Status – Page 3 – Disability Day of Mourning

Muruganantham L

Name: Muruganantham, son of Lingaswami.
Died: July 28, 2025.
Age at death: 41.
Cause of death: Sharp-force trauma.
Location: Dharapuram, Tamil Nadu, India.
Disability: Autism, Becker muscular dystrophy.

Details:
Muruganantham’s uncle allegedly gathered a gang of people to ambush Muruganantham and hack him to death. The motive was a property dispute related to Muruganantham’s reporting of lack of fire safety and an illegal addition made to a building owned by his uncle.

Muruganantham, a lawyer, advocated for the rights of disabled prisoners in Indian jails. He was instrumental to the establishment of the Muruganantham Doctrine, which requires that prisoners must be allowed accommodations for their disabilities while incarcerated.

Case Status:
R Dhandapani (Uncle), N Nattudurai, S Dakshinamurthy, C Nagarajan, K Ram, S Sundaran, Balamurugan, Sathish Kumar, Sasikumar, Sudharsan, Annadurai, and Muruganantham were all arrested in connection with the murder.

Sources:
Goondas Act invoked against accused in activist Muruganantham’s murder
Autism Memorial: Muruganantham L
Lawyer and disability rights activist Muruganatham hacked to death in property dispute
Disabled lawyer hacked to death over property dispute in Tiruppur, five held
L. Muruganantham vs The State Of Tamil Nadu on 15 July, 2025
Six more arrested in Dharapuram lawyer murder case
Lawyer and disability rights activist Muruganatham hacked to death in property dispute
Disabled lawyer hacked to death over property dispute in Tiruppur, five held

Arlinda Taylor

No Photo Name: Arlinda Taylor.
Died: July 26, 2025.
Age at death: 75.
Cause of death: Septic shock.
Location: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA.
Disability: Frail elder.

Details:
When Arlinda was brought to the hospital, staff were immediately alarmed by her condition; she was filthy and had marks of strangulation on her neck, cuts all over her body, and hot-water burns on her skin. Doctors notified the police; Arlinda was transferred to the intensive care unit, where she died hours later from infection. Police who questioned Arlinda’s son and caregiver said that he told them that, although Arlinda was bedridden after a fall, he had quit taking care of her about a month ago.

Case Status:
Todd Taylor (son) is charged with first-degree murder.

Sources:
Police accuse man of failing to care for 75-year-old bedridden mother before her death
Police: Man arrested after mom who had signs of neglect and abuse dies at OKC hospital
OKC man arrested after mother dies with signs of abuse and neglect

Caleigh Lindsay

Name: Caleigh Anne Renee Lindsay.
Died: July 24, 2025.
Age at death: 19.
Cause of death: Seizure.
Location: Richmond, Indiana, USA.
Disability: Pitt-Hopkins syndrome, autism.

Details:
Caleigh died of a seizure. Medics found her in filthy conditions, locked in a makeshift padded stall.

Case Status:
Liza Lindsay (Mother), charged with neglect of a dependent.
Darryl Grubbs (Mother’s boyfriend), charged with neglect of a dependent.

Sources:
Autism Memorial: Caleigh Lindsay
Mom, Boyfriend Charged With Neglect After Death of Her Disabled 19-Year-Old Daughter
Obituary for Caleigh Anne Renee Lindsay at Community Family Funeral Home
Docs: Richmond woman found dead inside home covered in garbage and feces; caretakers facing neglect charges
Mother, caretaker charged after 19-year-old woman with disabilities found dead

6-year-old boy

No Photo Name Unknown.
Died: July 15, 2025.
Age at death: 6.
Cause of death: Poisoned and/or smothered.
Location: Passaic, New Jersey, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
This boy’s mother called police, reporting that her son was dead. When they arrived at her home, responders found the boy had been dead for about two days, and his mother allegedly confessed to having strangled or poisoned him; she said she had also attempted to take her own life.

Case Status:
Najika Martin (Mother) is charged with child endangerment. Prosecutors have called it a deliberate homicide.

Sources:
Mom charged in case of autistic 6-year-old found dead at New Jersey home
In Passaic, a mother faces serious charges after her autistic son was found dead in their apartment
Passaic mother charged after autistic son found dead in apparent failed murder-suicide attempt
NJ mom charged after 6-year-old autistic son found dead

Hershall Creachbaum

Name: Hershall Creachbaum.
Died: July 12, 2025 (Body found).
Age at death: 7.
Cause of death: Unknown.
Location: Dayton, Ohio, USA.
Disability: Autism; wheelchair user.

Details:
Hershall’s parents reported him as kidnapped. Shortly thereafter, his body was found–but he had been dead for some time. His parents are accused of dumping his body and reporting him missing; his cause of death is still under investigation because only skeletal remains were found.

Case Status:
Hershall’s death is considered a homicide investigation.
Ashley Noel Johnson (Mother) is charged with obstruction of justice and failure to report a death.
Michael Deshaun Kendrick (mother’s boyfriend) is charged with tampering with evidence and abuse of a corpse.

Sources:
Two people now in custody in connection to the death of 7-year-old boy, police say
7-year-old believed to have been dead for weeks before being found; mother among 2 charged
Autistic 7-Year-Old Boy Found Dead After Vanishing With Wheelchair; Person of Interest in Custody
Missing autistic child found dead in Dayton, mother and man arrested, chief says
Coroner’s report gives new details in investigation into 7-year-old’s death
School staff called Children Services ‘multiple times’ before 7-year-old’s death, 911 calls reveal
Defendant in Hershall Creachbaum case files motion to restrict public records access
Hershall Creachbaum Death: 7-year-old to be remembered with memorial at local school

Ralph Taylor III

Name: Ralph “RJ” Taylor III.
Died: July 10, 2025.
Age at death: 4.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
RJ was allegedly shot by his father with a gun purchased by his mother. The couple claimed the bullet had come from outside through a window, but police found the gun and empty cartridge inside the house.

RJ’s neighbors remember him as a sweet, happy child. He communicated mostly by singing.

Case Status:
Ralph Taylor (Father), charged with first-degree intentional homicide and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Casandra Taylor (Mother), charged with neglecting a child (consequence is death) and straw purchasing of a firearm.

Sources:
‘If allegations are true, you are a baby killer,’ commissioner tells father
Neighbors say they tried to save 4-year-old who died in shooting
Parents charged in shooting death of Milwaukee 4-year-old

Ayla Mangan

No Photo Name: Ayla Mangan.
Died: July 10, 2025.
Age at death: 32.
Cause of death: Stabbed.
Location: Canton, Ohio, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
After an argument with her mother, Ayla was stabbed in the back with an ornamental sword belonging to her stepfather. Police say her mother stabbed her after an argument, and her stepfather tried to help her cover up the crime by claiming that Ayla had done it to herself because she was autistic.

Case Status:
Terri Niner (mother) pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and negligent assault and was sentenced to three years.
Francis “Jay” Niner (stepfather) is charged with obstruction of justice.

Sources:
Autism Memorial: Ayla Mangan
Canton mother to face lesser charges tied to stabbing death of autistic daughter
Canton woman charged with murder, accused of fatally stabbing daughter in back
Canton Woman Remains Jailed on Murder Charge
Mom plunges ‘short sword’ into daughter’s back during ‘dumb’ argument: Cops
Canton woman charged with murder, accused of fatally stabbing daughter in back
US Shocker: Woman Stabs 32-Year-Old Autistic Daughter to Death With Husband’s Decorative Sword During Fight in Ohio, Arrested
‘Over dumb stuff’: Ohio mom allegedly fatally stabbed daughter with ‘short sword’

Chandrasen Ramteke

No Photo Name: Chandrasen Ramteke.
Died: July 4, 2025.
Age at death: 38.
Cause of death: Smothered.
Location: Nagpur, Maharashtra, India.
Disability: Stroke; bedridden.

Details:
Chandrasen had been bedridden for two years after a stroke, and his wife cared for him. When his wife had an affair and Chandrasen found out about it, she and her lover allegedly smothered him to death and tried to pass it off as a natural death. However, a postmortem examination established that Chandrasen had died from asphyxia, and the two were arrested. Police say that Chandrasen’s wife confessed to the crime, admitting that she had pinned her husband down while her lover smothered him.

Chandrasen had two daughters and a son.

Case Status:
Disha Ramteke (Wife) is charged with premeditated murder.
Asif Islam Ansari (Wife’s lover) is charged with premeditated murder.

Sources:
Nagpur horror: Wife pins down bedridden husband, lover smothered him to death
Woman Holds Down Bedridden Husband’s Hands, Lover Smothers Him to Death in Maharashtra
Maharashtra Woman Smothers Bed-Ridden Husband To Death With Help Of Lover
Nagpur horror: Woman, ‘lover’ held for ‘smothering’ paralytic husband; abuse cited as trigger
Nagpur Murder Case: Woman Kills Bedridden Husband With Lover’s Help
Maharashtra woman helps lover kill bedridden husband, tries to fake natural death
Maharashtra Woman Pins Down Paralysed Husband As Lover Smothers Him To Death

Cosby Dean

Name: Cosby Dean.
Died: June 30, 2025.
Age at death: 88.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Yorktown, Virginia, USA.
Disability: Dementia.

Details:
Cosby’s husband shot her, then himself. Police are calling their deaths a murder-suicide and a “mercy killing.”

Case Status:
William Dean (Husband) is deceased.

Sources:
Husband shoots wife, self in York Co. murder-suicide: YPSO
Murder-suicide involving elderly couple under investigation, York-Poquoson sheriff’s office says
Margaret Elmore Roberts Obituary October 14, 2016
Obituaries | Amory Funeral Home Inc.

Patricia Kachinko

Name: Patricia Kachinko.
Died: June 24, 2025.
Age at death: 73.
Cause of death: Assault; blow to chest.
Location: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.
Disability: COPD.

Details:
Patricia’s daughter allegedly punched her in the chest during an argument. Patricia, frail and requiring oxygen to breathe, began to have even more difficulty breathing and was taken to the hospital, where she was diagnosed with a fractured sternum. She died 22 days later.

Two days before the injury, Patricia had called police to her house, reporting that her daughter had punched her boyfriend in the face. At that time, the police left without pressing charges.

Patricia is remembered as a loving mother and grandmother who enjoyed spending time with family.

Case Status:
Krystal Slepski (Daughter) is charged with simple assault, robbery, and homicide.

Sources:
Death of Troy Hill woman who died weeks after fight with daughter ruled a homicide
North Side woman jailed for assaulting mother now faces homicide charge in her death
Obituary for Patricia Ann Kachinko