Remembering the Disabled Murdered by Caregivers
Spouse or romantic partner.
Name: Barbara Kavanaugh.
Died: April 19, 2016.
Age at death: 88.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Port Charlotte, Florida, USA.
Disability: Dementia.
Details:
Barbara’s husband went to the nursing home where she was staying, shot her to death, and committed suicide.
Case status:
Frank Kavanaugh (Husband), deceased.
Sources:
Port Charlotte murder-suicide shakes nursing home, friends
Florida right-to-die advocate, wife dead in murder-suicide at nursing home
Name: Lynda Cestone.
Died: April 16, 2016.
Age at death: 56.
Cause of death: Burned.
Location: Lucerne Valley, California, USA.
Disability: Stroke; wheelchair user.
Details:
Lynda was mobility-impaired because of a stroke. Her husband is suspected of killing her by detaching a gas line in their cluttered home and setting it on fire. Lynda and her twelve cats burned to death.
Case status:
Donald Wayne Jenman (Husband), charged with murder.
Source:
Man suspected of causing fire that killed wife arrested
Donald Wayne Jenman, California man, charged with murdering bed-ridden wife Lynda Cestone who died in house fire
Fire investigators suspect man murdered his wife
Husband charged with murder after bedridden wife dies in house fire
Lucerne Valley man arrested in connection to wife’s death
6 Years After A Catastrophic Stroke Leaves Wife Bedridden, Her Home Mysteriously Burns Down. When Her Husband Makes It Out Alive, Police Get Suspicious
Name: Masano Yao.
Died: April 6, 2016.
Age at death: 79.
Cause of death: Asphyxia.
Location: Kato, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan.
Disability: Dementia.
Details:
Ms. Yao’s husband called police and allegedly admitted to strangling her because he “had a hard time taking care of her”. Police went to the house, found Ms. Yao’s body, and arrested her husband.
Case status:
Yoshiaki Yao (Husband), arrested.
Source:
Hyogo man, 82, arrested, admits strangling dementia-stricken wife
Name: Cathy Evans.
Died: April 5, 2016.
Age at death: 65.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Springfield Township, Ohio, USA.
Disability: Alzheimer’s disease.
Details:
Cathy’s husband shot and killed her, then killed himself.
Cathy and her husband used to walk the neighborhood, picking up trash as they went.
Case status:
Daniel Evans (Husband), deceased.
Source:
Police: Married couple dead in Springfield Twp. murder-suicide
Dan Evans Obituary
Wife, husband dead after apparent murder-suicide
Name: Luciana Torcello.
Died: March 29, 2016.
Age at death: 82.
Cause of death: Asphyxia.
Location: Staranzano, Italy.
Disability: Alzheimer’s disease.
Details:
Luciana’s husband strangled her, then killed himself.
Case status:
Zuppi Pietro (Husband), deceased.
Source:
Staranzano, soffoca la moglie malata e poi si impicca
Staranzano, moglie ha alzheimer. La soffoca e si impicca
Name: Kenneth Nix.
Died: March 21, 2016.
Age at death: 69.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, USA.
Disability: Chronic nerve disease, related mobility issues.
Details:
Kenneth was shot to death by his ex-wife as he lay asleep in bed. She tried to cover up the death as a suicide.
During trial, the defense claimed that Kenneth’s ex-wife had battered woman syndrome and was trying to protect herself when she shot Kenneth, whose mobility issues prevented him from getting out of bed.
Ken loved motorcycles.
Case status:
Judith Nix (Ex-wife), convicted of first-degree murder, sentenced to 39 years to life.
Source:
Broken Arrow woman gets life sentence in shooting death of ex-husband
Broken Arrow woman convicted of murdering ex-husband
Name: Mary Flynn Palley.
Died: March 11, 2016.
Age at death: 73.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Logan, Utah, USA.
Disability: Parkinson’s disease.
Details:
Mary Palley was a retired lawyer. She was an advocate for abuse victims, served as a historian for Citizens Against Physical and Sexual Abuse, and did pro bono work for abuse victims, helping them get protective orders.
When she became disabled because of Parkinson’s disease, her husband killed her and then committed suicide.
Case status:
Dell Andrew Johnson (Husband), deceased.
Source:
Logan woman killed in apparent murder-suicide remembered as advocate for victims of abuse
Mary Palley Obituary
Couple identified after letter to newspaper leads Logan police to apparent murder-suicide
‘Something about Mary:’ Logan woman remembered for her passion, selflessness
Police continuing to look for answers in apparent murder-suicide
Logan woman killed in apparent murder-suicide remembered as advocate for victims of abuse
Name: Roberta A. Rybinski.
Died: March 8, 2016.
Age at death: 51.
Cause of death: Stabbed.
Location: Tonawanda, New York, USA.
Disability: Bipolar disorder.
Details:
Roberta, who was living on disability payments due to her bipolar disorder, was abused by her boyfriend. At one point she was able to leave him and get a protection order, but eventually she moved back into his apartment–an apartment to which he held the only key.
Roberta was stabbed to death by her boyfriend.
Case status:
John M. Avent (Boyfriend), convicted of murder, sentenced to 25 years to life.
Source:
Judge tells convicted murderer his 25 years-to-life prison sentence is well-deserved
Jury convicts boyfriend in Tonawanda woman’s murder
Man arrested in connection to Tonawanda murder
Police investigate Town of Tonawanda woman’s death
Name: Mirella Guth.
Died: March 7, 2016.
Age at death: 64.
Cause of death: Stabbed.
Location: Verona, Italy.
Disability: Mobility impaired after stroke.
Details:
Mirella was stabbed to death. Her 37-year-old autistic son Davide was attacked in the same incident; Davide survived, though with serious injuries. Police found a letter allegedly written by Mirella’s husband, which said that he had killed them because caring for his wife and son had become “too much” for him.
Case status:
Giancarlo Righetti (Husband), charged with murder and attempted murder; convicted and sentenced to 13 years 4 months.
Source:
Uccise la moglie e tentò di uccidere il figlio. Condannato a 13 anni e 4 mesi
Woman dead after stabbing by husband
Uccide la moglie inferma, accoltella il figlio autistico e tenta il suicidio
Verona, uccide moglie malata, ferisce il figlio autistico poi tenta il suicidio
Verona, uccise la moglie a coltellate «Ho agito in preda a un raptus»
Name: Dawn Green.
Died: March 2, 2016.
Age at death: 69.
Cause of death: Unspecified homicide.
Location: Newquay, England, UK.
Disability: Unspecified heart condition.
Details:
Dawn was killed by her husband in a murder-suicide.
She played bingo and volunteered at the Newquay Disabled Club.
Case status:
Malcolm Green (Husband), deceased.
Source:
First picture of ‘devoted’ couple found dead at home in suspected murder suicide
Devoted couple found dead at home