Short sentence – Page 23 – Disability Day of Mourning

Charlotte Avenall

Photo of Charlotte Avenall, a small, strawberry-blonde, fair skinned girl sitting on a bed with her chin on her hand, wearing pink pants and a white shirt, looking thoughtful. Name: Charlotte Avenall.
Died: September 12, 2009.
Age at death: 8.
Cause of death: Hanging.
Location: Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, UK.
Disability: Cerebral palsy, intellectual disability.

Details:
Even though they took good care of their exotic pets, Charlotte’s parents neglected their daughter. Despite her disabilities and age requiring supervision, she was locked into a filthy room, completely alone; on the day she died, she had been left alone for fourteen hours. She had just learned to tie a knot in school when she hanged herself by the cord on the window blinds and died.

Case status:
Simon Moody (Father), pleaded guilty to child cruelty, sentenced to 12 months in prison.
Susan Moody (Mother), pleaded guilty to child cruelty, sentenced to 12 months in prison.

Source:
Hanged girl’s parents jailed for child cruelty
Charlotte Avenall’s ‘atrocious’ neglect shocked town
Police arrest parents of eight-year-old girl found hanged at home

Asher Bashir

Name: Asher Abdussalam Bashir.
Died: August 26, 2009.
Age at death: 4.
Cause of death: Drowning.
Location: Paradise Valley, Phoenix, Arizona, USA.
Disability: Cerebral palsy, autism.

Details:
Asher loved being in the water. Though he could not swim, he had no fear of drowning. Knowing this, his mother led him to their backyard pool and left him sitting next to it while she went into the house for twenty minutes. Asher got into the pool and drowned.

Case status:
Nadia Bashir (Mother), convicted of negligent homicide and child abuse; faces a maximum sentence of 4 years.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Asher Bashir
Woman found guilty in ’09 drowning death of son, 4
Jury Finds Nadia Bashir Guilty in Drowning Death of Her Four Year-Old Child
Asher Bashir
Nadia H. BASHIR, Petitioner, v. The Honorable Susanna C. PINEDA, Judge of the Superior Court of the State of Arizona, in and for the County of Maricopa, Respondent Judge, State of Arizona, Real Party in Interest.

Clarissa Callow

Name: Clarissa “Sal” Callow.
Died: August 10, 2009.
Age at death: 17.
Cause of death: Asphyxia.
Location: Stanthorpe, Queensland, Australia.
Disability: Cystic fibrosis.

Details:
After Clarissa broke up with her boyfriend, he began stalking her. Two weeks after the breakup, he strangled her and left her for dead locked in a shed in a position that compressed her chest, causing her death.

Clarissa was a skilled archer who won several medals at the Queensland Archery Titles.

Case Status:
Bowan Taylor Wade (Ex-boyfriend), pleaded guilty to murder, sentenced to 15 years to life; retrial ordered, declared guilty of manslaughter, sentenced to 4 years 6 months to 9 years in prison.

Sources:
R v Wade
Retrial over murder guilty plea
Teen’s killing will go to trial
Tributes flow for teen
Jury finds Wade guilty
Shock retrial in teen murder case

Peter Eitzen

No Photo Name: Peter Eitzen.
Died: July 26, 2009.
Age at death: 16.
Cause of death: Stabbed.
Location: Mount Barker, Australia.
Disability: Intellectual disabilty.

Details:
Peter was drugged and stabbed to death by his mother. She told the court that she had intended to kill them both with carbon monoxide in the car, but after she sedated her son, he woke up and struggled, so she stabbed him instead.

Case status:
Beverley Eitzen (Mother); ruled mentally unfit to stand trial due to depression, and released on mental health supervision.

Source:
Mother freed over disabled son’s killing

Giovanni Kopystenski

Photo of a young boy with olive skin and black hair, wearing an athletic jersey, standing in front of some palm trees. Name: Giovanni Kopystenski.
Died: July 21, 2009.
Age at death: 5.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Giovanni’s father says he left a loaded gun on the center console of the car while he and the boy were in the car, and that Giovanni took the gun and shot himself in the head.

Giovanni was playful and mischievous, a great swimmer who loved Thomas the Tank Engine and McDonald’s chicken nuggets.

Case status:
Alex Kopystenski (Father), pleaded guilty to child abuse and neglect with substantial bodily harm; sentenced to 5 years probation.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Giovanni Kopystenski
Mother in Shock After Death of Son
Boy’s father charged with endangerment after fatal shooting
Sentencing delayed for father who admits guilt in boy’s fatal shooting
Grandmother disputes police report that boy was shot with gun left on vehicle’s console
Giovanni’s Legacy Foundation

Sherre Neal-Lypps

No Photo Name: Sherre Neal-Lypps.
Died: June 23, 2009.
Age at death: 62.
Cause of death: Drowning.
Location: Morro Bay, California, USA.
Disability: Chronic pain, depression, sciatica.

Details:
Sherre was strangled and drowned in her bathtub. Her death was disguised as a suicide, complete with forged suicide notes that claimed she was tired of being in pain. Five years after Sherre died, her husband was arrested because samples taken from her fingernails contained his DNA.

Case status:
James Victor Lypps (Husband), charged with first-degree murder, acquitted.

Source:
Nipomo man arrested 5 years after wife found dead in Morro Bay
‘No way’ death of James Lypps’ wife was a suicide, coroner says
Pathologist testifies Sherre Neal-Lypps’ death was a homicide
Nipomo man killed wife for her Social Security checks, prosecution suggests
Judge to consider removing DA’s Office from Morro Bay murder case
Judge orders Morro Bay murder suspect released
Former Morro Bay man not guilty of murder in death of his wife, jury finds

Lloyd Yarbrough

Name: Lloyd Yarbrough.
Died: May 27, 2009.
Age at death: 62.
Cause of death: Prescription drug overdose.
Location: Austin, Texas, USA.
Disability: Brain injury from encephalitis.

Details:
Lloyd’s wife poisoned him with a prescription drug overdose.

Case status:
Kim Yarbrough (Wife); pled guilty to injury to a disabled person; sentenced to 10 years probation and 400 hours of community service.

Source:
After ending husband’s life, woman tries to go on with hers

Jeremy Fraser

Photo of a young boy with a buzz cut and navy blue sweater. He has light skin and brown eyes, and is smiling for the camera. Name: Jeremy Fraser.
Died: March 30, 2009.
Age at death: 9.
Cause of death: Leukemia.
Location: Salem, Maryland, USA.
Disability: Autism, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

Details:
Jeremy was in remission, on the last stage of his cancer therapy, when his mother deliberately withdrew the medication that probably would have saved his life. He died of recurrent leukemia.

Case status:
Kristen LaBrie (Mother), convicted of attempted murder, sentenced to 8-10 years; served 5 years before being granted new trial; pleaded guilty to attempted murder, sentenced to time served.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Jeremy Fraser
New Trial Granted for Salem Mother in Attempted Murder of Son
Woman Who Withheld Chemotherapy Medication From Ill Son Gets Time Served, Freed

Rhonda Casto

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

Shaun Moloney

Name: Shaun Moloney.
Died: March 8, 2009.
Age at death: 46.
Cause of death: Blunt trauma, burns, alcohol poisoning.
Location: Glenroy, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Disability: Depression.

Details:
Shaun lived with two roommates. They beat him unconscious, dumped his body in a vacant lot, and set it on fire. Because Shaun had been drinking heavily the day he died, the court could not determine whether the cause of his death had been the beating, the fire, or alcohol poisoning; so his roommates could only be convicted of assault.

Case Status:
Darryl McHarg (Roommate), pleaded guilty to intentionally causing serious injury, sentenced to 3 years 6 months to 6 years 6 months in prison.
Wayne Arthur (Roommate), pleaded guilty to intentionally causing serious injury, sentenced to 3 years 6 months to 6 years 6 months in prison.

Sources:
R v McHarg & Arthur
Two charged with murder of Shaun Patrick Moloney
Pair jailed for assaulting a man who died, but escape charges over his death
MOLONEY, Shaun Patrick | Death Notices | Melbourne