Timothy Gramlich

Photo of a heavyset, light-skinned man with Down syndrome. He has dark short hair and is wearing a suit. He is smiling for the camera; one of his eyes points in toward his nose.Name: Timothy Gramlich.
Died: October 18, 2020.
Age at death: 52.
Cause of death: Untreated urinary tract infection.
Location: Abington, Pennsylvania, USA.
Disability: Down syndrome.

Details:
Timothy died from sepsis secondary to an untreated urinary tract infection. According to police, he was found uncared-for in filthy conditions, his brother was his sole caretaker, and he had not been to the doctor since the early 2000s.

Case Status:
Harry Gramlich (Brother), found guilty of involuntary manslaughter, sentenced to 6-12 months in jail and 5 years probation.
Elizabeth Anne Gramlich (Sister), pleaded guilty to neglect of a care-dependent person, sentenced to 10 years probation.
Joseph T. Gramlich (Brother), pleaded guilty to neglect of a care-dependent person, sentenced to 10 years probation and a $1,000 fine.

Source:
Montco Man Sentenced to Jail, Probation in Death of Disabled Brother
A Glenside man was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in his disabled brother’s death
Judge weighing fate of Abington man accused of manslaughter, neglect in death of brother with Down syndrome
Trial begins for Abington man accused of manslaughter and neglect in death of brother who had Down syndrome
Sister Of Neglected Man With Down Syndrome Who Died In Montco Pleads Guilty
Two more siblings of dead Abington man face charges of neglecting care dependent person
Police: Abington man with Down syndrome died after brother left him emaciated, neglected
Montgomery County man charged with murder and neglect in the death of his disabled brother
Brother Charged After Disabled Man Dies From Neglect: Montco DA
Timothy W. Gramlich Obituary – Visitation & Funeral Information

Fat-lun Wong

No PhotoName: Fat-lun Wong.
Died: September 5, 2020.
Age at death: 21.
Cause of death: Suffocation.
Location: Hong Kong, China.
Disability: Intellectual disability.

Details:
Investigators believe that Fat-lun’s mother strangled him with a plastic tablecloth.

Fat-lun was a student at Tsui Tsin Tong School, a residential care home for children with intellectual disabilities. At age 21, he had just grown too old to stay there.

Case status:
Xueping Chen (Mother), pleaded guilty to manslaughter; sentenced to 1 year, to be served in a psychiatric hospital to treat her depression.

Source:
Hong Kong mother sent to psychiatric ward for killing mentally disabled son
Hong Kong police arrest mother after son dies in suspected murder-suicide bid
Mom held at hospital over death of handicapped son
Mother charged over handicapped son’s death

Ryu Sakayama

No Photo
Name: Ryu Sakayama.
Died: July 17, 2020.
Age at death: 17.
Cause of death: Strangulation.
Location: Kyoto, Japan.
Disability: Unspecified mental disability.

Details:
Ryu’s mother strangled him as he slept. She told police she was tired of caring for him.

Case status:
Ayano Sakayama (Mother), convicted and sentenced to 2 years, suspended for 3 years.

Source:
Woman gets suspended sentence for killing mentally disabled son
Mom arrested for allegedly choking disabled son to death in west Japan
Woman arrested over death of mentally disabled son

Isaac Guillen

No PhotoName: Isaac Guillén.
Died: June 18, 2020 (Body found; died December 1, 2019).
Age at death: 45.
Cause of death: Drugged and strangled.
Location: Godelleta, Valencia, Spain.
Disability: Unspecified degenerative disease.

Details:
Isaac’s wife allegedly convinced her 17-year-old son that Isaac wanted to die due to his disability. Together, they drugged and strangled Isaac. Authorities say that her actual motive for killing Isaac was economic greed.

Isaac was a former police officer.

Case Status:
Biatriu (Wife), accused of murder.
Unnamed stepson, sentenced to 2 years for assisting suicide (court chose this charge because he believed he was assisting suicide rather than committing murder).

Source:
GODELLETA CRIME: Mother and son on trial over killing of disabled former police officer in Spain’s Valencia
They judge the minor accused of murdering her husband with his mother in Valencia – Digis Mak

Sherrell Martin

Photo of an older man with fair skin and shaggy white hair.Name: Sherrell “Bud” Martin.
Died: June 13, 2020.
Age at death: 71.
Cause of death: Trauma.
Location: Wilmington, Illinois, USA.
Disability: Unspecified; used walker.

Details:
According to police, Bud and his ex-sister-law had been arguing for a few days–an argument she ended by beating him around the head with his own walker. Before he died a few hours later, Bud told police who had beaten him.

He was a retired machinist who liked fishing and playing cards.

Case status:
Donna Reynolds (Ex-sister-in-law), convicted of aggravated battery; sentenced to 3 years; released on parole after 1 year 3 months in custody.

Source:
Wilmington Woman Charged With Attacking Disabled Ex-Brother-In-Law Who Later Died
Disabled Man Dies After Attack, Wilmington Woman Arrested: WPD

Kylie Mickens

Photo of a toddler girl in a car seat. She is wearing a pink onesie and her hands are balled into fists. Her skin is tan and her eyes are dark brown.Name: Kylie L. Mickens.
Died: June 8, 2020.
Age at death: 5.
Cause of death: Malnutrition.
Location: Buford, Georgia, USA.
Disability: 1p36 deletion syndrome.

Details:
Kylie died from malnutrition and dehydration due to medical neglect. Her disability made it difficult for her to swallow, but her parents removed the feeding tube she needed to eat in favor of trying to feed her by mouth; she gradually starved, weighing only 7 pounds at death.

Case status:
Jerrail Maurice Mickens (Father), charged with felony murder and first-degree cruelty to children; died before trial.
Porscha Danielle Mickens (Mother), pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, sentenced to 20 years probation.

Source:
Mother of 5 year-old who died at 8lbs sentenced to 20 years probation
Mother of 5-year-old took girl to countless doctors before death, attorney says
Mother of 5-year-old who died weighing 7 pounds gets probation
Girl, 5, who weighed seven pounds when died had a rare disorder
Georgia couple accused of starving daughter to death held without bond
Attorney denies murder allegations for clients, claims 5-year-old had short life expectancy from rare condition
Girl, 5, who weighed seven pounds when died had a rare disorder

Sharon Theleman

No PhotoName: Sharon Theleman.
Died: November 19, 2019.
Age at death: 51.
Cause of death: Stabbed.
Location: Fenton, St. Louis, Missouri, USA.
Disability: Intellectual disability, visually impaired, mobility impaired.

Details:
Sharon lived at an assisted living facility. Her mother, who was worried about developing dementia, took her out of the facility and to a hotel, where she stabbed Sharon to death and attempted suicide. Police found a note that said she was doing it as a favor to Sharon’s brothers, so they would not be “burdened” with caring for her.

Case status:
Marjorie Theleman (Mother), pleaded guilty to second-degree murder; sentenced to 2-10 years.

Source:
St. Louis County woman sentenced in death of disabled daughter
Missouri woman who killed disabled daughter sentenced
Webster Groves woman gets 10-year term for fatally stabbing disabled daughter at hotel
Missouri woman who killed disabled daughter sentenced
Mother charged with stabbing daughter in attempted murder-suicide in Fenton hotel
Missouri woman, 78, accused of killing daughter in hotel in attempted murder-suicide
St. Louis Police: Mother took daughter from care facility, killed her
Police: Mother took daughter from care facility, killed her

Mildred Costanza

No PhotoName: Mildred Costanza.
Died: October 4, 2019.
Age at death: 78.
Cause of death: Painkiller overdose in the setting of chronic neglect.
Location: Wausau, Wisconsin, USA.
Disability: Frail elder.

Details:
Mildred’s daughter, who ostensibly cared for her, kept her in deplorable conditions and did not take her to the doctor even when she developed a serious infection. Weakened by hunger and neglect, Mildred died of a Tramadol overdose. She weighed only 75 pounds.

Case status:
Mary Tessmer (Daughter), pleaded guilty to recklessly subjecting an individual at risk to abuse, causing death; sentenced to 2 years in prison and 2 years parole.

Source:
Ringle woman pleads guilty to neglecting 78-year-old mother, causing her death
Woman charged in death of elderly mother who overdosed
Ringle woman accused of chronic neglect in mother’s death
Marathon County woman sentenced in mother’s death

Hector Pizarro

Photo of a young man with tan skin and short black hair, wearing a red shirt. He has his hand raised to chin level.Name: Hector J. Pizarro.
Died: September 4, 2019.
Age at death: 16.
Cause of death: Malnutrition.
Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.
Disability: Congenital disability, autism, epilepsy, mobility impaired.

Details:
Hector had been known to child protective services for some time. At one point, he was found to weigh only 60 pounds and monitored by child welfare until he gained weight to 68-70 pounds. But once watchful eyes were averted, Hector was once again neglected.

Hector’s mother brought him to the emergency room, weighing 42 pounds. He died shortly thereafter from malnutrition, with a bedsore covering one side of his body, making it clear that he was neglected to death. Her neighbors had been completely unaware that Hector even lived there.

Case status:
Iraida M. Pizarro-Osorio (Mother), convicted of chronic child neglect resulting in great bodily harm, sentenced to 4 years probation.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Hector Pizarro
Milwaukee woman sentenced to 4 years’ probation in death of son
Autism Memorial: Hector Pizarro
16-year-old Milwaukee boy weighed 42 lbs.; mother charged with his death
Mom charged in death of 16-year-old son who weighed just 42 pounds
Milwaukee mom charged with starving her son to death
16-year-old boy weighs 42 pounds at death, mother charged
Milwaukee mom charged with neglect of teenage son, weighed just 42 pounds at time of death
Mother charged in death of disabled, 42-pound teen

Barbara Walsh

No PhotoName: Barbara Walsh.
Died: August 31, 2019.
Age at death: 85.
Cause of death: Sepsis, pressure sores, bone fractures.
Location: Clinton Township, Michigan, USA.
Disability: Disabled elder.

Details:
Barbara was found on the floor of her apartment by paramedics, where she had been for two days, and died a few weeks later in the hospital. She had been abused and neglected by her daughter, leaving her with multiple bone fractures, many bruises, and a large untreated bedsore, and was bleeding into her brain; the medical examiner concluded that blunt trauma had contributed to her death.

Case Status:
Ann Marie Walsh (Daughter), convicted of first-degree vulnerable-adult abuse; sentenced to 4 years 9 months to 15 years.
Acquitted of murder because the jury could not determine whether she intended to “commit great bodily harm” when she abused her mother.

Sources:
Walsh acquitted in mom murder trial
Experts disagree on what contributed to death of eldelry Clinton Township woman
Clinton Township woman acquitted of murder, convicted of elder abuse in death of mother
Clinton Township woman denies she abused mother in two police interviews
Clinton Township woman bound over on felony murder charge in mother’s death