Relationship: Partner – Page 25 – Disability Day of Mourning

Ozlem Karakoc

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

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 Photo Name: 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

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 Photo Name: 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

Kari Whitley

Sepia-tone photo of a young woman with short hair and big earrings. Name: Kari Marann Whitley.
Died: May 3, 2017.
Age at death: 43.
Cause of death: Traumatic injury.
Location: Gulfport, Mississippi, USA.
Disability: Brain cancer survivor, wheelchair user.

Details:
Kari survived brain cancer at age 19 and went on to get a degree in journalism. She worked at the VA as a public relations specialist until she retired due to medical problems.

Kari’s husband, who had in the past assaulted her, took her back to his home from her assisted living facility so that he could get her disability check. A month later, she was dead. He had beaten her to death with a hammer.

Case status:
William Bryant (Husband), pleaded guilty to murder, sentenced to life in prison.

Source:
Man admits to removing wife from facility to get her disability check, then killing her with a hammer
Kari Whitley’s Obituary

Manubhai Bujad

No Photo
Name: Manubhai Bujad.
Died: April 25, 2017.
Age at death: 55.
Cause of death: Homicide.
Location: Mithapur, India.
Disability: Physically challenged.

Details:
Manubhai’s death was originally reported as a suicide, but his brother came forward and told authorities that he had been killed by his live-in girlfriend, who wanted his money. Police arrested the girlfriend, who allegedly confessed to the crime.

Case status:
Rukshana (Live-in girlfriend), arrested.

Source:
Live-in partner held for killing disabled man
Disabled man found murdered in Dwarka village

Abbie Speir

Name: Abbie Diana Speir.
Died: April 20, 2017.
Age at death: 33.
Cause of death: Stabbed.
Location: Yellow Grass, Saskatchewan, Canada.
Disability: Epilepsy.

Details:
Soon after she tried to leave him, Abbie’s partner stabbed her to death and set the house on fire.

Abbie was a playful lover of parties, especially community fundraisers, and was often seen wearing her trademark high heels and animal print.

Case Status:
Kevin Obinna Okafor (Partner), convicted of second-degree murder, sentenced to 16 years to life.

Sources:
Abbie’s story: How intimate partner violence affects those left behind
Remembering the life of Abbie SPEIR 1983 – 2017
Yellow Grass, Sask. man sentenced to life in prison for killing of Abbie Speir | Globalnews.ca
Family still haunted by violent last moments of slain Yellow Grass mother as killer sentenced