Status: Arrested/Charged – Page 48 – Disability Day of Mourning

Lucas Braman

Name: Lucas Braman.
Died: February 13, 2014.
Age at death: 23 months.
Cause of death: Unknown; possibly restraint-related.
Location: West Yarmouth, Massachusetts, USA.
Disability: “Autistic-like behaviors”; born addicted to narcotics.

Details:
Lucas was found dead wearing a helmet and wrapped in a weighted blanket much too heavy for him; the autopsy was inconclusive. His caretaker had been abusive in the past.

Case status:
Sheryl Erb (Caregiver), no charges.
Elizabeth Cavallini (Caregiver); charged with child rape, assault and battery on a child, indecent assault and battery on a child under 14, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, and intimidation of a witness, juror, police, or court official.

Source:
Barnstable grand jury indicts woman, 29, on child rape and assault charges
Autism Memorial: Lucas Braman
How did Lucas Braman die?
Report details pattern of abuse in toddler’s death
Lucas: Two families, two portrayals of Yarmouth toddler
Grieving mother of tot under DCF watch: ‘I want to know how he died’
More questions than answers in death of 2-year-old on Cape Cod
No resolution in Yarmouth child’s death

Skyler Craighead

No Photo
Name: Skyler Craighead.
Died: November 18, 2013.
Age at death: 5 months.
Cause of death: Starvation/dehydration.
Location: La Vergne, Tennessee, USA.
Disability: DiGeorge syndrome, feeding tube, heart defect.

Details:
Skyler died of starvation and dehydration while in the care of her parents.

Case status:
Sinead Omer (Mother) and Terry Craighead (Father), both charged with aggravated child neglect, felony murder in perpetration of aggravated child neglect, aggravated child abuse and felony murder in perpetration of aggravated child abuse. First trial ended in mistrial; second trial proceeding.

Source:
Sinead Omer, mother accused of killing infant in 2013, faces new child abuse charges
Mother Charged with Starvation Death of Baby in 2013 Accused of Faking Illness in Infant in 2018
La Vergne parents face trial in infant’s starvation death
La Vergne Parents Charged In Baby’s Death Go To Trial

Yu

Blurry photo of a baby boy lying asleep on a red blanket; he has tan skin and black hair, and is wearing a red top and blue jeans. Name: Yu (Family name unknown).
Died: September 9, 2013.
Age at death: 16 months.
Cause of death: Poisoned, smothered.
Location: Shenyang, Liaoning province, China.
Disability: Club foot.

Details:
Yu’s father allegedly poisoned him with pesticides, then smothered him and threw his body off a bridge. The police concluded that the boy’s disability, along with an unhappy marriage, had caused the father to become depressed and become unable to resist the impulse to murder his son.

Case status:
Feng (Father); charged with homicide.

Source:
Young father poisons toddler, smothers him and throws him from bridge

40-year-old man

No Photo Name Unknown.
Died: April 22, 2013.
Age at death: 40.
Cause of death: Drugged and asphyxiated.
Location: Poissy, France.
Disability: Autism, hypoxic brain injury.

Details:
This 40-year-old man was found dead, drugged and smothered with a plastic bag over his head. His father was found unconscious but alive in a similar state.

Case Status:
His father was charged with murder.

Sources:
Poissy : désespéré, il tue son fils autiste
Autisme : les entendre vivants, ou les comprendre… morts ?

Victoria Hines

No Photo Name: Victoria Hines.
Died: April 5, 2013.
Age at death: 58.
Cause of death: Malnutrition, infection.
Location: Florence, Pennsylvania, USA.
Disability: Unspecified.

Details:
Victoria’s died of starvation and untreated bedsores; police say she was left in her recliner for more than two weeks.

Case status:
Harold W. Reed Jr. (Boyfriend), charged with neglect of a disabled person.

Source:
Victoria Marie Muha Hines
Police ID neglected woman who died
Police ID neglected woman who died

Terrilynn Dennis

Photo of a young girl with dark skin and dark braided hair, wearing a pink skirt and a pink T-shirt with a cupcake on it. Name: Terrilynn Destiny Julz Dennis.
Died: April 4, 2013.
Age at death: 7.
Cause of death: Peritonitis.
Location: Newport News, Virginia, USA.
Disability: Spina bifida.

Details:
Terrilynn died of peritonitis from blows to the stomach, complicated by physical and medical neglect. Her parents allegedly waited eight hours after she became unresponsive to take her to the hospital, and she died shortly thereafter.

From her obituary: “Terrilynn had a warm spirit; she enjoyed playing with her sisters and learning about the Bible.”

Case status:
Terri W. Dennis (Adoptive father), charged with murder.
Pamela T. Dennis (Adoptive mother), charged with murder.

Source:
Girl adopted by Terri and Pamela Dennis
Terrilyn Destiny Julz Dennis

Harry Aspley

No Photo
Name: Harry Aspley.
Died: April 1, 2013.
Age at death: 23 months.
Cause of death: Head injury; shaken baby.
Location: Stoney Stanton, England, UK.
Disability: Developmental delay; suspected autism.

Details:
Harry was violently shaken by his foster mother. This caused brain injuries which killed him.

Case status:
Wendy Hardy (Foster mother), pleaded guilty to manslaughter, sentenced to six and a half years.
David Hardy, charged with child cruelty.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Harry Aspley
Death of toddler shaken by foster mum “could have been prevented”
Foster mother jailed for killing toddler by violently shaking him
Woman jailed after death of 23-month-old Harry Aspley

Chi-wai Yeung

No Photo Name: Chi-wai Yeung.
Died: March 23, 2013.
Age at death: 5.
Cause of death: Methamphetamine poisoning.
Location: Sheung Shi, Hong Kong, China.
Disability: Down syndrome.

Details:
Chi-wai’s mother and her boyfriend were smoking meth while feeding him milk from a bottle. Somehow, the boy was poisoned with meth and died.

Case status:
Wong Pu-lin (Mother) and Ngan Tin-hung (Mother’s boyfriend); both charged with child abuse; charges dropped.

Source:
Carrie Lam offers ray of hope to tackling child abuse
Disabled boy died after mother and boyfriend smoked Ice while feeding him milk, Hong Kong inquest hears
Neglect of the neglected: Hong Kong boy’s death exposes a child protection system riddled with holes

Robin Adams Jr.

No Photo Name: Robin Adams Jr.
Died: February 2012; body found October 12, 2012.
Age at death: 23.
Cause of death: Malnutrition.
Location: Hephzibah, Georgia, USA.
Disability: Cri du chat syndrome.

Details:
Instead of taking Robin to the doctor to help him stay fed and hydrated, Robin’s mother neglected him and Robin starved to death. His family failed to report his death and kept collecting his disability payments for several months.

Case status:
Angela Mercer (Mother), convicted of murder, sentenced to 30 years to life; released after 6 years.
Deaidra Motley (Sister), charged with concealing a death.

Source:
Coroner calls mummified body case ‘one of the worst ones that we’ve ever seen’
$100,000 bond set for woman accused in disabled son’s death
Augusta mother sentenced to life in prison for death of disabled son

Shaneca Webber

No Photo Name: Shaneca Webber.
Died: September 5, 2012.
Age at death: 30.
Cause of death: Blunt trauma.
Location: Millington, Tennessee, USA.
Disability: Unspecified.

Details:
Shaneca’s mother allegedly confessed to police that she had hit her daughter in the head with a fire extinguisher.

Case status:
Kathy Webber (Mother); charged with first-degree murder.

Source:
Mother Says She Murdered Disabled Daughter With Fire Extinguisher
Woman found murdered in Millington identified
Mother Heads To Court, Admits to Killing Daughter
Millington Woman Found Murdered