Remembering the Disabled Murdered by Caregivers
Name: Charles Poertner.
Died: June 7, 2010.
Age at death: 7.
Cause of death: Dehydration.
Location: Newport News, Virginia, USA.
Disability: Cerebral palsy, developmental delay, epilepsy.
Details:
Charles’s mother starved him to death.
Case status:
Heather Poertner (mother), convicted of child neglect and murder; sentenced to 50 years.
Source:
Newport News mother pleads guilty in death of disabled son
Mother charged in death of son with cerebral palsy
Name: Christopher Melton.
Died: June 4, 2010.
Age at death: 18.
Cause of death: Carbon monoxide poisoning.
Location: Columbia, Maryland, USA.
Disability: Autism.
Details:
Christopher’s mother poisoned him and herself with carbon monoxide.
Case status:
Tracy Hawks (Mother), deceased.
Source:
Autism Memorial: Christopher Melton
Columbia, Maryland: Deaths of Tracy Hawks and Christopher Melton, mother and son, ruled murder-suicide
Deaths of mother and son remain a mystery
Columbia deaths of mom and son ruled murder-suicide
Name: Rylan Rochester.
Died: June 1, 2010.
Age at death: 6 months.
Cause of death: Smothered.
Location: Denver, Colorado, USA.
Disability: None, but Rylan’s mother believed he was autistic.
Details:
Rylan’s mother, convinced he was autistic, smothered him to death.
Case status:
Stephanie Rochester (Mother); ruled not guilty by reason of insanity.
Source:
Autism Memorial: Rylan Rochester
Name: Leosha Barnett.
Died: May 21, 2010.
Age at death: 17.
Cause of death: Starvation.
Location: Forth Worth, Texas, USA.
Disability: Epilepsy, intellectual disability.
Details:
Leosha was starved to death by her mother and sister.
Case status:
Tasca Kuniko Johnson (Mother), injury to a disabled person, 15 years.
Kyreshi Lynn Tara Stevenson (sister), injury to a disabled person, 5 years.
Source:
Fort Worth girl’s starvation death prompts arrests of her sister, mother
Charges in ‘starvation’ of Texas teen
Name: Payton Ettinger.
Died: May 17, 2010.
Age at death: 4.
Cause of death: Starvation.
Location: Greensburg, Indiana, USA.
Disability: Brain injury.
Details:
Payton was starved to death by his mother, who neglected him so badly that he weighed less at four years old than he did at one year old.
Case status:
Courtney Tressler (Mother), pleaded guilty to neglect of a dependent; sentenced to 10 years in jail.
Source:
Ind. mom charged with starving 4-year-old to death
Indiana mom charged with son’s death
Tressler Accused Of Starving Son, 4, To Death
10-year sentence in case involving neglect of dependent
Name: Beryl Webb.
Died: May 14, 2010.
Age at death: 75.
Cause of death: Smothered.
Location: Wadsley, Sheffield, UK.
Disability: Fibromyalgia, arthritis, histrionic personality disorder, cancer survivor.
Details:
Beryl’s husband smothered her.
Case status:
George Webb (Husband), convicted of manslaughter, sentenced to 2 years; sentenced to 12 months, suspended, on appeal.
Source:
Man killed disabled wife
Pensioner who smothered wife in ‘mercy killing’ is freed from jail by appeal judges | Daily Mail Online
Name: Glen Freaney.
Died: May 13, 2010.
Age at death: 11.
Cause of death: Strangled.
Location: Penarth Vale, Glamorgan, Wales, UK.
Disability: Autism.
Details:
Glen was strangled by his mother.
Case status:
Yvonne Freaney (Mother); pled guilty to manslaughter and walked free from court with a supervision order.
Source:
Autism Memorial: Glen Freaney
Mother killed autistic son with coat belt, court hears
‘He was laughing when I strangled him. Then I knew he was happy’: Mother ‘killed’ severely autistic son after facing lifetime of care
“Glen Freaney”, Find a Grave
“Despairing mother who strangled autistic son walks free from court”, Daily Mail
Name: Manuel Reyes.
Age at death: 85.
Disability: Double amputee (Legs).
Name: Rita Morales.
Age at death: 87.
Disability: Elderly disabled.
Location: Canoga Park, Los Angeles, California, USA.
Died: April 30, 2010.
Cause of death: Traumatic injury.
Details:
Manuel and Rita were both killed by their caregiver, who was Rita’s son and Manuel’s nephew. They were bludgeoned to death with a hammer; Rita was also stabbed.
Case status:
Arthur Reyes Morales (Son, Nephew), pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree murder, sentenced to 30 years to life and must serve at least 17 years.
Source:
Judge finds Canoga Park man was sane when he killed his elderly mother, uncle
Hammer killer sane when he murdered 87-year-old mom, 85-year-old double-amputee uncle
Manuel Reyes, 85
Rita Morales, 87
Name: Benjamin McLatchie.
Died: April 27, 2010.
Age at death: 22.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Gray, Maine, USA.
Disability: Autism.
Details:
Benjamin’s father shot him to death before committing suicide.
Benjamin was “a sweet and gentle boy. He loved Curious George, Winnie the Pooh, Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood, listening to music, reading books, and swinging on his swing.”
Case status:
Daniel McLatchie (Father), deceased.
Source:
Autism Memorial: Benjamin McLatchie
Pondering a murder/suicide in Gray, Maine
Gray shooting done by ‘caring’ father
Daniel and Benjamin McLatchie
Name: Elizabeth Joy Knowles.
Died: April 22, 2010.
Age at death: 48.
Cause of death: Smoke inhalation.
Location: Kallangur, Queensland, Australia.
Disability: Chronic illness, mobility impairment (Wheelchair user).
Details:
Elizabeth died in a house fire that had been deliberately set, with the smoke detectors disabled. Less than a day later, her husband put in an insurance claim on the house.
Case status:
David Maxwell Knowles (Husband), charged with murder, arson, and fraud; found dead on the day he was set to go to court.
Source:
Man charged over wife’s death in fire found dead
ELIZABETH JOY KNOWLES (#54-2010)
Man charged with murdering disabled wife in fire to claim insurance
ELIZABETH JOY KNOWLES (#54-2010)
Motive sought for ‘suspicious’ fatal house fire
Husband charged six years later
Man charged with murdering disabled wife in fire to claim insurance