Remembering the Disabled Murdered by Caregivers
Spouse or romantic partner.
Name: Rahima Khatun.
Age at death: Young adult.
Name: Amirul.
Age at death: Child.
Died: January 21, 2017.
Cause of death: Unspecified homicide.
Location: Angiadi, Bangladesh.
Disability: Unspecified.
Details:
Rahima Katun and her son Amirul were both killed by her husband.
Case Status:
Najrul Islam (Husband), convicted of murder, sentenced to death.
Source:
Man sentenced to death for killing disabled wife, son
Man sentenced to death for killing disabled wife and son
Name: Peter Abrahams.
Died: January 18, 2017.
Age at death: 97.
Cause of death: Blunt head trauma.
Location: Red Hills, St. Andrew, Jamaica.
Disability: Unspecified; wheelchair user.
Details:
After Peter objected to the way his aide’s husband had used his credit card, the man became angry, threw him out of his wheelchair, and bashed his head against the floor until he died.
Peter was a novelist, journalist, and political commentator who was born in South Africa, lived in the UK, and finally moved to Jamaica. His work focused on political and social issues, especially racism.
Case status:
Norman Tomlinson (Husband of Peter’s aide; lover?), pleaded guilty to manslaughter, sentenced to 7 years.
Source:
Wikipedia: Peter Abrahams
Murder accused alleges gay affair with Peter Abrahams — sources
Investigators Give Details On Murder Of Peter Abrahams
Suspect reportedly admits to killing Peter Abrahams
Sleep on Sir Abrahams
Peter Abrahams
Name: Mercedes “Bunny” Witterman.
Died: January 16, 2017.
Age at death: 69.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Sylmar, Los Angeles, California, USA.
Disability: Unspecified; wheelchair user.
Details:
Mercedes was shot by her husband, who then shot himself.
She was a retired nurse who like crafting.
Case status:
Rubin Witterman (Husband), deceased.
Source:
Mercedes S. Witterman’s Obituary on Los Angeles Daily News
Death of Sylmar couple investigated as possible murder-suicide
Mercedes Witterman, 69 – The Homicide Report
Name: Victoria Cherry.
Died: January 15, 2017 (Body Found); missing October 2015.
Age at death: 44.
Cause of death: Likely strangulation.
Location: Bolton, Manchester, England, UK.
Disability: Epilepsy, depression, drug abuse.
Details:
Vicky’s boyfriend claimed she had moved away and stole her benefits for some time. Her body was found fifteen months later, stuffed into a cupboard. It was impossible to tell exactly how she had died, but damage to her neck implied Vicky had probably been strangled.
Case status:
Andrew Reade (Boyfriend), pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice and preventing a lawful burial, sentenced to 4 years, 4 months.
Source:
Man jailed for hiding girlfriend’s body in cupboard for more than a year
Victoria Cherry: Man arrested on suspicion of murder after police find body
Tributes to mum found dead at flat
Tributes paid to Preston woman Victoria Cherry
Police searching for missing woman Victoria Cherry for over a year find body in Bolton house
Man hid body of dead girlfriend in airing cupboard for 15 months
Man, 43, hid his dead girlfriend’s body in his airing cupboard for 15 months
Vicky Cherry death: Boyfriend jailed over airing cupboard body
Name: Patricia Anne Maulder.
Died: January 14, 2017.
Age at death: 66.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Waipukurau, New Zealand.
Disability: Mental illness; chronic anxiety.
Details:
Patricia’s husband killed her before dying by suicide. His daughter-in-law thinks he believed Patricia would not be able to cope without him.
Patricia kept a neat garden. Before retirement, she and her husband had run a fish-and-chip shop.
Case Status:
Kevin Maulder (Husband), deceased.
Sources:
Murder-suicide couple ‘victims of mental health stigma’, coroner finds
Deceased Waipukurau couple named
Couple found dead in Waipukurau named
Name: (Ms.) Tsang.
Died: January 14, 2017.
Age at death: 63.
Cause of death: Throat cut.
Location: Tuen Mun, Hong Kong, China.
Disability: Depression.
Details:
Ms. Tsang’s husband cut her throat, killing her; then he jumped from their high-rise apartment window.
Case status:
Chan (Husband), deceased.
Name: Marilyn Miller.
Died: January 14, 2017.
Age at death: 83.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Waterloo, Iowa, USA.
Disability: Chronic illness.
Details:
Marilyn’s husband took her to the park, where he shot her before killing himself. Friends said he might have done it because he didn’t want them to go to a nursing home.
Marilyn grew a garden in her backyard. She liked collecting seashells.
Case status:
Neil Miller (Husband), deceased.
Source:
Murder-Suicide couple wanted to avoid nursing home
Autopsies: Iowa murder-suicide couple suffered health issues
Autopsies confirm murder-suicide in park deaths of couple
Name: Barbara Martone.
Died: January 9, 2017.
Age at death: 81.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Wayne, New Jersey, USA.
Disability: Chronic illness (Cancer); disabled elder.
Details:
Barbara’s husband shot her in a murder-suicide.
She was retired from her job fundraising for Easter Seals; she had two sons, a grandson, and a granddaughter. She liked lobster dinners, dancing, gambling at Atlantic City, and crossword puzzles. She always carried photos of her children and grandchildren, and would show them to anyone she met.
Case status:
Daniel Martone (Husband), deceased.
Source:
Few answers in murder/suicide of Wayne couple
Barbara Martone’s Obituary on The Record
Health problems plagued couple prior to shooting deaths
Wayne Man, 80, Kills Self, 81-Year-Old Wife In Murder-Suicide: Prosecutor
Name: Karen Allen.
Died: January 6, 2017.
Age at death: 74.
Cause of death: Pulmonary embolism.
Location: Tampa, Florida, USA.
Disability: Dementia.
Details:
Karen died from malnutrition and from having been left immobile for a long time, which caused a blood clot to form in her lungs and kill her. She weighed 68 pounds.
Case status:
Harold Earl Allen (Husband), charged with aggravated manslaughter of an elderly disabled adult; died before trial.
Source:
Man accused in wife’s death dies in Hillsborough car crash
Elderly man accused of starving wife to death (video)
Medical examiner report shows what led to arrest of malnourished Hillsborough woman’s husband
Man arrested after wife’s autopsy revealed malnourishment
Wife weighed 68 pounds when found dead, husband arrested
75-year-old is arrested after his bedridden wife dies weighing just 68 pounds
Deputies: Tampa man starved wife who weighed 68 pounds at death
Name: Perleen June Bode.
Died: January 4, 2017.
Age at death: 67.
Cause of death: Broken neck.
Location: Bremerton, Washington, USA.
Disability: Chronic lung disease, congestive heart failure.
Details:
Perleen was an extrovert who liked cars and spending time with her friends. She was retired from a government job, and had two sons and four grandchildren.
After Perleen’s husband died, she found a new boyfriend who became her caretaker. Her boyfriend abused her for a long time until finally killing her; she died of a broken neck from manual strangulation.
Case status:
Richard Raul Heller (Boyfriend), charged with second-degree murder; pleaded guilty to second-degree manslaughter, sentenced to 70 months.
Source:
Bremerton man gets prison time for death of girlfriend
Caretaker, boyfriend charged in woman’s death from January
Perleen June Bode, 66
Bremerton police arrest man in death of 67-year-old woman
As murder trial started, man accused of killing girlfriend pleaded guilty to manslaughter