Category: Status: Sentenced

Suspect convicted and sentenced.

Vanessa Comer

No PhotoName: Vanessa Comer.
Died: July 7, 2018.
Age at death: 21.
Cause of death: Dehydration and malnutrition.
Location: Phoenix, Arizona, USA.
Disability: Congenital disorder of glycosylation type 1a.

Details:
Vanessa had been born with a disability, and relied on her father–her sole caregiver–for for food, water, and transportation to the doctor. But Vanessa received no medical care for nine months before her death, and she was often left alone by her father for days at a time, ultimately dying of starvation and dehydration shortly after her father finally brought her to the hospital. At her home, the family dogs were were found alive but badly malnourished.

Case Status:
Richard Comer (Father), pleaded guilty to manslaughter, sentenced to 9 years; charged with animal cruelty.

Source:
Autopsy: 21-year-old woman who died of malnutrition weighed only 36 pounds, father convicted
Phoenix man pleads guilty to manslaughter in malnutrition death of his 21-year-old daughter
Autopsy: 21-year-old woman weighed just 36 pounds at time of death; father charged
Phoenix man accused of starving 21-year-old daughter to death, police
Dad ‘murdered disabled daughter, 21, by refusing her food or water for 3 months’

Peggy Pettis

Portrait photo of a middle-aged white woman with short dark hair, wearing glasses.Name: Peggy Pettis.
Died: June 25, 2018.
Age at death: 64.
Cause of death: Painkiller overdose.
Location: Cheney, Washington, USA.
Disability: Unspecified medical issues; back pain; killer claims early dementia.

Details:
Peggy’s husband is charged with poisoning her with drugged ice cream that contained an overdose of painkillers. He had taken out a life insurance policy on her only days previously. Her husband claimed she had early dementia, but the insurance physical found no signs of it.

Peggy was a retired school bus driver who loved gardening.

Case status:
David L. Pettis (Husband), convicted of first-degree murder; sentenced to 25 years.

Source:
‘Only sorry he didn’t get away with it’: Victim’s family speaks at Cheney man’s murder hearing
Trial begins for Cheney-area man accused of murdering his wife with medication-laced ice cream
Cheney man accused of poisoning wife took out $150K policy three days before death
Washington man accused of killing wife with laced ice cream
That’s cold: man accused of murdering his wife with poisoned ice cream pleads not guilty to second round of charges
Cheney man appears in court for alleged killing of wife with laced ice cream
Cheney man who allegedly killed wife with ice cream moves to Oklahoma, pleads not guilty to new murder charge
Murder charge dropped against Cheney man accused of killing wife with deadly ice cream
Peggy PETTIS’s Obituary

Bertha McGill

Photo of Bertha McGill, a middle-aged African-American woman with her hair cut quite short. She is wearing a leopard-print shirt and dangle earrings.Name: Bertha Marie McGill.
Died: June 15, 2018.
Age at death: 68.
Cause of death: Smoke inhalation.
Location: Jasper, Texas, USA.
Disability: Unspecified; wheelchair user.

Details:
Bertha’s grandson set their house on fire with her inside.  She died from smoke inhalation days after the fire.

Bertha was a retired kindergarten and elementary school teacher.

Case status:
Cedric Ramon McGill, Jr. (Grandson), pleaded guilty to arson and murder, sentenced to 20-40 years.

Source:
McGill pleads guilty and is sentenced for 2018 house fire that killed his grandmother
McGill pleads guilty and is sentenced for 2018 house fire that killed his grandmother
Jasper man charged with capital murder after grandmother dies following house fire
Grandson charged with arson in fire that severely injured Bertha McGill
Cedric McGill now charged with capital murder in house fire death of grandmother – KJAS.COM: Local News
Jasper woman injured in house fire dies; arson investigation still ongoing

Sharon McCleary

Sepia portrait photo of Sharon McCleary as a young woman. She has fair skin and hair cut in a bob; she is wearing old-fashioned glasses and a black sleeveless top.Name: Sharon Lynn McCleary.
Died: June 13, 2018.
Age at death: 63.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Trenton, Ohio, USA.
Disability: Blind.

Details:
Sharon lived with her daughter and her daughter’s boyfriend, and another daughter was visiting. Her daughter’s boyfriend was under investigation for the murder of Maegan Motter (age 27, unrelated) when police came to knock on her door. The man took her and her daughters hostage. A standoff between him and SWAT ensued; he was eventually persuaded to release Sharon’s daughters. However, he fatally shot Sharon, and when the police tried to get in he attempted suicide and was arrested.

Sharon was a religious woman who loved game shows.

Case status:
James Edward Geran (Daughter’s boyfriend), convicted of murder, sentenced to life without parole.

Source:
Double murder charge for man accused of killing girlfriend’s mom
Sheriff: Double murder suspect in standoff will face several charges
Sharon Lynn McCLEARY’s Obituary on Dayton Daily News
Court docs: Middletown man told girlfriend about first homicide
‘I do not want this monster to get out’: Families emotional as Middletown man sentenced to life for killing 2 women
Middletown murder victim’s sister: ‘She couldn’t defend herself if she wanted to’
Life in prison for man who murdered two women in Butler County
She was blind and couldn’t feed herself. Her daughter’s boyfriend shot her in the head.

Chloe Hobbs

Photo of Chloe Hobbs, a girl with fair skin and strawberry-blonde hair in a boy cut. She is holding a tablet PC and gazing at the camera withe a slight smile on her face.Name: Chloe Renee Hobbs.
Died: June 9, 2018.
Age at death: 11.
Cause of death: Methamphetamine overdose.
Location: Elkhart, Indiana, USA.
Disability: Autism, pica.

Details:
Chloe had one sister, who was a year younger than her and also autistic. Chloe had pica, which meant she tended to eat things that weren’t food and needed to be watched so that she wouldn’t eat anything dangerous.

Her father took her and her sister along with her when he went to stay at a house where he and his girlfriend were doing some maintenance work while the owner was away. The house was extremely cluttered and dangerous, but the girls were left unattended there. Her father’s girlfriend had also brought along her methamphetamine stash, which she left where Chloe could get to it.

Chloe found the meth, ingested it, and got very sick. She spent the night vomiting, but no one called for help until Chloe stopped breathing the next morning. She could not be revived.

At autopsy, it was found that Chloe, in addition to the methamphetamine poisoning, had a bowel obstruction caused by her having eaten wood, plastic, pennies, and other items while unsupervised.

Case status:
Brandon Hobbs (Father), pleaded guilty to neglect of a dependent, sentenced to 3 years.
Erica Reschke (Father’s girlfriend), charged with neglect of a dependent resulting in death, sentenced to 13 years in prison and 3 years probation.

Source:
Michigan woman sentenced for death of child with special needs
Three-year prison sentence handed down in death of child who had meth in her system
Elkhart County prosecutor says girl, 10, ingested meth before death
2 charged after child dies with high levels of meth in her system
Michigan couple charged in autistic girl’s death
Court document: Meth contributed to autistic child’s death
Obituary of Chloe Hobbs | Brown Funeral Home & Cremation Services

Gwenn Michelin

No PhotoName: Gwenn Michelin.
Died: June 8, 2018.
Age at death: 22.
Cause of death: Head injury, drowning.
Location: Vivoin, France.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Gwenn, his mother, her partner, and his little brother were camping when his mother’s partner got drunk and got angry at him. Gwenn was badly beaten and thrown into the water even though his assailant knew he couldn’t swim. His family, terrified because of Gwenn’s stepfather’s history of violence and domestic abuse, didn’t feel free to come forward and tell the authorities what had happened to Gwenn until after the killer had been arrested.

Case Status:
Rémy Pichot (Mother’s partner), convicted of murder of a vulnerable person, sentenced to 30 years.

Sources:
Sarthe – Meurtre d’un jeune autiste à Vivoin : le beau-père condamné à 30 ans de réclusion criminelle – France Bleu
Un Sarthois jugé aux assises pour le meurtre de son beau-fils, un autiste de 22 ans, en 2018 – France Bleu
Il déboule au camping et tue son beau-fils infirme
Procès du meurtre de Vivoin : placé face à ses contradictions, l’accusé se mure dans le silence – France Bleu
Sarthe. Mis en examen pour avoir tué son beau-fils autiste
Sarthe. Mis en examen pour avoir tué son beau-fils autiste
Exclusif. Vivoin : mis en examen pour le meurtre de son beau-fils autiste
Sarthe. Trente ans de réclusion criminelle pour le meurtre d’un jeune autiste

Mae-Kim Lem

No PhotoName: Mae-Kim Lem.
Died: June 5, 2018.
Age at death: 76.
Cause of death: Choking.
Location: Shau Kei Wan, Hong Kong, China.
Disability: Stroke (Mobility impaired, visually impaired), thyroid disorder, arthritis.

Details:
Lem’s husband killed her by choking her to death. He claimed he had been worried who would care for her if he died.

Case status:
Wong Kok-man (Husband), pleaded guilty to manslaughter, sentenced to 2 years in jail; due to be released after about 1 month with credit for time served.

Source:
‘A tragic case’: Judge frees elderly man who killed disabled wife due to fear no one would care for her if he died
殺癱妻 官輕判八旬翁卑微希望：幫吓我哋就少好多悲劇
【法外開恩】黃國萬悲情殺妻 求情信揭欲輕生 留命為控雙老哀歌

Mary Gregory

Photo: An older woman in a teal blazer and pearl necklace, smiling for the camera. Her wispy white hair is culed and cut short; she is wearing glasses. Her fair skin is deeply wrinkled.Name: Mary Gregory.
Died: June 1, 2018.
Age at death: 94.
Cause of death: Fire.
Location: Heysham, Lancashire, England, UK.
Disability: Dementia.

Details:
Mary died of injuries sustained in a house fire. As she was a heavy smoker, it was initially thought to be an accidental death. However, a year later, her grandson’s counselor contacted police and reported that her grandson had told them that he had disabled the fire alarm and started the fire. Police searched his computer and found that he had made several suspicious Internet searches, including one for “feeling guilty for putting a loved one out of their misery”. It turned out that he had set the fire by holding a lighter to Mary’s curtains.

Case Status:
Tiernan Darnton (Step-grandson), convicted of murder, sentenced to 15 years to life.

Sources:
Heysham fire: Truth or dare student guilty of grandmother murder
Student Who ‘Confessed To Killing 94-Year-Old Woman’ In Game Of Truth Or Dare Jailed For Life
Student ‘admitted killing woman, 94, in fire during game of Truth or Dare’
Teen accused of murder ‘confessed to killing nan’ in game of Truth or Dare
Man charged with Heysham grandmother’s house fire murder

Bernadette Green

No PhotoName: Bernadette Green.
Died: May 18, 2018.
Age at death: 88.
Cause of death: Smothered.
Location: Ashton-on-Ribble, Preston, Lancashire, England, UK.
Disability: Mobility impaired due to fall; frail elder.

Details:
Bernadette’s son severely neglected her before killing her by smothering her.

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

Source:
Preston murder trial Day 2: Mum showed signs of severe neglect
Murder accused son queried post-mortem
Ex-police officer murdered ‘burden’ mum
Preston pensioner Bernadette Green was found with neglected rotting skin injuries, murder jury told

Heaven Watkins

Photo of Heaven Watkins, a small girl with brown skin and black hair pulled back under a silver crown. She is wearing a coral-colored dress and a sash that says "Birthday Girl". Her face is scrunched up in a wide smile.Name: Heaven Watkins.
Died: May 18, 2018.
Age at death: 11.
Cause of death: Internal injuries from blunt-force trauma.
Location: Norfolk, Virginia, USA.
Disability: Cerebral palsy, autism.

Details:
Born a micropreemie at 1.7 pounds, Heaven survived a brain hemorrhage and hydrocephalus and had to spend three-and-a-half months in the NICU.

Heaven had two sisters. Her favorite colors were purple and pink. She was autistic and had cerebral palsy. She was outgoing and had fun with the neighborhood kids. She liked to play tag and to draw on the ground. One of her classmates, a girl named Claire, liked to run her fingers through Heaven’s hair. She was outspoken and “didn’t hide anything from anyone.”

She lived with her mother and her mother’s boyfriend, both of whom were abusive. She was once brought into the hospital with burns to her hand that required skin grafts, and her teachers were worried that she had been sexually abused; but the child abuse allegations at that time were ruled unfounded. Heaven usually wore a jacket to hide her bruises. She was put on a bread-and-water diet and made to stand against a wall for hours.

Heaven died of blunt-force trauma, having been severely beaten in the head and torso to the point that her gut ruptured. Doctors who examined her body found she had bleeding on the brain, as well as a dozen or more healed rib fractures and several new ones.

After Heaven was found dead, her two sisters were removed from the home and are now living with their aunt. Her neighbors held a vigil for her, releasing pink, purple, and white balloons into the sky in her honor.

Case status:
Latoya Smith (Mother), pleaded guilty to felony homicide and child abuse, sentenced to 30 years in prison.
Demont James Harris (Mother’s boyfriend), pleaded guilty to felony homicide and two counts of child abuse/neglect, sentenced to 60 years in prison with 35 years suspended.

Source:
In Minnesota’s rush to reunite children with abusive parents, hundreds of kids are hurt again
Heaven Watkins: Prison for mom who fatally beat special needs daughter’s stomach open
Couple arrested for the death of a child in Norfolk
Two more children taken from Norfolk home after 11-year-old’s death
Norfolk couple faces judge after 11-year-old dies
Medical Examiner: cause of Norfolk 11-year-old’s death was blunt force trauma
Mom, boyfriend beat slain disabled girl so severely that her stomach split open: Report
Mother, fiancé charged in death of 11-year-old autistic child, caused abdomen to split
Ocean View neighbors gather for vigil of an 11-year-old girl, Heaven
Neighborhood holds vigil for 11-year-old girl killed in Ocean View
Bond denied for man charged in Norfolk child’s death
Disabled 11-year-old girl was forced to stand for hours, beaten until she died, prosecutor says
Murdered disabled girl who had stomach beat open was forced to stand for hours on end, fed only bread & water: Prosecutor
Brian K. Payne: Learning from Heaven’s time on earth
Prosecutors DROP murder charges against mom & boyfriend accused of beating disabled girl’s stomach open
New charges suggest two didn’t intend to kill 11-year-old Norfolk girl
Charges amended for mother and boyfriend charged in fatal Ocean View child abuse case
Family of 11-year-old victim speaks out as they plan memorial services to honor the child
Heaven’s Story: Mom pleads guilty in 11-year-old daughter’s death