Status – Page 168 – Disability Day of Mourning

Brittini Ward

Name: Brittini Ward.
Died: May 5, 2010.
Age at death: 23.
Cause of death: Strangled.
Location: Charlotte, North Carolina, USA.
Disability: Paranoid schizophrenia.

Details:
Brittini’s cousin showed up unannounced at their home, convinced her parents that Brittini was “possessed”, and moved in, saying he would take care of the problem. Only weeks later, Brittini’s family returned home to find her unresponsive. Her cousin had raped her and strangled her.

For a few hours, Brittini’s cousin insisted that she was bloody and unresponsive because she was possessed and needed the demons removed. So the family, under orders from Brittini’s cousin, washed her body and prayed. Nothing happened.

Eventually, Brittini’s mother called her church elders, explaining that her daughter was possessed and they needed help. When one of them came to visit the home, he saw the situation and made Brittini’s mother call 911. Emergency responders arrived to find Brittini had been dead for several hours.

Case Status:
Derek Ward (Cousin) was found unfit to stand trial and hospitalized to restore competency. Competency restored over ten years later, he was convicted of rape and murder and sentenced to life in prison.
Dawn Wheeler (Mother) pleaded guilty to concealing a death.

Sources:
After he killed his cousin, he moved into her bedroom, Charlotte murder witnesses testify
Mother of slain Charlotte woman takes the stand, directly faces accused killer at trial
Charlotte man found guilty of raping, killing his own cousin in 2010

Manuel Reyes and Rita Morales

Photo of Manuel Reyes. He has tan skin and gray hair, and is wearing a blue sweater and white shirt. Name: Manuel Reyes.
Age at death: 85.
Disability: Double amputee (Legs).

Photo of Rita Morales. She is an elderly woman with gray hair and light-brown skin, wearing a brown collared shirt. 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

Benjamin McLatchie

No Photo 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

Elizabeth Knowles

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

Gerren Isgrigg

Name: Gerren Joseph Isgrigg, a.k.a. “Wylie’s Angel”.
Died: April 12-15, 2010.
Age at death: 6.
Cause of death: Exposure.
Location: Wylie, Texas, USA.
Disability: Multiple disabilities; medically fragile.

Details:
Gerren’s grandmother abandoned him in a park, hidden away where no one would see him, and he died there. Unidentified when his body was found, Gerren was briefly known as “Wylie’s Angel”.

Case status:
Darlene Phillips (Grandmother); pleaded guilty to murder; sentenced to 12-28 years.

Source:
Grandmother gets 28 years in death of Gerren Isgrigg, boy dubbed ‘Wylie’s Angel’

Aja Johnson

Name: Aja Danielle Johnson.
Died: March 29, 2010.
Age at death: 7.
Cause of death: Homicide.
Location: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA.
Disability: ADHD, sleep disorder.

Details:
Aja’s abusive stepfather, after losing custody, killed her mother and kidnapped her. Two months later, he killed her and then himself.

Aja’s father called her “Punky.” She wanted to be a cheerleader.

Case status:
Lester Hobbs (Stepfather), deceased.

Source:
Amber Alert: 7-Year-Old Aja Johnson Believed to Be With Accused Murderer
Horrific abuse marked last three years of Aja Johnson’s life
New Info in Aja Johnson Case
Aja Danielle Johnson (2003-2010) – Find A Grave
Command center closing in search for 7-year-old

Wesley Lawson

Name: Wesley Wayne Lawson.
Died: March 7, 2010.
Age at death: 39.
Cause of death: Starvation.
Location: Lake Wales, Florida, USA.
Disability: Cerebral palsy.

Details:
Wesley’s mother neglected him; he died of starvation weighing 55 pounds. When he died, his bedsores were so severe that his bones could be seen.

Wesley liked playing the harmonica and wheelchair dancing. He competed in the Special Olympics.

Case status:
Vernetta Lawson (Mother), pleaded no contest to aggravated manslaughter of a disabled adult, sentenced to five years probation.

Source:
Woman Spared Jail Time in Starvation Death of Her Disabled Son
Wesley Wayne Lawson Obituary

Kaiya Kapahu

Photo of a small girl with light-tan skin, big brown eyes, and straight, long, black hair. Name: Kaiya Kalora Kapahu.
Died: February 18, 2010.
Age at death: 5.
Cause of death: Starvation.
Location: Phoenix, Arizona, USA.
Disability: Rett syndrome.

Details:
Kaiya was deliberately starved to death by her uncle.

Case status:
Leonard “Sonny” Orta Jr. (Uncle); pled guilty to second-degree murder; sentenced to 18 years.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Kaiya Kapahu
Hawaii dad trusted his brother, but Kaiya instead was starved
Father of special-needs girl found dead had planned to bring her home
Family, friends still struggling as they say farewell to Kaiya
Find a Grave: Kaiya Kalora Kapahu
GCC student honors the memory of Kaiya Kapahu

Thoretta Miller

Portrait photo of a woman with dark-brown skin and curly black hair, wearing a pink blouse and turquoise scarf. Name: Thoretta Miller.
Died: February 12, 2010.
Age at death: 57.
Cause of death: Traumatic injury.
Location: Texas City, Texas, USA.
Disability: “Legally blind and disabled”.

Details:
Thoretta’s granddaughter beat and stabbed her to death.

Case status:
Cheretta Smith (granddaughter), pleaded guilty to murder, sentenced to 42-84 years.

Source:
Texas City woman who killed blind grandmother gets 84 years
Texas City woman admits to murdering blind grandmother
Cheretta Andurnique Smith v. The State of Texas

Ajit Singh

Name: Ajit Singh-Mahal.
Died: February 9, 2010.
Age at death: 12.
Cause of death: Multiple organ failure.
Location: London, England, UK.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Ajit’s mother, facing a social services investigation for neglect, forced him to drink bleach. He died of multiple organ failure.

Case status:
Satpal Kaur-Singh (Mother); pled guilty to manslaughter; sentenced to 7 years.

Source:
Mother kills autistic son by forcing him to drink bleach
Mother killed her autistic son, 12, by forcing him to drink bleach as she ‘feared that social services would take him away’
Woman jailed for killing autistic son, 12, with bleach
Autism Memorial: Ajit Singh