Remembering the Disabled Murdered by Caregivers
Non-custodial sentences, sentences less than 5 years, acquittals, and similar outcomes
Name: James Joseph Cummings Jr.
Died: November 16, 1999.
Age at death: 46.
Cause of death: Stabbed.
Location: Red Bank, New Jersey, USA.
Disability: Autism; Stroke.
Details:
James was stabbed to death by his father, who went to the care facility where he was staying and killed him with a kitchen knife to the heart.
Case status:
James Cummings Sr. (Father). Sentenced to five years in prison.
Source:
Autism Memorial: James Joseph Cummings Jr.
Father Admits Killing Autistic Son
Name: Joy Martin.
Died: May 28, 1999.
Age at death: 69.
Cause of death: Morphine poisoning.
Location: Wanganui, New Zealand.
Disability: Terminal cancer.
Details:
As she lay dying of cancer, Joy’s daughter injected her with a lethal dose of morphine.
After Joy was dead, her daughter wrote a book about killing her mother and was arrested.
Joy’s portrait on this memorial comes from the cover of her daughter’s book. It includes only half her face because on the book’s cover, her daughter used photo manipulation to combine half her face with half of Joy’s. In keeping with my policy of giving the killer as little publicity as possible, the daughter’s part of that image has been cropped out. –Editor
Case status:
Lesley Martin (Daughter), convicted of attempted murder; sentenced to 15 months, released after serving half her sentence.
Name: Louise Papeman.
Died: February 21, 1999.
Age at death: 88.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Pearl River, New York, USA.
Disability: Kidney disease, depression.
Details:
On her 88th birthday, Louise’s husband shot her with a rifle.
Case status:
Walter Papeman (Husband), sentenced to 1 year.
Source:
Mercy killings: After Westchester Medical Center deaths, a look at similar deaths
MAN, 86, KILLS SICK WIFE, 88: COPS
METRO NEWS BRIEFS: NEW YORK; Retired Plumber Held In Killing of His Wife
Police: Man Kills Ailing Wife On Her 88th Birthday
What is mercy killing? Does Richard DeLucia’s murder-suicide qualify?
Name: Pierre Pasquiou.
Died: December 28, 1998.
Age at death: 10.
Cause of death: Drowning.
Location: Saint-Brieuc, France.
Disability: Autism.
Details:
Pierre was drowned by his mother; she pushed him off a pier into the Atlantic Ocean.
Case status:
Annie Pasquiou (Mother). Given a three year suspended sentence; served no time.
Source:
Autism Memorial: Pierre Pasquiou
Solomon, A. (2014). Far from the tree: Parents, children and the search for identity. Scribner Classics.
Life with Aspergers: Murdering Disabled People
Name: Shi Rui “Serena” Wang.
Died: September 23, 1998.
Age at death: 23 months.
Cause of death: Medication overdose.
Location: Padstow, New South Wales, Australia.
Disability: Cerebral palsy.
Details:
Serena’s parents were Chinese living in Australia, and Serena’s mother was afraid that if she committed suicide, her husband would take Serena back to a Chinese orphanage. She tried to tie up her husband to stop him from saving Serena’s life, but he fought back and she instead killed him. Then she killed Serena with a medication overdose, and attempted suicide, but was found by police.
Case status:
Joyes Hong Wang (Mother); convicted of manslaughter, sentenced to 4-6 years in prison.
Name: Casey Janine Huinui Albury.
Died: 1997.
Age at death: 17.
Cause of death: Strangled.
Location: Feilding, New Zealand.
Disability: Autism.
Details:
Casey was killed by her mother, who initially took her to a bridge in the hopes that Casey would climb onto it and fall off. When Casey refused, she took her daughter into an alley and strangled her.
Casey liked painting and composing music.
Case status:
Janine Albury-Thomson (Mother), convicted of manslaughter; sentenced to four years; served 15 months.
Source:
Autism Memorial: Casey Albury
Tragic end to life of beauty and misery
Woman who killed autistic daughter jailed for church fire
Name: Christina Corrigan.
Died: November 19, 1996.
Age at death: 13.
Cause of death: Heart failure.
Location: El Cerrito, California, USA.
Disability: Mobility impairment due to obesity; possible Prader-Willi syndrome.
Details:
Because Christina was gaining weight, her mother took her out of school. Her mother left her on the living room floor and did not take her to see a doctor. Christina gained so much weight that she could not walk, and died from heart failure. She had been badly neglected and was covered with bedsores.
Case status:
Marlene Corrigan (Mother), convicted of misdemeanor child abuse, sentenced to 3 years probation.
Source:
Christina Corrigan
Bedsores Covered 680-Pound Girl, Expert Says
Name: Charles-Antoine Blais.
Died: November 6, 1996.
Age at death: 6.
Cause of death: Drowning.
Location: Montreal, Canada.
Disability: Autism.
Details:
Charles-Antoine was drowned by his mother in her bathtub.
Case status:
Danielle Blais (Mother). Pled guilty to manslaughter, given a 23-month suspended sentence and offered a job at the Autism Society of Montreal. No jail time.
Source:
Autism Memorial: Charles-Antoine Blais
Solomon, A. (2014). Far from the tree: Parents, children and the search for identity. Scribner Classics.
Blais decision brings new concern to the disabled
People with Disabilities Outraged by Murders
History of euthanasia in Canada
Tracy Latimer is dead because her father is a murderer
Name: Robin Appleby.
Died: November 5, 1996.
Age at death: 30.
Cause of death: Starvation.
Location: Louisville, Kentucky, USA.
Disability: Intellectual disability, epilepsy.
Details:
Robin’s parents kept her in a locked room without a toilet or sufficient food. There, she starved to death.
Case status:
Billy Appleby (Father), convicted of reckless homicide, sentenced to 5-20 years.
Alice Appleby (Mother), convicted of reckless homicide, sentenced to 5-20 years.
Billy Ray Appleby II (Brother), convicted of tampering with evidence, sentenced to 0-5 years.
Source:
Retarded Woman Dies Locked in Bedroom; Abused, Malnourished, Police Say
Robin Appleby’s Parents Deny Guilt; Lawyer says they were “overwhelmed” but cared for her
Name: Gary Henderson.
Died: August 28, 1996.
Age at death: 35.
Cause of death: Traumatic injury, asphyxia, possibly drowning.
Location: Lansvale, New South Wales, Australia.
Disability: Mobility impaired, intellectual disability.
Details:
Gary lived in a caravan with a couple who held his bank card and handled his finances; they were also intellectually disabled, but not as vulnerable as Gary. They were known to dislike him, and had been harassing him over his lack of hygiene and accusing him, sans evidence, of being a pedophile. When a friend of the family visited and beat Gary severely, no one called for help. Gary died either from the beating, from his injuries due to neglect, or from drowning when he was dumped at a boat dock.
Case Status:
Susan Hall (Household member), pleaded guilty to manslaughter, given suspended sentence.
Colin Simpson (Acquaintance), pleaded guilty to maliciously inflicting grievous bodily harm, sentenced to time served.
Colin Hanslow (Household member), pleaded guilty to accessory after the fact to the infliction of grievous bodily harm, released on good behavior bond.
Sources:
The Uncounted
Regina v Hall [1999] NSWSC 738 (23 July 1999)