disabled person; died in 2017.
Helene Hutchinson (sister), charged with neglect of an elderly or disabled person.

Source:
Inspectors visit building where disabled Jersey City woman died
Family of disabled woman found dead in Jersey City appear in court
Disabled Woman Left in 100 Degree Room Dies; Mother, Sister Charged
Bed-ridden, disabled Jersey City woman found dead in 100-degree room, cops say; sister and mom charged
Death of disabled Jersey City woman who died in squalor requires more investigation: officials

Kairissa Mark

Photo of a young Chinese girl with tan skin and short black hair in a buzz cut; she is smiling, eyes squeezed shut; she is wearing a white T-shirt with black printing on it.Name: Kairissa XingJing Mark.
Died: July 1, 2010.
Age at death: 4.
Cause of death: Abuse.
Location: Mount Juliet, Tennessee, USA.
Disability: Intellectual disability, physical disability; recovering from malnutrition.

Details:
Kairissa’s parents beat her. She died because her mother threw her at a wall and left her to die.

Case status:
Deborah Mark (Adoptive mother), convicted of murder and child abuse, sentenced to life plus 80 years.
Steven Mark, pleaded guilty to abuse, sentenced to 10-32 years.

Source:
Pound Pup Legacy: Kairissa XingJing Mark
Another adoption tragedy taints Tennessee; woman accused of beating child to death

Deondray Ashe

Photo of a toddler in  a baby seat. He has large brown eyes, brown skin, and wispy black hair. He is wearing an orange shirt.Name: Deondray “Dooley” Ashe.
Died: June 14, 2010.
Age at death: 2.
Cause of death: Beating.
Location: Lakeland, Florida, USA.
Disability: Chronic bilateral subdural hematoma, cerebral palsy, developmental delays, tracheotomy.

Details:
Dooley’s stepfather beat him to death during potty training.

Case status:
Marcus Brown (Stepfather), pleaded guilty to manslaughter, sentenced to 12-and-a-half years.
Ina Brown, convicted of aggravated manslaughter, sentenced to 10 years.

Source:
Deondray Ashe Obituary (2010) Tampa Bay Times
Innocents Lost: In prison for manslaughter, a mom deals with regret, denial
Prosecutor Calls 2-Year-Old Deondray Ashe Beating ‘Horrifying’

Charles Poertner

Black and white photo of Charles Poertner, a boy with light skin and medium hair.Name: Charles Poertner.
Died: June 7, 2010.
Age at death: 7.
Cause of death: Dehydration.
Location: Newport News, Virginia, USA.
Disability: Cerebral palsy, developmental delay, epilepsy.

Details:
Charles’s mother starved him to death.

Case status:
Heather Poertner (mother), convicted of child neglect and murder; sentenced to 50 years.

Source:
Newport News mother pleads guilty in death of disabled son
Mother charged in death of son with cerebral palsy

Christopher Melton

Photo of Christopher Melton, a young man in a homemade tie-dye T-shirt; he has dark-brown skin and short black hair and is smiling.Name: Christopher Melton.
Died: June 4, 2010.
Age at death: 18.
Cause of death: Carbon monoxide poisoning.
Location: Columbia, Maryland, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Christopher’s mother poisoned him and herself with carbon monoxide.

Case status:
Tracy Hawks (Mother), deceased.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Christopher Melton
Columbia, Maryland: Deaths of Tracy Hawks and Christopher Melton, mother and son, ruled murder-suicide
Deaths of mother and son remain a mystery
Columbia deaths of mom and son ruled murder-suicide

Rylan Rochester

Photo of Rylan Rochester, an infant.Name: Rylan Rochester.
Died: June 1, 2010.
Age at death: 6 months.
Cause of death: Smothered.
Location: Denver, Colorado, USA.
Disability: None, but Rylan’s mother believed he was autistic.

Details:
Rylan’s mother, convinced he was autistic, smothered him to death.

Case status:
Stephanie Rochester (Mother); ruled not guilty by reason of insanity.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Rylan Rochester