Status – Page 164 – Disability Day of Mourning

Christopher Churchill

No Photo Name: Christopher Justin Churchill (First name sometimes spelled “Christophe”).
Died: September 18, 2009.
Age at death: 33.
Cause of death: Malnutrition.
Location: Frankfort, Kentucky, USA.
Disability: Intellectual disability.

Details:
When Christopher died while in the care of his adoptive sister, weighing only 60 pounds, police could not find enough evidence to tell whether he had been neglected. His death, due to “protein calorie malnutrition”, was listed as natural.

Six years later, however, another sibling was found, alive but malnourished and dehydrated, locked in their sister’s closet. After she was rescued, Christopher’s death investigation was re-opened, but no charges were brought.

Case status:
Candy Lawson (Sister), charged with abuse-related offenses against Christopher’s sister; under investigation for Christopher’s murder; sentenced to 10-20 years in prison for abuse, false imprisonment, and embezzling.

Source:
Candy Lawson trial focuses on tiny closet, brother’s death in Kentucky
Abuse charge leads to new look at malnutrition death
Inside tiny closet where woman kept her disabled sister for seven years
Woman Found Guilty Of Locking Disabled Sister In 4×8 Closet With Just Bucket For 7 Years
Candy Lawson trial focuses on tiny closet, brother’s death in Kentucky
Candy Lawson receives maximum sentence for locking sister in closet
Abuse Charge Against Michigan Woman Leads To New Look At Man’s Malnutrition Death
Michigan Woman Faces Prison For Locking Disabled Sister In Closet For Years
Woman Who Locked Deaf Sister In Room For 7 Years Convicted
Not My Sister’s Keeper: Woman Locks Deaf/Mute Sister In 7′ X 4′ Closet For Years Until Hero Handyman Turns Her In
Mich. abuse charge leads to new look at malnutrition death
Police Searching For Abuse Suspect’s Missing Siblings

David Lauberts

No Photo Name: David Lauberts.
Died: September 15, 2009.
Age at death: 49.
Cause of death: Suspicious death.
Location: Greeley, Denver, Colorado, USA.
Disability: Mental and physical disabilities.

Details:
David’s brother allegedly burned down their home to try to hide David’s death. It is not known exactly how David died.

Case status:
James Thorpe Lauberts (Brother), charged with criminally negligent homicide, arson, and tampering with evidence.

Source:
Greeley man charged in brother’s death
Greeley man offered plea deal in death of developmentally disabled brother

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

Camden Fry

Photo of Camden Fry, a young girl with light-brown hair, blue eyes, and pale skin. Her hair is held back in a hair band and she is smiling for the camera, revealing dimples in her cheeks. Name: Camden Alexis Fry.
Died: August 9, 2009.
Age at death: 8.
Cause of death: Positional asphyxia.
Location: North Kingstown, Rhode Island, USA.
Disability: ADHD, anxiety.

Details:
Camden liked animals, nature, and art. She enjoyed swimming, hockey, and playing with her friends. She took art and cooking classes and liked to arrange her stuffed animals every night before bed.

When Camden struggled because she didn’t want a bath, her mother restrained her and eventually strangled her with pressure on her chest and hands on her neck and mouth.

Case status:
Kimberly Fry (Mother), convicted of second-degree murder, sentenced to 20 years in prison.

Source:
Mother asks court to throw out her conviction for killing daughter
Mom who killed child argues cops have done same to suspects
Rhode Island mother to serve 20 years in death of daughter, 8 – The Boston Globe
Camden Fry Obituary
Local child’s death stuns community
Therapist: Kimberly Fry Blamed Daughter For Depression; Felt Hopeless
UPDATE: Key Information Disclosed Two Years After Girl’s Death

Lindsey Alvarez

No Photo Name: Lindsey Angela Alvarez.
Died: August 4, 2009.
Age at death: 4.
Cause of death: Salt poisoning.
Location: Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Lindsey was brought to the emergency room, vomiting and having difficulty breathing. A few days later, she was dead from severe brain swelling caused by an excess of salt.

Doctors determined that Lindsey had ingested at least seven and a half teaspoons of salt–a fatal dose. A coroner also found that Lindsey had fractured ribs, a broken ankle, and fingertip-shaped bruises on her neck.

Case status:
Nearly five years after her death, a judge decided that there was a good chance Lindsey had been deliberately abused or murdered and that despite her severe autism, Lindsey would not voluntarily have eaten such a large amount of salt. The investigation into her death is ongoing.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Lindsey Angela Alvarez
Child salt poison inquest is halted after coroner felt an ‘offence may have been committed’
Coroner halts inquest into salt poisoning death
Autistic girl, 4, killed by too much salt
Adult could have administered salt that killed girl of four, inquest told
Coroner uneasy over little girl’s injuries after inquest fails to establish how she died from salt poisoning

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

Charles Billis

Photo of Charles Billis, a middle-aged man with brown hair and pale skin, wearing a plaid shirt. Name: Charles Billis.
Died: July 22, 2009.
Age at death: 57.
Cause of death: Automobile collision.
Location: Charleston, Orleans County, Vermont, USA.
Disability: Legally blind.

Details:
Charles’s wife deliberately crashed their car, killing Charles, who was not wearing a seatbelt. She was wearing a seat belt and survived with minor injuries.

Case status:
Christine Billis (Wife), pleaded guilty, sentenced to 7-15 years.

Source:
Murderpedia: Christine Billis
Charles Billis Murder: Where is Christine Billis Now?

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