Remembering the Disabled Murdered by Caregivers
Spouse or romantic partner.
Name: Betty Lou Erickson.
Died: March 24, 2009.
Age at death: 81.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Hudson, Wisconsin, USA.
Disability: Alzheimer’s disease.
Details:
Betty’s husband shot her in a murder-suicide.
Case status:
Claire Erickson (Husband), deceased.
Source:
Desperate act from a weary caregiver
More details released in Erickson deaths
Name: Rhonda Casto.
Died: March 16, 2009.
Age at death: 23.
Cause of death: Fall into a ravine.
Location: Columbia River Gorge, Oregon, USA.
Disability: Depression.
Details:
Rhonda’s boyfriend increased her life insurance; some months later, he took her on a hike, where she died from a fall into a ravine. He told police that she must have jumped into the ravine because she had depression; but Rhonda’s family say that even though she was on antidepressant and antianxiety medication, she would never have committed suicide.
Case Status:
Steve Nichols (Boyfriend), pleaded guilty to criminally negligent homicide and coercion, sentenced to 3 years probation. Murder charges were dropped in favor of a plea bargain because mistakes by investigators cast doubt on the state’s case.
Sources:
Rhonda Casto’s Family and Friends Discuss Her Fatal Fall
Man pleads to homicide in girlfriend’s death along Eagle Creek trail
Investigating the death of Rhonda Casto
Name: Roberta Laws.
Died: February 2009.
Age at death: 46.
Cause of death: Strangled.
Location: Middleburg, Florida, USA.
Disability: Cerebral palsy.
Details:
Roberta’s boyfriend strangled her and buried her body in the backyard.
Case status:
Kenneth McBride (Boyfriend), sentenced to life without parole.
Source:
Killer of disabled Clay County woman sentenced to life
Name: Michelle Stewart.
Died: November 14, 2008.
Age at death: 17.
Cause of death: Stabbed.
Location: Drongan, East Ayrshire, Scotland.
Disability: Club feet.
Details:
Michelle had a boyfriend, but broke up with him because she wanted to go to university.
Michelle’s ex-boyfriend killed her with a knife. She died in her mother’s arms.
Case status:
John Wilson (Ex-boyfriend), convicted of murder, sentenced to 12 years to life; granted community release after he served 9 years.
Source:
Fury as killer gets out after just 9 years
Father of Ayrshire girl, 17, hacked to death in bloodbath horror furious as killer to get home leave after serving just NINE years
Murder victim’s father demands justice system reform
Call for justice reform as Michelle Stewart’s killer gets out
Expert claims it’s ‘extremely unlikely’ killer who hacked Ayrshire girl, 17, to death will be allowed to step foot in victim’s family neighbourhood
Name: Eileen Martin.
Died: November 10, 2008.
Age at death: 76.
Cause of death: Head injury.
Location: Davyhulme, Greater Manchester, England, UK.
Disability: Vascular dementia.
Details:
Eileen’s husband killed her by hitting her in the head before committing suicide.
Case status:
Ken Martin (Husband), deceased.
Source:
Shock over tragedy of ‘devoted couple’
Families REJECT claims a mystery serial killer slaughtered their elderly relatives and insist it was murder-suicide
Elderly husband killed dementia-suffering wife and himself ‘so she didn’t become a burden on family’
Name: Margaret Mary “Peggy” Benjo.
Died: June 5, 2008.
Age at death: 76.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Deltona, Florida, USA.
Disability: Chronic illness, dementia; disabled elder.
Details:
Peggy was shot to death by her husband.
Case status:
Robert Benjo (Husband), pleaded guilty to manslaughter, sentenced to two years house arrest and 13 years probation.
Source:
Elderly Deltona man charged in wife’s murder, saying she no longer had will to live
Deltona man, 82, pleads guilty to killing wife
Mercy or Murder? Man Kills Dying Wife
Sheriff: Elderly husband charged in Deltona wife’s murder earlier today — accused says wife no longer had will to live with illness
Deltona man, 82, gets suspended sentence for killing his ailing wife
Name: Sonya Todd.
Died: March 23, 2008.
Age at death: 21.
Cause of death: Traumatic injury and diabetic crisis.
Location: Methil, Fife, Scotland, UK.
Disability: Diabetes, asthma.
Details:
Sonya’s boyfriend beat her during a diabetic episode; the injuries he inflicted on her, in addition to the diabetic crisis, were enough to kill.
She was an academically talented young woman who liked doing volunteer work. She left behind a six-year-old daughter.
Case status:
David Craige (Partner), pleaded guilty to culpable homicide, sentenced to 6 years. Released; now dating another woman with a disability.
Source:
Killer who beat mum to death with dog chain free and has ‘vulnerable’ girlfriend
Horror find at Methil flat
Man jailed for dog chain killing
Jealous Fife man jailed for killing girlfriend
Grieving dad’s anger as daughter’s killer gets six years
Name: Sharon Birchwood.
Died: December 7, 2007.
Age at death: 52.
Cause of death: Strangled.
Location: Ashtead, England, UK.
Disability: Myalgic encephalomyelitis.
Details:
Sharon was tied up and strangled by a hit man hired by her husband. He had planned to claim her life insurance, sell her house, and flee the country.
Case status:
Graham Birchwood (husband), convicted of murder, sentenced to 29 years, died in prison.
Paul Cryne (Hitman), convicted of murder, sentenced to 28-and-a-half years, died in prison.
Source:
Man who ordered hitman to kill disabled ex-wife dies in prison
Documentary unravels Sharon Birchwood murder plot
Hunt on for killer of woman
Murder accused ‘calm and relaxed’ at death scene
Sharon Birchwood’s chilling message from the grave predicting her own murder
Sharon Birchwood’s brutal murder led police to Thailand in shocking kill plot
Name: Mara Tani.
Died: December 1, 2007.
Age at death: 82.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Prato, Italy.
Disability: Alzheimer’s disease.
Details:
Mara’s husband shot her in the head.
Case status:
Vitangelo Bini (Husband), convicted of aggravated murder, sentenced to 6 1/2 years in prison, but will not serve any jail time because of his age. Committed suicide 6 months later.
Source:
Woman with Alzheimer’s shot dead in hospital by husband, 77
Pensioner commits suicide
Name: Criste Reimer .
Died: August 14, 2007.
Age at death: 47.
Cause of death: Fall injury.
Location: Kansas City, Missouri, USA.
Disability: Hydrocephalus, neurofibromatosis.
Details:
Criste’s husband threw her from a fourth-floor balcony to her death.
Case status:
Stanley Reimer (Husband), pled guilty to second-degree murder, sentenced to 25 years to life.
Source:
Sisters of woman thrown from balcony wanted to keep her away from husband