Status – Page 188 – Disability Day of Mourning

Ryan Wilkieson

No Photo Name: Ryan Wilkieson.
Died: December 5, 1994.
Age at death: 16.
Cause of death: Carbon monoxide poisoning.
Location: Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
Disability: Cerebral palsy, deafblind.

Details:
Ryan’s mother took him to the garage and poisoned him and herself with exhaust fumes. He died only 19 days after the verdict in the Tracy Latimer murder trial.

Case status:
Cathy Wilkieson (Mother), deceased.

Source:
People with Disabilities Outraged by Murders
Remembering…
Open Season
The Latimer Case: The Reflections of People with Disabilities
History of euthanasia in Canada
Brandon Sun Newspaper Archives, Dec 7, 1994, p. 3
Tracy Latimer is dead because her father is a murderer

Cecil Brush

No Photo Name: Cecil Brush.
Died: August 18, 1994.
Age at death: 81.
Cause of death: Stabbed.
Location: Stoney Creek, Ontario, Canada.
Disability: Alzheimer’s disease, blindness.

Details:
Cecil was stabbed to death by his wife, who called it a mercy killing and said Cecil wanted to die. There was no proof that Cecil was suicidal or that he wanted to die.

Case status:
Jean Brush (Wife), pleaded guilty to manslaughter, given a suspended sentence and 18 months of probation.

Source:
History of euthanasia in Canada
Woman Sentenced in Mercy Killing
Of Life and Death – Appendices D-L
Regina v. Brush: March 2, 1995

Sophie Préfaut

No Photo Name: Sophie Préfaut.
Died: August 7, 1994.
Age at death: 23.
Cause of death: Smothered.
Location: Montpellier, France.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Sophie’s mother drugged her, then smothered her to death. She said that she had done it because Sophie did not want to go back to the hospital, where she had been subjected to neuroleptics and electroshock.

Sophie was an intelligent young woman with a good sense of humor, who could solve cube roots in her head.

Case Status:
Jeanne-Marie Préfaut (Mother), convicted of premeditated voluntary homicide, sentenced to 5 years; sentence suspended.

Sources:
Sanction de principe pour la mère meurtrière de sa fille autiste. Les jurés de la cour d’assises de l’Héraut ont condamné hier Jeanne-Marie Préfaut, 51 ans, à cinq ans de prison avec sursis pour avoir tué le 7 août 1994 sa fille Sophie, 23 ans, autiste, à qui elle avait promis qu’elle ne serait plus jamais hospitalisée. Elle encourait une peine de prison à perpétuité.

Basma Rafay

Name: Basma Rafay
Died: July 13, 1994.
Age at death: 20.
Cause of death: Bludgeoned.
Location: Seattle, Washington, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Basma was bludgeoned to death by her brother and his friend. They also killed her parents, Tariq and Sultana Rafay.

Case status:
Atif Rafay (Brother), convicted of three counts of first-degree murder and sentenced to life without parole.
Sebastian Burns (Brother’s friend), convicted of three counts of first-degree murder and sentenced to life without parole.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Basma Rafay
The Rafay Family Murders

Timothy Ellis Jr.

No Photo Name: Timothy Ellis Jr.
Died: June 8, 1994.
Age at death: 2.
Cause of death: Skull fracture.
Location: Jacksonville, Mississippi, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Timothy was in the care of his father when he suffered abuse-related injuries, including a skull fracture that resulted in his death.

Case status:
Timothy Ellis, Sr. (Father); charges dropped because a judge ruled his confession had been coerced.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Timothy Ellis Jr.
State asks Navy to hear murder case

Michael Messenger

No Photo Name: Michael Messenger.
Died: February 8, 1994.
Age at death: Newborn.
Cause of death: Withdrawal of life support.
Location: Lansing, Michigan, USA.
Disability: Prematurity with a risk of disability.

Details:
When Michael was born at 25 weeks gestation, he had a roughly 50% chance of survival. However, when their doctor told Michael’s parents that if he survived, he would probably be disabled, Michael’s father asked the doctor to leave and shut off the newborn’s ventilator, killing him.

Case status:
Gregory Messenger (Father); tried for manslaughter and admitted to disconnecting Michael’s life support; acquitted.

Source:
The Messenger Case: Summary and Analysis

Randy Busby and Elwin Caler

Family portrait photo of Twila, Elwin, and Randy, two young men flanking their mother. Name: Elwin F. “Scooter” Caler.
Age at death: 22.

Name: Melvin Randolf “Randy” Busby.
Age at death: 20.

Died: December 31, 1993.
Cause of death: Stabbed.
Location: Gray County, Texas, USA.
Disability: Intellectual disability.

Details:
Randy and Elwin were stabbed to death by their mother’s live-in boyfriend. He also killed Twila Busby, their mother.

Case status:
Henry Skinner (Mother’s boyfriend), convicted of murder, sentenced to death.

Source:
Henry Watkins SKINNER

Tracy Latimer

Name: Tracy Latimer.
Died: October 24, 1993.
Age at death: 12.
Cause of death: Carbon monoxide poisoning.
Location: Wilkie, Saskatchewan, Canada.
Disability: Cerebral palsy.

Details:
Tracy’s father put her in his truck, connected the exhaust to the cab, and poisoned her with carbon monoxide.

Media coverage of Tracy’s death, which tended to support her killer, may have sparked several copycat crimes.

Case status:
Robert Latimer (Father), convicted of second degree murder, sentenced to life; paroled after 9 years, 11 months.

Source:
25 years after conviction, Robert Latimer still believes he was right to kill his daughter
Wikipedia: Robert Latimer
Right or wrong, Latimer’s actions touched off national debate on euthanasia
The Latimer Case: The Reflections of People with Disabilities
Robert Latimer seeking pardon for killing of severely disabled daughter
Community Living urges no pardon for murderer Robert Latimer
Trudeau asked to consider pardon or retrial for Saskatchewan man convicted of killing his daughter who suffered from cerebral palsy
Robert Latimer seeking pardon for killing of severely disabled daughter
Tracy Latimer’s killer does not deserve a pardon
Pardoning Robert Latimer is not justified
Lakritz: Pardoning Latimer would reduce Tracy’s value to the level of a dog
Robert Latimer’s request for clemency is a slam-dunk ‘no.’ Does Ottawa get that?

Josiah Carroll

Josiah Carroll's gravestone; it reads, Isaiah 55:12, 1981 to 1993. Name: Josiah Carroll.
Died: June 14, 1993.
Age at death: 12.
Cause of death: Smothered.
Location: Cedarville, Ohio, USA.
Disability: Cerebral palsy.

Details:
Josiah was allegedly smothered by his older brother. The death was witnessed by Josiah’s brother Isaiah, but his testimony was not considered because he is non-verbal and communicates by pointing.

Case status:
Kathleen Carroll (Mother), not charged.
Timothy Carroll (Father), not charged.
James Carroll (Brother), charged with delinquency by reason of involuntary manslaughter, acquitted.

Source:
Hannah, Noah, Molly and Joshua Carroll
Boy Saw Slaying, He Tells

Layton Myers

No Photo Name: Layton Myers.
Died: May 15, 1993.
Age at death: 67.
Cause of death: Smothered.
Location: Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
Disability: Terminal cancer.

Details:
Layton Myers was killed by his daughter and her husband, who put a pillow over his face and smothered him.

Case status:
Michael Power (Daughter’s common-law husband), pled guilty to manslaughter and were given suspended sentences, three years’ probation, and 150 hours of community service.
Cheryl Myers (Daughter), pled guilty to manslaughter and were given suspended sentences, three years’ probation, and 150 hours of community service.

Source:
No jail for N.S. “mercy-killers”
Of Life and Death – Appendices D-L
Robert Latimer: Justice gone awry