Category: Status: Arrested/Charged

Suspect arrested and/or charged; trial pending or no trial information.

LaVonne Hoff

Photo of an older woman with white hair, brown eyes, and pale skin, smiling for the camera.Name: LaVonne Hoff.
Died: February 3, 2025.
Age at death: 76.
Cause of death: Blood loss.
Location: Colorado City, Colorado, USA.
Disability: Dementia.

Details:
Medics who were called to LaVonne’s house found her unresponsive and badly injured, the victim of a dog attack; she was declared dead on arrival at the hospital. Investigators searched the house and found 54 neglected dogs and seven birds, who had all been living crammed together in severely unsanitary conditions.

Police arrested LaVonne’s daughter, who allegedly neglected the animals and left her mother to fend for herself while she went out, even though LaVonne had severe dementia and needed someone with her around the clock.

Case Status:
Jessica Hoff (Daughter), charged with felony negligence and animal cruelty.

Sources:
Daughter Arrested After Mom, Who Has Dementia, Is Mauled To Death By 54 Dogs
Woman arrested after mother with dementia mauled to death by dogs
Colorado woman charged after mother found mauled to death among dozens of dogs
Daughter arrested after mother with dementia is mauled to death in home with 54 dogs
Cause of Death Revealed for Woman with Dementia Who Was Attacked by Dozens of Dogs In Her Home

Melony Granados

No PhotoName: Melony Granados.
Died: January 23, 2025.
Age at death: 13.
Cause of death: Head injury.
Location: Tempe, Arizona, USA.
Disability: Myoclonic atonic epilepsy, intellectual disability.

Details:
Medics responded to Melony’s house to find her unresponsive, covered in bruises and sores. Her grandmother told the doctors that Melony had fallen down the stairs. Melony was taken to the hospital but died the next morning.

Further investigation revealed a makeshift cage made from a bunk bed. Police say her family admitted to keeping Melony in the cage, which was extremely dirty.

Case Status:
Virginia Lujan (Grandmother), charged with felony child abuse.
Jami Hodges (Mother), charged with felony child abuse.

Sources:
Grandmother Charged In Disabled Teen’s Death After 13-Year-Old Was Kept In A Cage
Mother, grandmother arrested in connection to death of 13-year-old girl
Teen with mental age of toddler dies after being forced to live in cage
Grandmother Charged In Disabled Teen’s Death After 13-Year-Old Was Kept In A Cage
Tempe 13-year-old dead after being found in cage; grandmother suspected in death
Police probe caged Tempe teen’s death

Helen Witter

Photo of a middle-aged woman with pale skin and rosy cheeks, smiling for the camera. She is wearing a light-blue flowered blouse, and she has shoulder-length brown hair. Name: Helen Kay Witter.
Died: January 17, 2025.
Age at death: 80.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Lombard, Illinois, USA.
Disability: Dementia.

Details:
Helen died from a gunshot; police say her husband called 911, admitting to having shot his wife, and was arrested. Her husband’s lawyer is arguing that Helen’s husband shot her because her dementia made her irritable.

As a young woman, Helen was a business secretary; then she became a homemaker to raise her four children. She is survived by seven grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

Case Status:
Charles Witter (Husband), charged with murder.

Sources:
Lombard man accused of murdering wife says he ‘went nuts’
Helen Witter Obituary (1944 – 2025) – Evansville, IL
81-year-old husband accused of shooting his wife to death in their bed

Jayden Dixon

No PhotoName: Jayden Dixon.
Died: January 5, 2025.
Age at death: 11.
Cause of death: Smothered.
Location: Meridian, California, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
When Jayden wasn’t seen outside for several days and his trailer was eerily quiet, his neighbors grew worried. One of them approached Jayden’s mother, who argued with the neighbor. The trailer park manager saw them and called the police because Jayden’s mother appeared intoxicated. Police responding to the disturbance found Jayden’s body in the trailer; he had been suffocated, and their three dogs were also dead.

Jayden was good friends with a neighbor’s child; both were autistic, so they understood each other very well. Jayden was known for giving hugs to his friends.

Case Status:
Meagan Dixon (Mother), charged with murder, child abuse resulting in great bodily injury, and three counts related to cruelty toward animals.

Sources:
Homicide investigation at Lovey’s Landing in Sutter County: New details emerge
Meridian mother accused of killing 11-year-old son
Police Say Calif. Mom Was Causing Disturbance. Then They Found Boy, 11, and 3 Dogs Dead
No plea is entered in death of child, 11

Caterina Whitten

Photo of a young woman wearing a pink dress. She has light skin and brown hair, which is held back by a white headband. Her eyes are small and the eyelids closed. Her expression is neutral.Name: Caterina Whitten.
Died: January 3, 2025.
Age at death: 29.
Cause of death: Unspecified neglect.
Location: Lowell, Arkansas, USA.
Disability: Fraser syndrome; blind, autism.

Details:
Caterina was found dead in a filthy home.

One of six adopted siblings, Caterina was born in Russia. As a child, she loved swimming and playing on her swing set. Her five siblings, who had also allegedly been neglected, were rescued when her father was arrested after Caterina’s death.

Case Status:
David Whitten (adoptive father), charged with negligent homicide and six counts of endangering the welfare of an incompetent person.

Sources:
Arkansas police arrest 72-year-old man for negligent homicide in disabled daughter’s death
Lowell man accused of negligent homicide, endangering welfare
Lowell man faces negligent homicide charge after death of disabled daughter
‘A really sad story’: Neighbors react to tragic death of Lowell woman
Horrifying way disabled woman died in Ozarks house of horrors she shared with ‘dad’ and 5 handicapped siblings

Addison Carr

Photo of a chubby young girl lying on an orange pillow, red hair gathered into a bun. She has pale skin, and is dressed in a pink nightie and covered with a pink-and-white blanket. Her eyes are half-closed and her mouth open. One of her hands lies across the pillow, fingers curled into a loose fist.Name: Addison Rebecca Carr.
Died: December 26, 2024.
Age at death: 4.
Cause of death: Blunt trauma.
Location: Greenville, South Carolina, USA.
Disability: Perinatal hypoxia; feeding tube, limited mobility.

Details:
Addison’s mother’s boyfriend was babysitting when she suffered what an arrest warrant called “non-accidental trauma.” Addison was taken to the hospital, where she died four days later from her injuries.

Addison’s mother mourns the loss of her smile, remembering that “she was just a sweetheart and a joy to be around.”

Case Status:
Tyler David Ternberg (Mother’s boyfriend), charged with homicide by child abuse.

Sources:
Accused child killer granted bond and released
Mother’s boyfriend accused of killing 4-year-old with special needs: ‘She was my entire world’
Simpsonville man in custody, accused of causing death of four-year-old with special needs
SC man charged in death of 4-year-old with special needs, deputies say
Sobbing mom confronts boyfriend ‘for murdering her disabled daughter’
Mom rages at boyfriend accused of shaking and beating disabled daughter to death

Kul Acharya

black and white photo of an older southeast asian man wearing glasses and traditional headwearName: Kul Prasad Acharya.
Died: December 23, 2024.
Age at death: 56.
Cause of death: Blunt trauma.
Location: Diktel Rupakot Majhuwagadhi, Khotang, Province 1, Nepal.
Disability: Depression.

Details:
Neighbors grew worried about Kul and his son, 22-year-old Prabin Acharya, and called the police to check on them. Police found their bodies in the home; both had been fatally bludgeoned, and Kul’s other son was missing. After a brief time on the run, the surviving son turned himself in. Police say that he confessed to killing his father and brother because his father had depression, his brother had become addicted to drugs and wasn’t doing well at school, and he believed they were better off dead.

Mr. Acharya was head of the Khotang District Post Office.

Case Status:
Milan Acharya (Son) is charged with murder.

Sources:
Milan Acharya surrenders and confesses he killed father and brother
Balkot double murder suspect surrenders to police
Curb Rising Homicides

Princeton Jones

Photo of an African American boy with light-brown skin, his dark-brown hair in tight curls. He is wearing a blue dress shirt and smiling for the camera.Name: Princeton Nicholas Jones.
Died: November 30, 2024.
Age at death: 9.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Compton, California, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Princeton was staying with his grandfather when his father allegedly fatally shot him.

A bright, funny boy, Princeton was very close to his mother.

Case Status:
Nicholas Jones (Father), charged with murder and child abuse resulting in death.

Sources:
West Rancho Dominguez father pleads not guilty in son’s shooting death
Father arrested after his 9-year-old son shot and killed in Compton
Father Arrested In Shooting Death Of Autistic Boy, 9
Father Arrested in Fatal Shooting of 9-Year-Old Autistic Son in Compton

12-year-old boy

No PhotoName Unknown.
Died: November 27, 2024.
Age at death: 12.
Cause of death: Strangled.
Location: Bugang-myeon, Sejong City, South Korea.
Disability: Intellectual disability.

Details:
This 12-year-old boy’s mother took her son out of school, drove to an isolated rural road, and allegedly strangled him. Two hours later, she called the police, explaining that she had killed someone, and was arrested. Police say she told them she decided to kill him because “life was too hard.”

Case Status:
His mother is on trial for murder. The prosecution is seeking an 8-year sentence.

Sources:
disabled-children-in-south-korea-face-higher-risk-of-homicide-data – The Korea Times
A woman in her 40s who killed her son due to hardships was arrested by police.
Prosecutors have asked for eight years in prison for a biological mother in her 40s who was in court.. – MK
‘생활고’로 초등학생 아들 숨지게 한 40대 엄마
김제서 아들 살해한 40대 여성 체포

Gael

No PhotoName: Gael (Surname unknown).
Died: November 17, 2024.
Age at death: 4.
Cause of death: Unspecified abuse and neglect.
Location: Sete Lagoas, Brazil.
Disability: Cerebral palsy.

Details:
When Gael died, his mother called a funeral director to remove the body; but when the funeral home sent an employee, they saw the condition of Gael’s body and called police. He was lying in a damp room, on a dirty mattress; he had injuries on his body, was very malnourished and dirty, and had rotten teeth.

Case Status:
Gael’s mother and stepfather were arrested on suspicion of murder.

Sources:
Tragic Death of Child with Cerebral Palsy Reveals Shocking Signs of Violence
​Criança com paralisia cerebral é encontrada morta e mãe e padrasto são presos em Sete Lagoas
Criança com paralisia cerebral é morta em MG; casal é preso por suspeita de maus-tratos
Casal é preso após criança com paralisia cerebral morrer com sinais de maus-tratos e desnutrição
Criança com paralisia morta em casa vivia em situação ‘lamentável’, diz tia