Remembering the Disabled Murdered by Caregivers
Name: Paula Eloise Riffe.
Died: December 17, 1984.
Age at death: 42.
Cause of death: Homicide.
Location: Fort Worth, Tarrant County, Texas, USA.
Disability: Unspecified.
Details:
Paula’s father killed her in a murder-suicide because he didn’t know what would happen to her after he died.
Case status:
Paul Riffe (Father), deceased.
Source:
Paula Eloise Riffe
Misplaced Mercy
Name: Louise Brown.
Died: May 28, 1984.
Age at death: 14 days.
Cause of death: Homicide.
Location: London, England, UK.
Disability: Down syndrome.
Details:
Louise’s father told police that Louise had been in the family car when it was stolen. When the truth emerged, it was found that Louise had been killed by her father because he could not accept her disability, and her uncle had helped get rid of the body.
Case status:
Paul Brown (Father), convicted of manslaughter, sentenced to 5 years, served less than 2.
Ian Brown (Uncle), served 9 months in jail for helping dispose of Louise’s body.
Source:
Killer Dad Jailed for Murder of Brother; Daughter was first victim.
Name: Baby McKay (Never named).
Died: June 18, 1983.
Age at death: Newborn.
Cause of death: Head injury.
Location: Harvey, Illinois, USA.
Disability: Trisomy 13 (Possibly).
Details:
When Baby McKay’s father saw his son’s cleft palate and webbed fingers and had it explained that the baby might have Trisomy 13, he bashed the infant’s head against the delivery room floor, killing him.
Case status:
Daniel McKay (Father). Charged with murder. Case dismissed after two hung juries.
Name: Michelle Sandor.
Age at death: 14.
Name: Scott Sandor.
Age at death: 11.
Died: September 3, 1982.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Greenwich, Connecticut, USA.
Disability: Marfan syndrome.
Details:
Scott and Michelle Sandor were shot by their mother, who then shot herself. Their mother also had Marfan syndrome.
Case status:
Linda V. Sandor, deceased.
Name: Steven Paul Hughes.
Died: June 1, 1982.
Age at death: 2.
Cause of death: Pneumonia.
Location: Boise, Idaho, USA.
Disability: Spina bifida.
Details:
Steven was born with spina bifida, but his parents didn’t take him to see a doctor because they didn’t believe in doctors. He didn’t get a wheelchair and had to drag himself around on his forearms instead.
Steven died of untreated pneumonia shortly before his third birthday.
Case status:
William Hughes (Father) and his mother, no crime because denying children medical treatment on religious grounds is legal in Idaho.
Source:
These Coffins Represent Kids Who Died Because Their Parents Were Faith-Healers
Idahoans protest faith healing exemptions in Boise
183 Coffins For Idaho Children Killed By Faith Healing Parents
Hundreds March for Repeal of Idaho’s Faith Healing Exemptions
Steven Paul Hughes (1979-1982) – Find A Grave
In Idaho, medical-care exemptions for faith healing come under fire
Name: “Baby Doe”, Anonymous Male.
Died: April 15, 1982.
Age at death: 6 days.
Cause of death: Starvation, pneumonia.
Location: Bloomington, Indiana, USA.
Disability: Down syndrome.
Details:
Baby Doe was born with Down syndrome and an esophageal atresia, which untreated would result in death, but could be treated surgically with a 90% success rate. Advised by their doctor that the baby would have an intellectual disability, Baby Doe’s parents decided not to proceed with surgery. The hospital staff tried to have the court appoint a guardian for Baby Doe, to override the parents’ decision; but the court denied them. Baby Doe died six days later of starvation and pneumonia from aspirated stomach acid.
Case status:
Parents; Walter Owens (Doctor). No crime.
Source:
Baby Doe Law
Name: James Allen Lloyd.
Died: November 23, 1981.
Age at death: 4.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Shadow Creek, Kentucky, USA.
Disability: Intellectual disability.
Details:
After hearing that James might not be able to go to kindergarten because he was “slow”, James’s mother put him in the bathtub and shot him dead.
Case status:
Caroline Lloyd (Mother), convicted of murder.
Name: Matthew Robles.
Died: September 1, 1980.
Age at death: 4 months.
Cause of death: Smothered.
Location: El Cajon, California, USA.
Disability: Hydrocephalus.
Details:
Matthew was smothered by his mother. His death was presumed natural until five years later, when his mother killed his brother, John Robles, and confessed to both killings.
Case status:
Debra Sue Robles (Mother), pled guilty to murder, sentenced to 30 years to life.
Source:
An American Tragedy: Mother Kills 2 Children as System Fails
Woman Held in Deaths of Her Disabled Sons
Name Unknown.
Died: July 16, 2023.
Age at death: 5.
Cause of death: Starvation/dehydration.
Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA.
Disability: Cerebral palsy.
Details:
This five-year-old boy’s mother was charged with starving him so badly that he weighed only thirteen-and-a-half pounds when he died.
Case Status:
Marcella Montelongo (Mother), charged with child abuse resulting in death, died before trial.
Sources:
Mom charged for starving special needs son to death in Albuquerque
Woman accused of starving special needs child found dead at MDC
Albuquerque mom arrested after special needs son dies
New Mexico mother accused of allowing her 5-year-old son to slowly starve to death
Marcella Montelongo, N.M mom red flags were obvious to see
Name: Robert Blake Fish.
Died: October 8, 2022.
Age at death: 13.
Cause of death: Malnutrition, dehydration.
Location: Duncan, South Carolina, USA.
Disability: Lennox-Gastaut syndrome.
Details:
Robert died from starvation, weighing 47 pounds; his family is accused of neglecting to feed him. Police say they also found unused seizure medication, which Robert needed but had not been given.
Robert’s obituary says he “loved Mickey Mouse, dinosaur sounds, Christmas time and milkshakes from Cookout.”
Case Status:
Hope Fish (Mother), charged with murder, felony child abuse, and unlawful neglect towards a child.
Freddie Fish II (Uncle), charged with accessory to murder and unlawful neglect toward a child.
Freddie Fish Sr. (Grandfather), charged with unlawful neglect towards a child.
Sources:
SC teen weighed 47 pounds when he died. His mother is charged with his murder
3 charged in death of Spartanburg Co. teen with special needs
3 family members charged in death of teen boy who weighed 47 pounds
Robert Blake Fish – Thomas McAfee Funeral Homes