Status – Page 156 – Disability Day of Mourning

Christina Meeks

Photo of a toddler girl with pale skin and strawberry-blond hair in pigtails, smiling; she is wearing a pink shirt. Name: Christina Noel Meeks.
Died: June 20, 2011.
Age at death: 4.
Cause of death: Heart attack.
Location: Muskogee, Oklahoma, USA.
Disability: Developmental delay; heart disease.

Details:
Christina died of a heart attack the day after an alleged violent sexual assault by her uncle. Nurses at the hospital reported extensive bruising.

Case status:
Robert Meeks Jr. (Uncle), child sexual abuse, charges dropped with the possibility of re-filing charges.
Betty Hall (Grandmother), neglect, charges dropped with the possibility of re-filing charges.

Source:
Child Neglect Charge Dismissed In Muskogee Girl’s 2011 Death
Affidavit Details Abuse Allegations In Muskogee Girl’s Death

Ruth Pyne

Photo of Ruth Pyne, a woman with layered blonde hair, tanned skin, and a teal V-neck shirt. She is smiling. Name: Ruth Pyne.
Died: May 27, 2011.
Age at death: 51.
Cause of death: Traumatic injury.
Location: Detroit, Michigan, USA.
Disability: Bipolar disorder.

Details:
Ruth’s son bludgeoned her unconscious, then stabbed her to death.

Case status:
Jeffrey Pyne (Son), convicted of second-degree murder, sentenced to 20-60 years.

Source:
“48 Hours”: Does the way Ruth Pyne was killed prove premeditation?
Ruth Pyne Obituary

Hana Williams

Photo of a brown-skinned teenage girl, smiling broadly. Name: Hana Grace-Rose Williams (Born Hana Alemu Befekadu).
Died: May 12, 2011.
Age at death: 13.
Cause of death: Hypothermia.
Location: Sedro-Woolley, Washington, USA.
Disability: Hepatitis B; special-needs adoptee.

Details:
Hana’s adoptive parents starved, beat, and abused her. She died of hypothermia and chronic starvation when she was left outside in the cold as punishment.

Hana enjoyed knitting and crocheting, reading, drawing and various crafts, playing soccer and riding her bicycle.

Case status:
Larry Williams (Adoptive father), convicted of manslaughter, sentenced to 28 years.
Carri Williams (Adoptive mother), convicted of homicide by abuse, sentenced to 37 years.

Source:
Death of Hana Grace-Rose Williams
Hana Grace-Rose Williams (Hana Alemu Befekadu) and Immanuel Williams

Patrick Clare

Name: Patrick Clare.
Died: April 27, 2011.
Age at death: 35.
Cause of death: Depressant overdose.
Location: Coalinga, California, USA.
Disability: Autism-like developmental disability, epilepsy.

Details:
Patrick’s father, a dentist, was removing Patrick’s infected wisdom tooth. When his father had been trying and failing to remove the tooth for an hour, Patrick wanted to stop and leave. Instead, his father administered a total of two doses of Valium and three doses of morphine. This was far too much sedative for Patrick’s 129-pound body, and his father had neither a license to use sedatives nor the necessary monitoring equipment.

Even though a dental assistant pointed out, twice, that Patrick was having trouble breathing, Patrick’s father ignored the problem until Patrick stopped breathing entirely. Patrick’s father performed CPR, described by police as “half-hearted”–using so little pressure that it wouldn’t have been enough to honk a car horn, and without moving Patrick to a firm surface. Patrick was dead on arrival at the hospital.

Case status:
Allen Clare (Father), charged with administering sedatives without a license, pleaded no contest, given three years of probation; probation terminated over a year early, charges dismissed.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Patrick Clare
Dentistry so bad that police called it murder – but DA balked

Jonathan Singer

No Photo Name: Jonathan Singer.
Died: Approx. April 11, 2011.
Age at death: 10.
Cause of death: Drowning.
Location: Houston, Texas, USA.
Disability: Cerebral palsy.

Details:
Jonathan was being neglected; he wasn’t getting enough to eat. His father reported his death, claiming he had drowned in the bathtub, but coroners determined that Jonathan had been badly malnourished.

Case status:
Tina Louise Madrid (Mother), pled guilty to injury to a child, sentenced to 30 years in prison.
Jeffrey Singer (Father), pled guilty to injury to a child, sentenced to 25 years in prison.

Source:
Mom charged in death of son whose body was found in a box
Texas mom charged in death of son whose body was found in a box
Parents Gone Wild! Tina Louise Madrid and Jeffrey Singer charged with the murder of their 10-year-old son, Jonathan Singer

Christina Harms

Photo of Christina Harms, a young blonde woman wearing glasses and smiling broadly. Name: Christina “Nina” Harms.
Died: March 25, 2011.
Age at death: 22.
Cause of death: Dehydration.
Location: Kearns, Utah, USA.
Disability: Fetal alcohol syndrome.

Details:
Christina’s abusive caregivers routinely beat her and tied her to a metal rod in a closet. She died of dehydration combined with an overdose of Benadryl.

Christina wanted to go to college.

Case status:
Cassandra Sheppard (Legal guardian), pleaded guilty to abuse and manslaughter, sentenced to 5 years to life.
Sherrie Beckering (Sheppard’s mother), convicted of aggravated abuse, sentenced to 5 years to life.
Dale Beckering (Sheppard’s stepfather), convicted of second-degree aggravated abuse, sentenced to 1-15 years.

Source:
Kearns man sent to prison for ignoring fatal abuse
Caretaker of abused Utah woman gets prison for her death
Guardian of abused woman kept in closet sent to prison for her death

Kyla Puhle

No Photo Name: Kyla Puhle.
Died: March 19, 2011.
Age at death: 27.
Cause of death: Pneumonia.
Location: North Brighton, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
Disability: Cerebral palsy.

Details:
Six months before Kyla died, her parents stopped taking her to her day program and instead left her lying, alone, on a bean bag while they went to work. Gradually they fed Kyla less and less, until Kyla died of malnutrition and pneumonia, weighing only 12 kilos.

Case status:
Harry Puhle (Father), died by suicide before he could be tried.
Angela Puhle (Mother), pleaded guilty to manslaughter, freed with five-year suspended sentence.

Source:
Disability is no justification for murder
Mercy urged for mum who starved daughter
Angela Puhle, Former Principal, Admits To Starving Disabled Daughter To Death: A Burden Too Great?
Adelaide mother spared jail over malnutrition manslaughter of disabled daughter
Former school principal Angela Puhle receives suspended sentence for manslaughter of disabled daughter

Cassie Hopkins

Photo of Cassie Hopkins, a small girl wearing a red shirt, mouth open in laughter. She has light-brown skin and curly brown hair. Name: Cassie Hopkins.
Died: March 12, 2011.
Age at death: 3.
Cause of death: Drowning.
Location: San Antonio, Texas, USA.
Disability: Angelman syndrome.

Details:
Cassie’s father left her alone in the bathtub, knowing she could not walk and had seizures. She drowned.

Case status:
Christopher Hopkins (Father), reckless injury to a child, 15 years.

Source:
After local disabled toddler drowns, focus turns to father.
Obituary
Father sentenced for tub drowning attributed to porn

Lylah Johnson

Photo of a girl with light-brown skin, her dark-brown hair done in two braids. She is leaning back against a pillow with her eyes closed; she is wearing light makeup. Next to her on the pillow is a doll with matching light-brown skin and dark-brown hair. Name: Lylah Johnson.
Died: March 11, 2011.
Age at death: 8.
Cause of death: Carbon monxide poisoning.
Location: San Leandro, California, USA.
Disability: Cerebral palsy, scoliosis.

Details:
Lylah’s mother poisoned her with car exhaust from the family van.

Case status:
Christel Johnson (Mother), convicted of second-degree murder; declared insane; committed to state psychiatric hospital for 15 years to life.

Source:
People Vs. Christel Irene Johnson
Update: Mother Arrested on Murder Charge In Daughter’s Death
Mother Charged with Killing Disabled Daughter Had Received Medical Malpractice Settlement Related to Girl’s Birth
San Leandro mother convicted of murder in death of disabled daughter, 8

Brandy Ardon

No Photo Name: Brandy Ardon.
Died: March 6, 2011.
Age at death: 2 months.
Cause of death: Morphine poisoning, fire.
Location: Reno, Nevada, USA.
Disability: Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome.

Details:
Brandy’s mother drugged her with morphine; then she put the baby in a bag, took her to a field, doused her with gasoline, and burned her. The coroner confirmed that there was smoke in the baby’s lungs; she had been alive when she was set on fire.

Case status:
Suceli Ardon (Mother), pleaded guilty to arson, given time served and ordered to get 5 years of mental health counseling.

Source:
GUILTY NV – Randi Ardon, 2 mos, body found burned, Sparks, 6 March 2011
Police: Baby burned alive by mother in Nevada