Mathew Dunbar

Photo of Mathew Dunbar, a middle-aged man with a receding hairline, gray eyes, and a friendly smile.Name: Mathew Dunbar.
Died: August 2, 2017.
Age at death: 42.
Cause of death: Suffocated due to helium inhalation.
Location: Walcha, New South Wales, Australia.
Disability: Depression, leg injury.

Details:
Mathew was a farmer who used his land to raise sheep.

After he made her the sole heir of his large property, Mathew’s partner made up a cocktail of sedatives and fed it to Mathew; when he was unconscious she gassed him with helium. She claimed that Mathew had committed suicide due to his depression, but when police checked her computer, they found evidence that they say shows she had been researching how to commit murder. Mathew’s partner had also been arrested and charged with attempted murder years ago for setting the house on fire with her previous husband inside, but that charge was withdrawn.

Case status:
Natasha Beth Darcy (Partner), convicted of murder, sentenced to 40 years in prison.

Source:
Natasha Beth Darcy found guilty of murdering partner after saying he had taken his own life | Daily Mail Online
NSW woman ‘not upset’ at partner’s death
Nutribullet used to blend cocktail of drugs in grazier murder: court
Woman charged over death of NSW farmer allegedly searched ‘murder’ before his death

Shannon Cooper

Photo of Shannon Cooper, a heavyset woman with pale skin and long light brown hair.Name: Shannon Michelle Barrett-Cooper.
Died: July 25, 2017.
Age at death: 40.
Cause of death: Sepsis.
Location: Murfreesboro, Tennessee, USA.
Disability: Childhood leukemia, paraplegic.

Details:
Shannon’s fiance moved her into his house and isolated her from her family. He neglected her, starving her, keeping her in filthy conditions, and not getting her medical help when she needed it. Shannon died when her extensive bedsores caused blood poisoning.

Case statys:
Gary Marple (Fiance), charged with criminal negligence; convicted and sentenced to 4 years.

Source:
Murfreesboro man charged with negligence in fiancee’s death
Shannon Michelle Cooper’s Obituary

Naoko Kaup

Photo of Naoko Kaup's gravestone.Name: Naoko Kaup.
Died: July 16, 2017.
Age at death: 84.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Jacksonville, North Carolina, USA.
Disability: Dementia, chronic illness.

Details:
Naoko was shot by her husband in a murder-suicide.

She was a Hiroshima survivor and the mother of two sons.

Case status:
Milton Kaup (Husband), deceased.

Source:
Sheriff: Death of two elderly Onslow residents likely murder-suicide
Sheriff: Deaths of 2 Onslow County residents suspected to be murder-suicide
UPDATED: Murder-suicide suspected in elderly couple’s death
Naoko Kaup’s Obituary on Jacksonville Daily News

Ozlem Karakoc

Photo of Ozzie Karakoc, a woman with dark-brown hair and light freckled skin, wearing a bright pink jacket.Name: Özlem “Ozzie” Karakoç.
Died: July 14, 2017.
Age at death: 34.
Cause of death: Drowned.
Location: Dandenong, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Disability: Bipolar disorder.

Details:
Ozzie’s ex-boyfriend killed her because she had ended the relationship and wanted to marry another man. He drowned her in the bathtub, and then claimed that they had had a suicide pact (there is no evidence that they ever did).

Case status:
Murat Davsanoglu (Ex-boyfriend), convicted of murder, sentenced to 18-23 years.

Source:
Man jailed for drowning girlfriend after she told him she was marrying someone else
Man jailed for drowning girlfriend after she told him she was marrying someone else
‘Suicide pact’ man facing murder trial for girlfriend’s bath drowning
‘You left us too soon’: Family pays tribute to young mum found dead in Lalor
Melbourne man ‘drowned partner in the bath in suicide pact’
Vic man to stand trial over bath murder
Tributes pour in for Melbourne mum allegedly murdered by partner
Mother allegedly dumped in abandoned house in ‘suicide pact’

Virginia Villa

Photo of Virginia Villa, an elderly Latina. She has white hair and is wearing glasses and a black and white sweater. Off to the sides of the picture, two people have their arms around her shoulders.Name: Virginia Villa.
Died: July 12, 2017.
Age at death: 73.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Pacoima, California, USA.
Disability: Chronic illness.

Details:
Virginia was shot by her husband in a murder-suicide.

She was a foster mother to many children, and worked as a special education assistant before she retired.

Case status:
Gilbert Villa (Husband), deceased.

Source:
Elderly couple killed in Pacoima murder-suicide is identified
Virginia Villa, 73 – The Homicide Report
Virginia Villa, age 73

Sandra Nickells

No Photo
Name: Sandra Nickells.
Died: June 17, 2017.
Age at death: 72.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Adamsville, Utah, USA.
Disability: Alzheimer’s, chronic illness.

Details:
Sandra was shot by her husband, who called police to report what he had done just before shooting himself as well.

Case status:
Tom Nickells (Husband), deceased.

Source:
Man and wife die in murder-suicide in Beaver County

Lam Mei-kam

No PhotoName: Lam Mei-kam.
Died: June 6, 2017.
Age at death: 76.
Cause of death: Asphyxia.
Location: Hong Kong.
Disability: Stroke, wheelchair user, chronic illness.

Details:
Lam was strangled to death by her husband, who said that he had been worried no one would look after her if he died.

Case status:
Wong Kwok-man (Husband), pleaded guilty to manslaughter, sentenced to 2 years, released on time served, reduced for good behavior.

Source:
‘A tragic case’: Judge frees elderly man who killed disabled wife due to fear no one would care for her if he died
Hong Kong man who ‘strangled disabled wife feared no one would take care of her if he fell sick’
Man ‘strangled his disabled wife to end her suffering’

Lorraine Smith

Photo of Lorraine Smith. She is a woman with light skin and straight brown hair cut to chin-length with bangs. She is smiling at the camera. She is wearing a blue silk turtleneck blouse and some blue beads.Name: Lorraine Gladys Smith, née Shiel.
Died: May 17, 2017.
Age at death: 53.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Jefferson Township, Pennsylvania, USA.
Disability: “Serious medical issues”.

Details:
Lorraine was shot by her husband in a murder-suicide.

She was a mother of one who enjoyed sewing and collecting Kewpie dolls.

Case status:
Edward Smith (Husband), deceased.

Source:
Washington County couple dies in murder-suicide
Two identified in apparent murder-suicide in Eldersville
Man, woman found dead in apparent murder-suicide
Police Investigating Apparent Murder-Suicide In Washington Co.
Lorraine Smith Obituary

Kathy Smith

Grave marker for Kathy Smith, 1957 to 2017.Name: Kathy Smith.
Died: May 13, 2017.
Age at death: 59.
Cause of death: Stabbed.
Location: Olean, New York, USA.
Disability: Arthritis, emphysema.

Details:
Kathy’s husband stabbed her to death.

Case status:
Edward J. Smith Jr. (Husband), charged with second-degree murder, declared not guilty by reason of insanity, committed indefinitely to a state psychiatric institution.

Source:
Smith not guilty of murdering wife by reason of insanity
Edward Smith’s daughter says mental illness led to murder
911 call played at Olean man’s hearing: ‘I murdered my wife’
Man charged with murdering wife in Olean House released from hospital, held without bail
Olean man accused of stabbing wife to death indicted on multiple counts
Olean man accused of murdering his wife
Police – Husband in Olean calls 911 after murdering his wife
Kathy Smith Obituary
Olean Man Accused of Murdering Wife Appears in City Court

Gail Caulfield

No PhotoName: Gail Caulfield.
Died: May 10, 2017 (Body found).
Age at death: 75.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Deltona, Florida, USA.
Disability: Alzheimer’s disease.

Details:
Gail was shot by her husband. He buried her body and claimed she had moved away. Some time later, he committed suicide himself just after telling police where her body was.

Case status:
Laurence Caulfield (Husband), deceased.

Source:
Deputies investigate possible murder-suicide of elderly Deltona couple
Detectives investigating possible murder-suicide in Deltona after man found dead from self-inflicted gunshot wound
Body found in back yard of Deltona home where husband killed self, deputies say
Volusia deputies find body buried in yard after man leaves note about killing wife, kills self
Florida man shoots self and says wife is buried out back
Woman dies, man kills himself when confronted by Osceola County deputies
Sheriff: Human remains found in Deltona backyard where man took his own life, left note saying he killed wife
Man Kills Himself And Leaves Note Saying He Buried Wife In The Backyard
Fla. man kills self, claims in note he buried wife’s body in yard
Man killed wife who was suffering from Alzheimer’s, deputies say