Status: Sentenced – Page 44 – Disability Day of Mourning

Bethannie Johnson

Photo of Bethannie Johnson, a toddler girl in a short black-and-white dress and pink sandals. She has fair skin and short, wispy brown hair; she is sitting sideways on a curved surface and looking at the camera. Name: Bethannie Raychelle Johnson.
Died: March 17, 2016.
Age at death: 3.
Cause of death: Head injury.
Location: Grand Junction, Colorado, USA.
Disability: Reactive attachment disorder.

Details:
Bethannie was living with her aunt and her aunt’s girlfriend.

For two weeks, Bethannie’s aunt had kept her strapped to a high chair in the closet, claiming that she had to do this to keep Bethannie from hurting herself.

Bethannie was found unresponsive and dying of a massive head injury; she had been beaten to death by her aunt’s girlfriend. Her body showed signs of chronic child abuse.

Case status:
Shanna Gossett (Aunt), pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, sentenced to 48 years in prison and 5 years parole.
Rebekah Joy Wallin (Aunt’s girlfriend), pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, sentenced to 48 years in prison and 5 years parole.

Source:
Mesa County women sentenced in beating death of 3-year-old girl
Rebekah Joy Wallin on Why She Admitted Role in Child’s Death: “Because I’m Guilty”
Cops: Suspect kept child in closet
Woman Kept Niece Strapped To A High Chair And Locked In A Closet For Weeks
Woman, 29, ‘kept her niece in closet for two weeks before killing her’
Shanna Gossett: Aunt Kills 3-Year-Old Niece After Pushing Girl’s Head Into A Wall

Kobe Shaw

Name: Kobe Conley Shaw.
Died: March 11, 2016.
Age at death: 9 months.
Cause of death: Methamphetamine poisoning.
Location: Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
Disability: Pontocerebellar hypoplasia.

Details:
When Kobe’s parents found him dead in his crib, they thought he had died because of his disability, which doctors had told them would limit his lifespan to about five years. But when toxicology testing was done, Kobe was found to have been poisoned with methamphetamine. His grandmother, who had been babysitting him that day, initially went on the run, but was eventually arrested and convicted of fatally poisoning Kobe with methamphetamine.

Case status:
Tonya Monroe (Grandmother), convicted of malice murder, two counts of felony murder, cruelty to children and distribution of methamphetamine, sentenced to life without parole.

Source:
Fulton grandmother who ‘poisoned’ toddler with meth sentenced to life in prison
Georgia grandmother ‘murders her nine-month-old grandson with a meth overdose’
In Memory of Kobe Conley Shaw
Police searching for woman accused of murdering infant grandson
Tonya Monroe, 45, of Sandy Springs, accused of killing nine-month-old grandson with Methamphetamine, finally arrested
Woman arrested in her nine-month-old grandson’s overdose death

Tony Myhand

Photo of a white marble gravestone reading, "Tony Myhand, SP4 US Army, Feb 7 1957 to Mar 11 2016." Name: Tony Myhand.
Died: March 11, 2016.
Age at death: 59.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Montgomery, Alabama, USA.
Disability: Unspecified; wheelchair user.

Details:
Tony and his son were arguing because his son would not give Tony the keys to the van. Angered, his son shot him twice, in the neck and chest, killing him. Tony was unarmed.

Case status:
Christopher Myhand (Son), convicted of murder, sentenced to 11-22 years.

Source:
Montgomery man convicted of fatally shooting his father in 2016
Montgomery man accused of murdering father during family altercation
Montgomery Man Convicted of Fatally Shooting His Father in Argument Over Keys

Roberta Rybinski

Name: Roberta A. Rybinski.
Died: March 8, 2016.
Age at death: 51.
Cause of death: Stabbed.
Location: Tonawanda, New York, USA.
Disability: Bipolar disorder.

Details:
Roberta, who was living on disability payments due to her bipolar disorder, was abused by her boyfriend. At one point she was able to leave him and get a protection order, but eventually she moved back into his apartment–an apartment to which he held the only key.

Roberta was stabbed to death by her boyfriend.

Case status:
John M. Avent (Boyfriend), convicted of murder, sentenced to 25 years to life.

Source:
Judge tells convicted murderer his 25 years-to-life prison sentence is well-deserved
Jury convicts boyfriend in Tonawanda woman’s murder
Man arrested in connection to Tonawanda murder
Police investigate Town of Tonawanda woman’s death

Ronald McCabe

Photo of Ronald McCabe. He is a middle-aged man wearing glasses and a suit with a rose pinned to the lapel. He has fair skin, dark brown hair and a mustache. Name: Ronald McCabe.
Died: March 7, 2016.
Age at death: 56.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Kitchener, Ontario, Canada.
Disability: Paralysis resulting from severe head injury.

Details:
Ronald was shot by his son, who came to his care home and killed him there.

Before his disability he had worked as a manager at Home Hardware.

Case status:
Adam McCabe (Son), charged with second-degree murder; pleaded guilty to manslaughter, sentenced to two years in an alcohol rehab center.

Source:
Ronald McCabe Obituary
Man found dead in long-term care home; 32-year-old charged with murder
Man killed at Kitchener long-term care home
Man, 32, charged with 2nd-degree murder in death at Kitchener care home
Murder charges pending over death at Kitchener care home
Man who killed dad in Kitchener nursing home says he wanted to ‘end his suffering’
Son sentenced to treatment centre after killing his father

Mirella Guth

No Photo Name: Mirella Guth.
Died: March 7, 2016.
Age at death: 64.
Cause of death: Stabbed.
Location: Verona, Italy.
Disability: Mobility impaired after stroke.

Details:
Mirella was stabbed to death. Her 37-year-old autistic son Davide was attacked in the same incident; Davide survived, though with serious injuries. Police found a letter allegedly written by Mirella’s husband, which said that he had killed them because caring for his wife and son had become “too much” for him.

Case status:
Giancarlo Righetti (Husband), charged with murder and attempted murder; convicted and sentenced to 13 years 4 months.

Source:
Uccise la moglie e tentò di uccidere il figlio. Condannato a 13 anni e 4 mesi
Woman dead after stabbing by husband
Uccide la moglie inferma, accoltella il figlio autistico e tenta il suicidio
Verona, uccide moglie malata, ferisce il figlio autistico poi tenta il suicidio
Verona, uccise la moglie a coltellate «Ho agito in preda a un raptus»

Maddox Lawrence

Name: Maddox Lawrence.
Died: Three days before February 23, 2016 (Body found).
Age at death: 22 months.
Cause of death: Blunt trauma.
Location: Syracuse, New York, USA.
Disability: Cancer survivor.

Details:
Maddox’s father kidnapped her, beat her to death with a baseball bat, and burned her body. Apparently, he was jealous of all the attention Maddox received while she was being treated for eye cancer.

Case status:
Ryan Lawrence (Father), pleaded guilty to first-degree murder, sentenced to 25 years to life.

Source:
‘They were two kids struggling’: Maddox’s parents were stressed about money, child’s health
A toddler survived cancer. Then her father beat her to death, burned her and tossed her in a creek.
Father killed his 21-month-old who survived cancer ‘because he was jealous of the attention she got’
Jealous dad murdered cancer survivor daughter with baseball bat and burned body after she was showered with attention
Maddox Lawrence murder: Dad battered toddler to death with a baseball bat
NY dad, jealous of the attention his cancer-survivor daughter received, pleads guilty to killing her
>Toddler Survives Cancer, Father Kills Her for Receiving Too Much Attention
Exclusive: In prison, Baby Maddox’s dad and killer faces ultimate question: Why? (video)

Priscilla Edwards

No Photo Name: Priscilla Edwards.
Died: February 21, 2016.
Age at death: 78.
Cause of death: Asphyxia.
Location: London, England, UK.
Disability: Alzheimer’s disease, partial deafness.

Details:
Priscilla tried to make a cup of tea for her daughter, but she was too frail. Her daughter said she didn’t want the tea; then she strangled Priscilla with a scarf.

Priscilla’s daughter had a history of violence against her and against her own daughter.

Priscilla was a retired midwife.

Case status:
Regina Edwards (Daughter), found guilty of manslaughter by diminished responsibility, sentenced to 10 years to life, to be served at a secure mental institution.

Source:
Woman who killed mother with scarf ‘was failed by health trust’
Mentally ill woman killed her elderly mother because she thought she looked like a WITCH
London woman who killed mother because she thought she was a ‘witch’ jailed for life
Woman jailed for life after strangling her elderly mother with silk scarf because she ‘looked like a witch’

Nancy Parker

No Photo Name: Nancy Parker.
Died: February 20, 2016.
Age at death: 75.
Cause of death: Infection.
Location: Haverhill, Massachusetts, USA.
Disability: Disabled elder; bowel disease, unable to care for herself.

Details:
Nancy was left on the floor of her home for five days by her daughter and granddaughter. She was eventually taken to the hospital, but died of infection.

Case status:
Katherine Saintil-Brown (Daughter), convicted of negligent homicide, criminal neglect of an elder adult and failure to report adult abuse; sentenced to 1-3 years and mental health counseling.
Meritel Saintil (Granddaughter), convicted of negligent homicide, sentenced to 2-4 years in prison.

Source:
Woman jailed for her mom’s death in Exeter
Woman found guilty of causing her mother’s death
Daughter pleads not guilty in mother’s death
Woman convicted of negligent homicide in grandmother’s death
N.H. Paramedics Find Neglected Elderly Woman in Squalor
Deliberations continue in elder abuse death trial Jury to decide fate of granddaughter charged with negligent homicide

Deborah Harris

No Photo Name: Deborah Harris.
Died: February 18, 2016.
Age at death: 22 months.
Cause of death: Blunt trauma.
Location: San Jacinto, California, USA.
Disability: Developmental delay.

Details:
Deborah was beaten to death; her body showed signs of abuse and starvation. She was the youngest of three girls; her older sisters survived.

Case status:
Tamara Barker (Mother), charged with child cruelty resulting in death, sentenced to 10 years 8 months.
Malick Harris (Father), charged with child cruelty resulting in death, sentenced to 10 years 8 months.

Source:
Parents of San Jacinto toddler charged in her death a year later
Parents charged in daughter’s death in San Jacinto are arrested in Wyoming
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