Rookiya

No PhotoName: Rookiya.
Died: August 25, 2017.
Age at death: 5 months.
Cause of death: Drowning.
Location: Amruthanagar, Andhra, India.
Disability: Hydrocephalus.

Details:
Rookiya’s mother had no money for big-city medical treatment, and Rookiya’s neighbors had started referring to her as a “demon child” because of her large head. When her father came home to find Rookiya drowned in the washtub, police arrested and questioned her mother, who, they say, confessed to killing her daughter.

Authorities noted that the area has a district hospital and four children’s homes that are meant to help children like Rookiya.

Case status:
Shaik Fatima (Mother), charged with murder.

Source:
Too poor to afford her medical care, Andhra mother kills her own baby girl

Jonathan Crabtree

Photo of Jonathan Crabtree, a young man with light skin and brown hair, wearing a T-shirt.Name: Jonathan Crabtree.
Died: July 18, 2017.
Age at death: 26.
Cause of death: Opiate poisoning.
Location: Upper Coomera, Queensland, Australia.
Disability: Developmental disability, TBI from car accident.

Details:
Jonathan and his two disabled sisters were allegedly abused by their mother, who repeatedly sedated them with prescription drugs, likely worsening the effects of their disabilities. Jonathan’s sister Erin died in 2012, a victim of an opiate overdose; but her death had initially been ruled a suicide.

After Jonathan was hurt in a car accident, he had to take opiates and became addicted. His mother allegedly encouraged his addiction and even manipulated him into robbing a pharmacy for Tramadol. He died of an overdose of opiates, which police say his mother gave him after forging a suicide note.

Jonathan’s other sister survived their ordeal and was rescued when the murders were discovered.

Case status:
Maree Crabtree (Mother), charged with two counts of murder, grievous bodily harm, torture, fraud, and armed robbery.

Source:
Dramatic turn in court for mum accused of murdering kids, torturing woman
Mum’s strange decision before deaths
Witness claims mum accused of murdering children wished son was dead: court
Gold Coast mum Maree Mavis Crabtree accused of murdering her two disabled children
‘Very controlling’: Chilling allegations against Qld mum accused of killing her disabled kids
Mum’s strict rules before alleged murder
Mom murdered her two adult children for insurance payouts, police say
Australian mother arrested after she allegedly poisoned her disabled kids
Gold Coast mother killed two adult children for financial gain, police allege
Maree Crabtree ‘told disabled son to hold up a chemist’ | Daily Mail Online
Mum, 51, charged with murdering her kids told one to rob a chemist
Mother accused of poisoning her disabled adult children to death bagged $500k in insurance
‘Killer mum’ claimed $500k in insurance for disabled kids
Mum allegedly poisoned two children, prepared suicide note
Queensland mother allegedly murdered her two children with disabilities for money
Mother charged over children’s murders
QLD mother charged with murder, torture after allegedly poisoning two children to death
Friend says murdered Jonathon Crabtree was ‘full of life’
Jonathan Crabtree tried to call best mate an hour before his death
Australian mother arrested for the alleged murder of her two disabled children
Gold Coast mother killed two adult children for financial gain, police allege
Son of murder-accused had been ‘trying to pick up his life’ before he was found dead
Pictured: Disabled siblings ‘poisoned to death by rat-loving mother’
Australian mum ‘poisoned, killed disabled children for financial gain’, police claim
Murder-accused mother used prescription drugs to control children: police
Police say murder-accused mum helped son secure $200,000 disability benefits, then staged his suicide
Mum accused of disabled kids’ murder said one got Autism from a needle
Australian woman kills two ‘disabled’ adult children for financial gains
Mum partied as Erin died alone
Father of murdered siblings tried to have his son put in care
The missing Sprite cup in the police case against an accused double murderer

Dadirai Mashonga

No PhotoName: Dadirai Mashonga.
Died: July 13, 2017.
Age at death: 40.
Cause of death: Traumatic injury.
Location: Magunje, Zimbabwe.
Disability: Deaf.

Details:
When a local businessman offered him $4000 for a human head to use for a ritual, Dadirai’s brother allegedly waited until she was alone, killed her with an axe, and decapitated her.

Case status:
Robert Tazvireva, charged with murder.
Samuel Mashonga (Brother), charged with murder.

Source:
Beheading haunts family
Tempers flare at Karoi ritual murder funeral
Hurungwe man beheads sister
Man beheads sister, two bodies decompose in huts
Villagers burn ritual murder suspect’s business complex
Zimbabwe: Man offered $4,000 for human head, beheads sister
20-year-old offered $4,000 for human head, beheads his 40-year-old sister
Man who beheaded sister for $4000 and businessman appear in court
HORROR RITUAL MURDER: Court Told How Man Stabbed, Beheaded Sister For Local Businessman

James Walker

No PhotoName: James Walker.
Died: July 11, 2017.
Age at death: 72.
Cause of death: Traumatic injury.
Location: Glendale, Arizona, USA.
Disability: Disabled veteran; wheelchair user.

Details:
James was murdered by his stepson because he refused to get out of bed.

Case status:
Heath Allen McConkey (Stepson), convicted of second-degree murder, sentenced to 13 years.

Source:
Glendale man accused of beating disabled stepfather to death
Glendale police: Man beat disabled stepfather to death
Glendale man allegedly beat disabled stepdad to death
Final release order and order regarding counsel
Glendale man accused of fatally beating disabled stepfather
Arizona Man Allegedly Beat Disabled Stepdad to Death for Not Getting Out of Bed
Glendale man accused of beating disabled stepfather to death pleads not guilty
Glendale Man Pleads Not Guilty to Fatally Beating Stepfather

Micah and Olivia Gee

Photo of Olivia and Micah Gee, two African-American toddlers. Olivia is wearing a pink sweater and has her hair tied back in a headband with a big purple flower on it. Micah is wearing a striped blue-and-green shirt, and has his arms around his sister.Name: Micah Gee.
Age at death: 3.

Name: Olivia Gee.
Age at death: 2.

Died: July 10, 2017.
Cause of death: Internal bleeding from blunt trauma.
Location: New York City, New York, USA.
Disability: Severe asthma.

Details:
When Olivia and Micah were found dead in their beds on the same night, they were thought to have died of asthma attacks. But on autopsy, it became clear that the brother and sister had been beaten to death.

Case status:
Jade Spencer (Mother), charged with six counts of first-degree manslaughter, six counts of second-degree manslaughter, and assault.

Source:
Bronx Mother Indicted on Manslaughter, Assault Charges in Deaths of Her Two Toddlers in 2017
Mother Charged With Manslaughter In 2017 Deaths Of 2 Bronx Toddlers
Siblings, ages 2 and 3, die after breathing trouble
Seeking answers to toddlers’ death
Investigation Continues Into Deaths Of Bronx Toddler Siblings
Bronx Toddlers’ Deaths Are Ruled Homicides
Deaths of toddler siblings ruled homicides
Deaths of young siblings in the Bronx ruled homicides
Bronx toddlers bled to death after savage beating
Medical Examiner Says Blunt Force Trauma Killed Young Bronx Siblings
Beaten Bronx Toddlers Died of Internal Bleeding, NYPD Says
Bronx Toddlers Were Beaten to Death, Medical Examiner Says
Toddler Siblings From The Bronx Were Beaten To Death

“Child D”

No PhotoName: “Child D”.
Died: July 2, 2017.
Age at death: Less than 1 year.
Cause of death: Neglect.
Location: Glasgow, Scotland, UK.
Disability: Spina bifida.

Details:
Child D, who cannot be named for confidentiality reasons, was born a twin; her twin was non-disabled. Because of her spina bifida, she needed to use a catheter to urinate, and her parents were taught to do this while she was in the hospital. Her family was known to social services.

Toward the end of her life, hospital staff noticed she was growing thin, and she was treated for a urinary tract infection. In the hospital, her father was observed not to be catheterizing the baby girl. At a medical appointment, professionals noted that she was “not her smiley self”.

When she was less than a year old, Child D was brought to the hospital unresponsive and declared dead. Authorities found her five siblings poorly cared for and her home badly kept. They concluded that Child D had been catheterized only intermittently, and that she had died due to the poor care given her by her parents.

Case Status:
Her parents were charged.

Sources:
Severly disabled baby girl found dead in Glasgow home was not properly cared for by parents, review found
Severely disabled ‘smiley’ Scots baby dies after being neglected by parents
Significant Case Review: Child D

Mahalakshmi

ID photo of an Indian woman with brown eyes, brown hair, and olive-toned skin, her hair pulled back; she is wearing a red shirt and her expression is neutral.Name: Mahalakshmi.
Died: June 28, 2017.
Age at death: 28.
Cause of death: Asphyxia.
Location: Bengaluru, Karnataka, India.
Disability: Depression.

Details:
When Mahalakshmi’s mother died, she became depressed, and her younger brother took care of her. But he became convinced that because of his sister, he would never be able to get married; so he allegedly strangled her when she lay down to take her afternoon nap.

Case status:
Shiv Kumar (Brother), charged with murder.

Source:
Bengaluru: Man kills unwed, ‘troubled’ sister
Bengaluru man murders ‘fat’, ‘depressed’ sister for standing in the way of his marriage
Police book man for murder of his elder sister

Ariful Islam

No PhotoName: Ariful Islam aka Arif Hossain.
Died: June 24, 2017.
Age at death: Unknown.
Cause of death: Homicide.
Location: Hajipur, Bihar, India.
Disability: Unspecified physical disability.

Details:
Ariful was murdered by his uncle. His uncle’s family had been in a fight with another family, and his uncle reportedly wanted to frame the other family. He is accused of killing Ariful, then bringing his body to the hospital and claiming the other family had done it.

Case status:
Yakut Ali (Uncle) and Md Tofail Ahmed (Accomplice), charged with murder.

Source:
Man murders disabled nephew to frame opponents

Edgar Carbajal

No PhotoName: Edgar Carbajal.
Died: June 20, 2017.
Age at death: 26.
Cause of death: Pneumonia, sepsis due to untended pressure sores.
Location: Austin, Texas, USA.
Disability: Cerebral palsy.

Details:
Edgar’s mother neglected him. He died of infected bedsores, sepsis, and pneumonia, weighing 50 pounds.

A visitor to his online obituary left the note, “You[r] laughter created the rainbow in our classroom.”

Case status:
Erica Yanet Flores (Mother), charged with charged with injury to a disabled individual by omission.

Source:
Austin mother charged in death of son with cerebral palsy due to ‘severe neglect’
Austin mom charged with neglect causing disabled son’s death
Mother charged in death of son with cerebral palsy due to ‘severe neglect’
Mother charged with neglect after disabled son dies from pneumonia at home
North Austin Woman Charged After Son With Cerebral Palsy Dies Of Apparent Neglect
JUST IN: Austin mother neglected son with cerebral palsy, leading to his death, police say
Police: Mother neglected son with cerebral palsy, leading to his death

Johnnie and Shirley Ervin

No PhotoName: Johnnie Ervin.
Age at death: 67.
Disability: Mobility impairment (Used walker).

Name: Shirley Ervin.
Age at death: 69.
Disability: Dementia.

Died: June 18, 2017.
Cause of death: Stab wounds.
Location: Chicago, Illinois, USA.

Details:
Shirley and Johnnie’s son is charged with stabbing them to death.

Case status:
Dexter Barnes (Son), charged with first-degree murder.

Source:
Son charged in stabbing deaths of elderly parents held without bail
Son Stabbed Parents in ‘Unimaginable’ Double Murder: Court
Austin man charged with stabbing his elderly parents to death