Remembering the Disabled Murdered by Caregivers
Spouse or romantic partner.
Name: Masako Hirahara.
Died: October 8, 2016.
Age at death: 84.
Cause of death: Blunt head trauma.
Location: Tachikawa City, Japan.
Disability: A “foot ailment”.
Details:
Ms. Hirahara was bludgeoned to death by her husband, who then committed suicide.
Case status:
Fujiya Hirahara (Husband), deceased.
Source:
Tokyo cops: Murder-suicide suspected at Tachikawa residence
Couple in their 80s found dead in apparent murder-suicide
Name: Sirajubai “Vaijanti”.
Died: October 8, 2016.
Age at death: 35.
Cause of death: Burned.
Location: Wadgaon-Gujar, Nagpur, Maharashtra, India.
Disability: Chronic illness.
Details:
Sirajubai’s body was found in a well; she had been burned to death. Police arrested her boyfriend, who had reportedly “become tired of her chronic illness”.
She was the mother of three daughters and a son, and stepmother to two sons and a daughter.
Case status:
Hariprasad Yadav (Boyfriend), arrested.
Name: Lanitola Epenisa, also called Viliami Li.
Died: October 2, 2016.
Age at death: Elder.
Cause of death: Sepsis from untended pressure sores.
Location: Kolomotu’a, Tongatapu, Tonga.
Disability: Stroke.
Details:
Disabled after a stroke, Lanitola was neglected by his wife, with whom he lived. A witness reported seeing him grow gradually more unkempt and dirty. A cousin told the court that he found Lanitola alone in the house with nothing to eat, and brought him food. Lanitola died from blood poisoning due to untended pressure sores, and was found dead, “fused to his chair,” by medics.
Case Status:
Malia Unalotokipea Li (Wife), convicted of manslaughter, sentenced to 5 years 7 months.
Source:
Wife jailed for more than five years after leaving man to die in his own waste
Malia Li found guilty of leaving disabled husband to die in his own waste
Man’s pressure sores developed ‘very recently’ before he died, surgeon says
Auckland man found dead in chair not given regular medication, Crown alleges
Man’s wife denied him shower hours before he died in his own waste, court hears
Disabled man who died in his own waste had been unbathed and hungry, visitors say
Manslaughter trial: Māngere-Ōtāhuhu local board member said alleged victim smelt like urine
Name: Henry Wilson.
Died: September 3, 2016.
Age at death: 70.
Cause of death: Suffocation.
Location: Ayr, Scotland, UK.
Disability: Chronic heart disease.
Details:
When Henry expressed a desire to die, his wife left out a dose of her medication for him and left the house. When she returned he was not dead, so she took a pillow and smothered him.
Case status:
Susanne Wilson (Wife), pleaded guilty to culpable homicide; no sentence, walked free from court.
Source:
74-year-old woman charged with murdering her husband, 71, at their home in Ayr
Wife killed sick husband with cushion after sex allegations
Wife walks free after killing husband
Ex-councillor who killed husband to death avoids jail
Wife who killed suicidal husband walks free
Name Unknown.
Died: September 2, 2016.
Age at death: 68.
Cause of death: Shooting.
Location: Spanaway, Washington, USA.
Disability: Alzheimer’s disease.
Details:
This 68-year-old woman was shot to death by her husband, who then killed himself.
Case status:
Her husband, deceased.
Source:
Elderly couple found dead in suspected murder-suicide in Pierce County
Police: Elderly man kills wife suffering from dementia, turns gun on himself
Couple die in murder-suicide
Name: Maddalena Pavesi.
Died: August 22, 2016.
Age at death: 83.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Carpi, Italy.
Disability: Alzheimer’s disease.
Details:
Maddalena’s husband killed her. He told police he had done it because he could no longer cope with her Alzheimer’s disease.
Case status:
Pierino Corradini (Husband), convicted of voluntary murder, sentenced to 14 years.
Source:
83-year-old Italian man shoots wife dead because she had Alzheimer’s disease
Carpi, omicidio della disperazione. L’assassino pentito resta in carcere
Carpi: «Sta male», e spara alla moglie ammalata
Name: Jean Constant.
Died: August 22, 2016.
Age at death: 87.
Cause of death: Smothered.
Location: St. Neots, England, UK.
Disability: Unspecified; care home resident.
Details:
After her health began to decline and Jean had to be hospitalized, Jean and her husband moved into a care home. Four months later, Jean’s husband allegedly killed her by smothering her.
Case status:
Brendan Constant (Husband), charged with murder, died before trial.
Source:
Brothers question murder charge in ‘suicide pact’ case
Cambridgeshire ‘murder’: Retired man, 87, quizzed over murder of his 86-year-old wife at their sheltered housing
Cambridgeshire woman is found dead and man seriously injured at their home
Eynesbury Poppyfields care home death: Murder arrest after body find
Man aged 87 arrested on suspicion of murder after woman found dead at Poppyfields care home in St Neots
Man arrested on suspicion of murder after wife dies at care home
More tests needed to find cause of death of Jean Constant, 86
Pensioner found dead at St Neots care home is named by police
Woman found dead and man injured at St Neots home
Name: Barbara Getman.
Died: August 17, 2016.
Age at death: 39.
Cause of death: Internal bleeding.
Location: Watertown, New York, USA.
Disability: Bipolar disorder, depression, borderline personality, PTSD.
Details:
Barbara liked camping and reading crime novels. She worked at a fish hatchery.
Barbara’s boyfriend beat her to death, hitting her so hard in the stomach that her liver ruptured.
Case status:
Gregory Noonan (Boyfriend), convicted of second-degree murder, sentenced to 25 years to life.
Source:
Noonan sentenced for 2016 slaying
Gregory Noonan found guilty of killing Barbara Getman
Jury Hears Noonan’s Recorded Statement To Police
Barbara Lee Getman
Watertown Man Charged in Housemate’s Killing
Name: Ernestine Tindall.
Died: August 13, 2016.
Age at death: 88.
Cause of death: Asphyxia.
Location: Perlethorpe, England, UK.
Disability: Vascular dementia.
Details:
Ernestine’s husband strangled her because he was afraid that they would be moved to separate nursing homes. He claimed she had asked him to kill her, but the judge stated that,”This is not a case of assisted suicide. This is killing as a perceived act of mercy.”
Case status:
Jack Tindall (Husband), pleaded guilty to manslaughter, given a 12-month suspended sentence.
Source:
World War II vet, 96, strangled his dementia-suffering wife to death and laid her on a bed of lilies
Husband spared jail for mercy killing of wife with dementia
96-year-old man gets suspended prison term for killing dementia-suffering wife
Name: Margaret Jean Sanford.
Died: August 12, 2016.
Age at death: 73.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Napoleon Township, Michigan, USA.
Disability: Terminal cancer.
Details:
Margaret’s husband shot her dead; several days later, during a police standoff triggered when Margaret was reported missing, he killed himself.
Case status:
Roger Sanford (Husband), deceased.
Source:
Neighbors react following apparent murder-suicide in Jackson County
Jackson sheriff idenitifes murder-suicide victim
Police investigating apparent murder-suicide after hours-long standoff with armed man
‘Unfortunately a woman had to lose her life,’ says sister of murder-suicide suspect
‘He wasn’t right,’ neighbor says of man suspected of killing himself, his wife
UPDATE: Two dead after murder-suicide in Jackson County