Remembering the Disabled Murdered by Caregivers
Name: Debbie Burns.
Died: August 15, 2004.
Age at death: 40.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Pinellas County, Florida, USA.
Disability: Intellectual disability after brain damage from scarlet fever.
Details:
Debbie’s sister shot her to death.
Case status:
Barbara Ann Burns (Sister), pleaded guilty to manslaughter, sentenced to 15 years in prison; released after serving 12 years.
Source:
Barbara Ann BURNS
Woman reveals how she shot sister and lived with body for six weeks
Name: Ian Carmichael.
Died: July 31, 2004.
Age at death: 11.
Cause of death: Poisoned, strangled.
Location: London, Ontario, Canada.
Disability: Epilepsy, dyslexia, developmental delay.
Details:
Convinced that he was ridding his family of an “intolerable burden”, Ian’s father took him to a hotel room, where he poisoned and then strangled him to death.
Ian competed in BMX bike racing. He left behind his older sister Gillian.
The crime was initially presented by the media as a “mercy killing”. Later on, Ian’s father blamed the antidepressants he was taking.
Case status:
David Carmichael (Father), charged with first-degree murder, ruled not guilty by reason of mental disorder; hospitalized for four years; absolute discharge in December 2009.
Source:
Accused David Carmichael remains silent while media puts defense forward
Carmichael murder case put off
Man not criminally responsible in son’s death
‘Loving’ father opens up over murder of son during psychotic episode
Can pills for depression turn you into a killer?
Canadian man who killed son while taking anti-depressants lobbies for freedom of U.S. dad who killed twins
Name: Davontae Marcel Williams.
Died: July 26, 2004.
Age at death: 8.
Cause of death: Pneumonia.
Location: Arlington, Texas, USA.
Disability: Developmental disabilities due to prematurity.
Details:
Davontae was neglected by his mother and her girlfriend. Weakened by malnutrition, he died of pneumonia.
Case status:
Marcella Williams (Mother), pled guilty to murder, sentenced to life without parole.
Lisa Ann Coleman (Mother’s girlfriend), convicted of murder, sentenced to death.
Source:
Davontae Marcel Williams
Top Ten Lesser-Known and Heartbreaking Child Murders
Name: Scarlett Chen, also called Jia Jia.
Died: July 12, 2004.
Age at death: 4.
Cause of death: Drowning.
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Disability: Autism.
Details:
After Scarlett’s mother was told by a doctor that Scarlett’s autism could not be surgically cured, she drowned Scarlett in the bathtub.
Case status:
Xuan “Linda” Peng (Mother); pled guilty to manslaughter; served five years in prison.
Source:
Autism Memorial: Scarlett Chen
Killer of autistic daughter released
History of euthanasia in Canada
Tracy Latimer is dead because her father is a murderer
Name: Dalton Gilmer.
Died: July 5, 2004 (Body found).
Age at death: 63.
Cause of death: Strangled.
Location: Fletcher, North Carolina, USA.
Disability: Schizophrenia, Alzheimer’s.
Details:
Dalton lived in a psychiatric hospital. His son arranged for him to be moved to a facility closer to home, picked him up, and instead of taking him to the new facility, strangled him and dumped his body at the side of the road.
Case Status:
Vince Gilmer (Son); sentenced to life; spent 17 years in prison. Compassionate release after developing Huntington’s disease.
Sources:
Doctor, convicted of murder, released from Va. prison two years after pardon
MSGT Dalton Donald “Don” Gilmer Jr. (1940-2004)
Dr. Gilmer and Mr. Hyde
The Unusual, Unsettling Crimes of the Other Dr. Gilmer
Hospital transfer being considered for physician serving life sentence for killing, mutilating his father
Name: Mary Esther Sawyer.
Died: June 21, 2004.
Age at death: 79.
Cause of death: Asphyxia.
Location: Latrobe, Pennsylvania, USA.
Disability: Dementia.
Details:
Mary’s daughter checked her out of her nursing home, took her home, drugged her, and suffocated her with a pillow.
Case status:
Rita Ann Sawyer (Daughter), convicted of first-degree murder, sentenced to life in prison.
Source:
U.S. court rejects plea for new trial by midstate doctor convicted of killing mom
Name: Brittany Legler.
Died: May 9, 2004.
Age at death: 15.
Cause of death: Heart attack.
Location: Millcreek, Pennsylvania, USA.
Disability: Intellectual disability, congenital heart defect.
Details:
Brittany’s mother physically and emotionally abused her; the stress of the abuse caused Brittany, who had a congenital heart defect, to die of a heart attack after a beating.
She enjoyed watching movies and riding her bicycle.
Case status:
Lisa Larussi (Mother), pleaded no contest to aggravated assault and endangering the welfare of a child; sentenced to 14 years.
Source:
Brittany A. Legler
Brittany Legler
Name: Sophie Jaworski.
Died: May 8, 2004.
Age at death: 83.
Cause of death: Stabbed.
Location: Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
Disability: Alzheimer’s disease, colon cancer.
Details:
Sophie was recovering in the hospital after surgery when her husband stabbed her to death.
Sophie enjoyed bowling, baking, shopping, and spending time with her family, who called her “Baba”.
Case Status:
Tony Jaworski (Husband), pleaded guilty to manslaughter, sentenced to three years probation.
Sources:
Senior sentenced for wife’s death, lawyer calls it ‘mercy killing’
JAWORSKI SOPHIE – Obituaries – Winnipeg Free Press Passages
Name: “Baby C” (Female).
Died: May 2004.
Age at death: 5 months.
Cause of death: Asphyxia.
Location: Nelson, New Zealand.
Disability: Lissencephaly.
Details:
When he learned that her diagnosis would cause lifelong severe disability, Baby C’s father smothered her.
Case status:
Her father; charged with manslaughter but acquitted, even though he confessed during the trial.
Name: Mia Depaillat.
Died: April 18, 2004.
Age at death: 21 months.
Cause of death: Head injury.
Location: Cumming, Georgia, USA.
Disability: Developmental delay.
Details:
Mia died of injuries that her mother claimed had been caused when she had accidentally dropped Mia and she fell down a flight of stairs. However, the injuries Mia had sustained matched shaken baby syndrome, not a fall down stairs. Mia died two days afterward.
Case status:
Jill Ellen Depaillat (Mother), charged with murder; hung jury; mistrial.
Source:
Pound Pup Legacy: Mia Depaillat