Status: Sentenced – Page 18 – Disability Day of Mourning

Tika Young

Name: Tika Young.
Died: March 30, 2019.
Age at death: 37.
Cause of death: Bludgoned.
Location: Blue Ridge, Arizona, USA.
Disability: Chronic back pain, arthritis.

Details:
Tika’s housemate bludgeoned her to death with a side table and then tried to hide her body. He claimed that she had asked him to hit her and he knew she meant that he wanted her to kill her because of her chronic pain, but her family said that Tika didn’t want to die and her pain wasn’t severe so that story didn’t make sense. Her killer impersonated her on Facebook for weeks after the murder, but her family noticed something was wrong and asked for a welfare check.

Case status:
Patrick Nagel (Housemate), pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, sentenced to 25 years.

Source:
Tika Young’s family searches for memories as Blue Ridge man sentenced for murder
Blue Ridge man pleads not guilty to first-degree murder
Arizona murder suspect impersonated victim for weeks, brother says

Kylee Willis

Name: Kylee Willis.
Died: March 29, 2019.
Age at death: 4.
Cause of death: Head injury.
Location: Rancho Cucamonga, California, USA.
Disability: Down syndrome.

Details:
Kylee’s mother’s boyfriend was babysitting for her. When she interrupted him, he allegedly beat her severely. She spent several days on life support before dying of her injuries.

Case status:
Adam Hughes (Mother’s boyfriend), charged with murder; convicted, sentenced to 15 years to life.
Corrine Blake (Mother), convicted of cruelty to a child, sentenced to probation.

Source:
Save Down Syndrome: Kylee Willis
Girl, 4, with Down Syndrome ‘beaten to death by mother’s boyfriend’
Calif. Man Allegedly Killed Girl with Down Syndrome, 4, Because He Was Mad She Interrupted Him

Sam Koets

Name: Sam Koets.
Died: March 28, 2019.
Age at death: 16.
Cause of death: Drowning, hypothermia.
Location: Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Sam was made to live in the family’s unfinished basement, in horrible conditions. He died when his father left him alone, hands tied, near the family’s pool on a cold spring day. A little while later, he texted Sam’s thirteen-year-old sister, asking her to check on Sam. She sent back a photo of Sam, wading chest-deep in the pool, which was so cold it had ice floating on top. Sam’s father, however, did nothing to help Sam; he did not call emergency services, attempt to return home, or contact anyone but Sam’s thirteen-year-old sister who was watching Sam die in front of her eyes. Sam’s body was found floating in the icy pool; he had been dead at least an hour.

Case status:
Timothy Koets (Father), charged with involuntary manslaughter, second-degree child abuse, second-degree child abuse committed in the presence of another child and fourth-degree child abuse, pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter, sentenced to 2-15 years in prison.
Michelle Koets (Mother), sentenced to 21 days in jail for refilling Sam’s Ritalin prescriptions after he died.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Sam Koets
‘Sam had value’: Judge sentences father, former GRCC professor to 2-15 years for disabled son’s drowning
Father pleads guilty in drowning death of disabled son
GRCC fires man accused of manslaughter in son’s death
Mother enters plea for refilling dead son’s prescriptions
Michigan man charged with involuntary manslaughter in autistic son’s drowning death now accused of illegally filling teen’s prescriptions
GRCC professor headed to trial in son’s death
Haunting final photo shows disabled boy moments before he drowned in icy pool
Michigan dad charged after bound autistic son drowns in pool
‘It’s a nightmare:’ Professor’s arrest in death of son with severe autism rocks family
Former student shocked after professor charged in son’s death
Dad Charged in Death of Teen Son Who Has Autism
Local professor faces manslaughter charges in autistic son’s death
Michigan Professor Arraigned in Drowning Death of Autistic Teen Son Found in Icy Pool With Arms Bound
Father didn’t alert rescuers when son with autism waded into deep, cold pool, police report says
Father charged with manslaughter in son’s death
Teen with severe autism found dead in icy pool with arms bound; Michigan professor father charged
Professor facing charges in drowning death of son with special needs
Father charged with manslaughter in son’s death
Georgetown Township Father Arrested After Son’s Death
Professor facing charges in connection with drowning death of son with special needs

Ashlyn Ellis

Name: Ashlyn Rayanne Ellis.
Died: March 17, 2019.
Age at death: 14.
Cause of death: Smoke inhalation during house fire.
Location: St. James, Missouri, USA.
Disability: Physical disability, nonspeaking.

Details:
Ashlyn was neglected by her mother. She died when she was left alone at home and the house caught on fire. She could not escape because she was in her bed, which had been transformed into a makeshift cage that locked from the outside.

Case status:
Tracy Ellis (Mother), charged with second-degree murder and child endangerment; pled guilty to first-degree child endangerment, sentenced to 6 months to 14 years.

Source:
Ellis sentenced to 14 years in DOC
Document: Disabled teen who died in house fire was trapped in bed, mother charged
Mom charged with murder after disabled daughter killed in house fire
Maries County, Mo. mother faces murder charges in death of disabled daughter in house fire
Mother charged with daughter’s murder after Maries County fire
Mother Charged With Murder In Disabled Daughter’s Death
Deputies: Disabled teen was alone, locked in bed as house burned
Null & Son Funeral Home | Rolla, MO

Harry Jones

Photo of a white-haired, fair-skinned elderly man wearing a soft gray sweater and smiling for the camera. Name: Harry Vincent “Frank” Jones.
Died: March 15, 2019.
Age at death: 66.
Cause of death: Blunt-force trauma.
Location: Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Disability: Mobility impaired, heart disease.

Details:
Harry, called Frank by his friends, was living in a hotel with another man who helped him by shopping for him. His roommate allegedly cleaned up the hotel room, told the manager “I was never here”, and left. Police arrived to find Harry dead, with multiple broken bones, having been beaten to death. Harry’s roommate was found, arrested, and charged with manslaughter.

Case Status:
Dale Topalinski (Roommate), convicted of manslaughter, sentenced to 9 years.

Sources:
‘A difficult life’: Victim of fatal motel beating was taking break from homelessness
Calgary police identify 66-year-old man as victim in suspicious death at northwest hotel
Frail senior was beaten to death in northwest Calgary motel, prosecutor tells manslaughter trial
Killer handed nine-year prison term for violent beating death of frail Calgary man in his hotel room

Ronald Williams

No Photo Name: Ronald Williams.
Died: March 14, 2019.
Age at death: 49.
Cause of death: Shot.
Location: Morrisdale, Pennsylvania, USA.
Disability: Stroke.

Details:
Ronald was found dead with a gunshot wound to the head. His wife claimed that he had killed himself; but police investigators found that the weapon had been fired from too far away to be a suicide. Ronald’s wife was arrested and charged with murder; the prosecution argued that she had killed him because she was due to receive $1 million in inheritance. In the end, she was convicted only of manslaughter and walked free from court.

Case Status:
Kimberly Sue Williams (Wife), convicted of involuntary manslaughter and reckless endangerment, sentenced to time served.

Source:
Wife convicted in husband’s death denied new trial
Williams sentenced to time served for involuntary manslaughter
Morrisdale Woman Convicted of Involuntary Manslaughter in Husband’s Death Sentenced
GANT: Morrisdale Woman Convicted of Involuntary Manslaughter in Husband’s Death Sentenced
Murder trial of Morrisdale woman underway
Physician, financial advisor testify on second day of Williams murder trial
Jury delivers split verdict in murder trial of Morrisdale woman
Wife not guilty of husband’s murder

Mia Edmundson

Photo of a girl in a polka-dot skirt and gold plastic crown, sitting in a green play tunnel; she has short strawberry-blond hair and fair skin. Name: Mia Edmundson.
Died: February 27, 2019.
Age at death: 9.
Cause of death: Pneumonia.
Location: Avon Park, Florida, USA.
Disability: Congenital heart disease; no spleen.

Details:
Mia loved life and loved to have her nails painted pink. She also loved to swim and pull pranks on people.

Police investigation revealed that Mia’s mother had not filled her prescriptions or taken her to cardiology appointments. When Mia became seriously ill with pneumonia, her mother waited several days to take her to the hospital. Lacking the medication she needed to support her weakened immune system, Mia died from sepsis.

Case status:
Elizabeth Danielle Markley (Mother), convicted of child neglect with great bodily harm, sentenced to 15 years probation.

Source:
Disabled girl died ‘because mother couldn’t be bothered to collect live-saving prescriptions’
Obituary

Noeleen Marinovich

Photo: A middle-aged woman with dark hair and light skin, in a soft orange suit, smiling for the camera. Name: Noeleen Ann Marinovich.
Died: February 7, 2019.
Age at death: 59.
Cause of death: Head injury.
Location: Oratia, North Island, New Zealand.
Disability: Bipolar disorder, mobility impaired.

Details:
Noeleen’s son strangled her, then bludgeoned her to death with a hammer.

For her 60th birthday, she wanted to go to Queenstown. Noeleen died at age 59.

Case status:
Martin Marinovich (Son), convicted of murder, sentenced to 14 years to life.

Source:
Inside the senseless murder of a reclusive mother by her only son
Man found guilty of murdering mother with hammer
Son who strangled mother and hit her with a hammer 12 times guilty of murder
Noeleen MARINOVICH’s Notice
Son who strangled mother and beat her with hammer jailed for murder

Evelyn Scott

Photo: Middle-aged woman in a striped shirt, with olive-toned skin and curly, shoulder-length hair Name: Evelyn H. Scott.
Died: February 7, 2019.
Age at death: 77.
Cause of death: Sharp-force injury.
Location: Murray, Kentucky, USA.
Disability: Alzheimer’s disease.

Details:
Evelyn lived with her niece and her niece’s boyfriend. Her neighbors rarely saw her, but her niece, 37-year-old Tera Todd, was often seen walking Evelyn’s little dog.

Her caregiver’s boyfriend killed Evelyn and Tera by stabbing Tera and slashing Evelyn’s throat. He also strangled the dog.

Case status:
Todd Scott (Niece’s boyfriend), pleaded guilty to 2 counts of murder, sentenced to 40 years.

Source:
Scott enters guilty plea in double-murder case
Court documents paint gruesome picture of Murray double murder
2 women found dead in Murray, KY, suspect facing murder charges
Police investigating double murder in Murray, KY
Evelyn Scott
Family releases names of women in Murray double murder

Theresa Bagwell

Name: Theresa Ann Bagwell.
Died: February 6, 2019.
Age at death: 58.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Lakewood, Colorado, USA.
Disability: Terminal brain cancer.

Details:
Theresa’s husband shot her.

She loved fishing, the outdoors, and early-morning walks; she had her X-ray technician certification, but her career was in food service. She was such a good waitress that diners regularly requested her.

Case status:
Bruce Bagwell, convicted of first-degree murder, sentenced to life.

Source:
EXCLUSIVE: Interrogation tapes reveal why husband says he shot his terminally ill wife
Lakewood man found guilty in killing of wife, who had terminal brain cancer
Lakewood man found guilty of murder in shooting death of wife who had terminal cancer
Theresa Bagwell’s Obituary