Remembering the Disabled Murdered by Caregivers
Name: Patricia McNeely.
Died: April 14, 1989.
Age at death: 32.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Clearwater, Florida, USA.
Disability: Visually impaired.
Details:
Patricia’s father killed her and her mother Flora before committing suicide.
Case status:
Warren McNeely (Father), deceased.
Source:
Man kills ex-wife, child, himself
Slayings continue to haunt family
Name: Anginetta Clayton.
Died: January 17, 1989.
Age at death: 2.
Cause of death: Starvation.
Location: Oxford, Mississippi, USA.
Disability: Microcephaly.
Details:
Anginetta’s mother starved her to death.
Case status:
Bessie Marie Clayton (Mother); convicted of “depraved heart” murder; sentenced to life.
Name: Lorraine Miranda.
Died: December 5, 1988.
Age at death: 24.
Cause of death: Homicidal violence.
Location: Graniteville, New York, USA.
Disability: Cerebral palsy.
Details:
Lorraine was strangled and stabbed to death by her fiance. He tried to make it look like a burglary, but was caught and arrested.
She worked as a therapist who worked with children who, like her, had cerebral palsy.
Case status:
Chris Patterson (Fiance); convicted of murder, sentenced to 15 years to life.
Source:
S.I. man who killed, mutilated disabled fiancee in 1988 denied parole again
Staten Island man, who brutally murdered fiancee 25 years ago, denied parole for sixth time
Name: Gail Terrell.
Died: November 13, 1988.
Age at death: 32.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Smyrna, Georgia, USA.
Disability: Epilepsy, cerebral palsy.
Details:
Gail’s mother shot her.
Case status:
Barbara Monroe (Mother); offered to plead guilty to voluntary manslaughter and was ordered to serve 5 years of a 20-year sentence.
Source:
Mother wants year of home confinement in slaying plea
Name: Rishonda “Nickie” Jones.
Died: February 8, 1988.
Age at death: 15.
Cause of death: Starvation.
Location: Detroit, Michigan, USA.
Disability: Arthritis, scoliosis.
Details:
Rishonda died of starvation and infected bedsores.
She was an honor student who liked to write poetry and short stories.
Case status:
Michelle Jones (Mother); charged with manslaughter and child cruelty.
Source:
Woman pays to bury starvation victim
Probe starvation of disabled teen
Name: Aaron Norman.
Died: December 20, 1987.
Age at death: 10.
Cause of death: Diabetes.
Location: Mead, Washington, USA.
Disability: Juvenile diabetes.
Details:
Aaron’s parents abused him and denied him medical treatment. He died of untreated diabetes, aggravated by being beaten with a board.
Case status:
Bob Norman (Father), manslaughter, 41 months.
Judith Norman (Mother), charged with homicide.
Doug Kleber (Leader, No-Name Fellowship), convicted of second-degree criminal mistreatment, sentenced to 3 years.
Four elders in the No-Name Fellowship were charged with criminal mistreatment; one convicted.
Name: Brian Myers.
Died: November 27, 1987.
Age at death: 2.
Cause of death: Skull fracture.
Location: Louisville, Kentucky, USA.
Disability: Cerebral palsy.
Details:
Brian was beaten by his foster parents until he died of a skull fracture. Before Brian died they had been able to escape suspicion for their abuse despite the baby’s bruises because they blamed his injuries on Brian’s disability, claiming he hurt himself.
Case status:
Janet Portman (foster mother), pled guilty to second-degree criminal abuse, sentenced to 6 months in jail and 5 years probation.
Michael Portman (foster father), not guilty of child abuse.
Source:
Misplaced Mercy
Board rules cabinet was negligent in death of child, orders award
Agency found negligent in death of toddler; state to pay $100,000
Name: Frédéric Ratier.
Died: November 2, 1987.
Age at death: 3.
Cause of death: Neuroleptic overdose.
Location: France.
Disability: Cerebral palsy, epilepsy.
Details:
32 years after his death, Frédéric’s mother wrote a book in which she confessed to poisoning him with a bottle of neuroleptic medicine. The boy lingered in a coma for three days before dying on his third birthday.
In her book, Frédéric’s mother says she spent the first three years of Frédéric’s life trying to cure him; that lack of support was not a factor; and that she had “given death” to her son because she believed his life was not worth living.
Case Status:
Anne Ratier (Mother), no charges. Statute of limitations on murder in France is 30 years.
Sources:
Anne Ratier
Ratier, A. (2019). J’ai offert la mort à mon fils. City.
“J’ai offert la mort à mon fils” handicapé : le témoignage d’une mère ne passe pas
Anne Ratier a ‘offert la mort à son fils’ : son livre choc
Name: Olla Mae Waller.
Died: August 23, 1987.
Age at death: 54.
Cause of death: Strangled.
Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA.
Disability: Multiple sclerosis.
Details:
Olla was strangled by her husband, who also killed her daughter Lucinda Joan Zupan, age 30, and her grandson Brandon Zupan, age 7, before killing himself. Apparently, he also intended to kill Lucinda’s estranged husband, having tried to lure him to their house; but the man went to work instead and survived. Police believe the killer was stressed by Lucinda’s marital problems, and by being the primary caregiver for Olla Mae, who used a wheelchair.
Case Status:
Henry “Hank” Waller (Husband), deceased.
Sources:
Olla Mae Lemons Waller
Four Dead in Murder-Suicide In Colorado Springs
Killer Triggers by Joe Kenda: New Excerpt
Killings of three or more people pepper Colorado Springs history
Name: Eric Bernstein.
Died: May 11, 1987.
Age at death: 2.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Broomall, Pennsylvania, USA.
Disability: Hypoxic brain injury at birth, causing cerebral palsy.
Details:
After putting her son through months of intensive, 15-hour-a-day therapy to try to cure him, Eric’s mother, seeing that he wasn’t going to be cured, shot him to death.
Case status:
Irene Torres Bernstein (Mother), pleaded no contest to third-degree murder, sentenced to a $1000 fine and 5 years probation.
Source:
Mom Pleads No Contest In Son’s Killing
Mom Given Probation Didn’t Ask For Mercy In Tot’s Death