Remembering the Disabled Murdered by Caregivers
Suspect arrested and/or charged; trial pending or no trial information.
Name: Maggie Caraballo.
Died: August 20, 2003.
Age at death: 38.
Cause of death: Head injury.
Location: New Haven, Connecticut, USA.
Disability: Autism.
Details:
Maggie was allegedly beaten to death by her sister, who abused her and eventually caused a fatal head injury.
Case status:
Her sister, arrested.
Source:
Autism Memorial: Maggie Caraballo
City woman’s death ruled a homicide
Name: Deetrick Brown.
Died: January 16, 2003.
Age at death: 2.
Cause of death: Head trauma.
Location: La Quinta, California, USA.
Disability: Parents claimed “drug baby”, intellectual disability, autism. Seizures, possibly due to abuse.
Details:
Deetrick died of head trauma that caused repeated seizures in the months before his death. His parents argued that, rather than being abused, Deetrick was a “drug baby” who had an intellectual disability. When Deetrick died, a judge ruled there wasn’t enough evidence for the case to go to trial. But ten years later, the case was re-opened and reexamined, and his father and stepmother were arrested.
Case status:
Patricia Brown (Stepmother), convicted of second-degree murder, conviction overturned, retrial underway on charges of murder and assault.
Derrick Brown (Father), charges dropped.
Source:
Autism Memorial: Deetrick Brown
Prosecutors Drop Appeal Of Decision To Overturn Murder Conviction
Closing Arguments Scheduled in Trial of La Quinta Woman Accused in Toddler’s Murder
Husband acquitted, testimony continues for wife in toddler murder trial
New Trial Sought For La Quinta Woman Convicted In Toddler’s Death 13 Years After It Happened
New Trial Sought For RivCo Woman Convicted in Toddler’s Death 13 Years After It Happened
Name: Thy Chan.
Died: August 19, 1997.
Age at death: 16.
Cause of death: Viral encephalitis.
Location: Oxford, Massachusetts, USA.
Disability: Cerebral palsy.
Details:
Thy (pronounced “tea”) came from Cambodia and lived in a foster home in the United States. Her foster parents were parents in name only; they took in children for the money, sometimes locked them in dog cages, abused and neglected them. Severely disabled children were cared for by other children rather than by their foster parents. Thy’s foster sister Jessica remembers seeing Thy horribly sick with a temperature of 106–something her foster mother, a nurse, would have recognized as serious–for two days before anyone called for an ambulance. Thy died of viral encephalitis in the hospital a few days later.
Thy’s death was put down to natural causes. However, years later when four former foster children came forward to report that they had been physically and sexually abused by their foster parents, they also testified that Thy had died from the same neglect they had all been subjected to.
Case status:
Susan Blouin (Foster mother), charged with indecent assault and battery, nursing license revoked.
Raymond Blouin (Foster father), charged with indecent assault and battery.
Philip Paquette (Susan Blouin’s ex-boyfriend), charged with statutory rape.
Source:
Man arraigned on child rape charges after foster home abuse investigation
Foster child died in troubled Oxford foster home in 1997
New charges issued in foster family abuse case
Former Oxford foster children file $40M lawsuit against couple, state over “house of horrors”
Name: Carrie Day.
Died: January 9, 1992.
Age at death: 22.
Cause of death: Pneumonia.
Location: Ironwood, Michigan, USA.
Disability: Intellectual disability.
Details:
Carrie’s mother starved her, often punishing her by forcing her to watch the family eat while Carrie went hungry. She died of pneumonia, her 65-pound body unable to fight the infection.
Case status:
Urselyne Day (Adoptive mother), charged with involuntary manslaughter. Died Jan. 17, 2014 in a nursing home, of pneumonia; outcome of case unknown.
Source:
Woman accused of starving mentally retarded daughter to death
Name: Susan Shea.
Died: October 26, 1991.
Age at death: 19.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Lincoln Park, New Jersey, USA.
Disability: Autism.
Details:
Susan and her mother, Eileen Shea, were allegedly shot by Susan’s father.
Case status:
Michael Edward Shea (Father); charged with first-degree murder.
Source:
Autism Memorial: Susan Shea
Man Held in Killings in His Home
Name: Charles Forester Jr.; also known as Chucky Sweeten.
Died: January 24, 1990.
Age at death: 39.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Knoxville, Tennessee, USA.
Disability: Intellectual disability.
Details:
Citing years of abuse, Chucky’s mother shot her husband Tom, then shot Chucky because she “loved him and knew no one else would take care of him”.
Case status:
Dorothea Sweeten (Mother), charged with murder, died before trial.
Source:
Charles H. Forester Jr. (1950-1990) – Find A Grave
NATION : Woman Held in Family Slayings
Woman kills husband, retarded son
Woman kills husband and son
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: Linda Sue Helton.
Died: January 6, 1986.
Age at death: 45.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Precott, Arkansas, USA.
Disability: Intellectual disability.
Details:
Linda was allegedly shot by her mother, who called it a “mercy killing”.
Case status:
Esther Helton (Mother); charged with murder.
Source:
Woman Charged In Death Of Mentally Retarded Daughter
Name: Alice Anene.
Died: January 26, 2025.
Age at death: 74.
Cause of death: Burned.
Location: Amene Village, Abagana, Nigeria.
Disability: Wheelchair user; mobility impaired/disabled elder.
Details:
Alice was burned to death. Police found an alleged group of conspirators with her body in a wheelbarrow, and a casket in which they intended to bury her before investigations could be made.
Case Status:
Obinna Anene, arrested on suspicion of murder.
Ikenna Anene (Cousin), arrested on suspicion of murder.
Chinenye Ekwenugo, arrested.
Uzochukwu Okeke (Cousin), arrested on suspicion of murder.
Ifeanyi Igwe, at large and wanted for murder.
Fidel Anayo (Stepson), arrested on suspicion of murder.
Sources:
‘Crippled Woman’ in a Wheelchair Burnt to Death in Anambra, Police Arrest Suspects, Recover Casket
Police Arrest Four In Anambra For Setting Woman Ablaze In Wheelbarrow
Four arrested for burning 74-year-old Anambra woman
Anambra police arrests man over physically challenged woman’s murder