Remembering the Disabled Murdered by Caregivers
Suspect convicted and sentenced.
Name: Shilpi Akter.
Died: June 8, 2014.
Age at death: Adult.
Cause of death: Stabbed.
Location: Jadurchar, Hemayetpur, Bangladesh.
Disability: Deaf.
Details:
Shilpi’s husband stabbed her to death.
Case status:
Md Sharif (Husband), convicted of murder, sentenced to death.
Name: Mary Driscoll.
Died: May 24, 2014.
Age at death: 94.
Cause of death: Head injury.
Location: Brick, New Jersey, USA.
Disability: Dementia, “frail”.
Details:
Mary’s granddaughter came home drunk and angry from a date and took out her anger on her grandmother, beating her badly, leaving her lying on the floor without medical attention for a weekend, and then beating her again.
A friend of her granddaughter’s who saw Mary’s injuries called 911. Mary was taken to the hospital, but she had suffered head injuries that were too severe to survive. She died eight days after the initial beating.
Case status:
Katherine Schubert (Granddaughter), pleaded guilty to manslaughter, sentenced to 5-10 years.
Source:
Mary F. Driscoll Obituary
Granny killer, teacher’s murder on the docket
Woman sentenced for beating grandmother to death
Woman drank Maker’s Mark, beat grandma to death
Name: Anja Dewees.
Died: May 20, 2014.
Age at death: 45.
Cause of death: Skull fracture.
Location: Enfield, Connecticut, USA.
Disability: Chronic illness; liver failure; alcoholism.
Details:
Anja was neglected and abused by her husband and caretaker. She died of a particularly vicious beating, weighing only 70 pounds.
Case status:
John Dewees Jr. (Husband), pleaded guilty to manslaughter, sentenced to 15 years in prison.
Source:
Anja Dewees – Thursday, May 22nd, 2014
Enfield Murder Suspect Did Not Want to Change Wife’s Diaper: Police
Enfield man gets 15 years in beating death of chronically ill wife
Name: Heaven Woods.
Died: May 20, 2014.
Age at death: 5.
Cause of death: Internal bleeding, blunt trauma.
Location: Forsyth, Georgia, USA.
Disability: ADHD; mother claims autism.
Details:
When Heaven had hand-shaped bruises on her throat, her mother claimed she was autistic and tried to choke herself. Eventually, Heaven was beaten to death by her mother and her mother’s boyfriend.
Case status:
Amanda Hendrickson (Mother), pleaded guilty to murder, sentenced to life.
Roderick Buckner (Mother’s boyfriend), pleaded guilty to murder, sentenced to life without parole.
Source:
Autism Memorial: Heaven Woods
Man pleads guilty in Heaven Woods’ death, mother still facing death penalty
Mom guilty in ‘savage’ beating death of 5-year-old Heaven Woods
Rome girl, 5, died of blunt force trauma; pregnant mother arrested
Grandmother of slain girl wants death penalty for daughter
Mother and boyfriend ‘beat her five-year-old daughter named Heaven to death three weeks after child services dropped abuse investigation’
Father of 5-year-old Heaven still in shock over her death
Name: Jessica Watkins.
Died: May 4, 2014.
Age at death: 21.
Cause of death: Stabbed, strangled.
Location: Newport, Wales, UK.
Disability: Learning disability, ADHD, autism spectrum disorder.
Details:
Jessica was an extrovert who liked to party. She was a gaming fan who frequented Newport City Gaming, a club that creates videos and live shows based on video games.
Jessica was abused by her boyfriend, who finally killed her by stabbing and strangling her. He had nearly strangled her a month earlier, but the people who completed a Vulnerable Adult Review on her situation did nothing to help, and Jessica returned to her boyfriend.
Case status:
Kristopher Mitchell (Boyfriend), convicted of murder, sentenced to 16 years 8 months to life.
Source:
Autism Memorial: Jessica Watkins
Woman murdered by her boyfriend had been strangled by him a month before – Wales Online
Kristopher Mitchell jailed for Jessica Watkins murder
Newport man, Kristopher Mitchell, admits murder of Jessica Watkins whose body was found in the bath of a house on Bryn Bevan, Brynglas
Jessica Watkins’ murder ‘could not have been prevented’ – report finds
‘This was a brutal attack on a defenceless 21-year-old’: Boyfriend jailed for fatally stabbing Jessica Watkins 27 times in his bathroom
Name: Ramona Atkinson.
Died: April 30, 2014 (Body found).
Age at death: 72.
Cause of death: Abandonment.
Location: Parker, Florida, USA.
Disability: Elderly disabled; wheelchair user.
Details:
Ramona’s son stole her money and her wheelchair and left her to die.
Case status:
Herbert Todd Atkinson (Son), convicted of elder neglect, exploitation, and theft, sentenced to 20 years.
Source:
Police: Man stole disabled mom’s money and left her to die
Inmate Population Information Detail
Name: Kalib Smart.
Died: April 28, 2014.
Age at death: 17.
Cause of death: Pneumonia, bedsores, infection.
Location: Alva, Woods County, Oklahoma, USA.
Disability: Shaken baby syndrome.
Details:
Kalib’s parents neglected him; he died of pneumonia, untreated bedsores, and infection.
Case status:
Twana Smart (Adoptive mother), convicted of child neglect, sentenced to 15 years, with all but 7 years suspended.
Timothy Smart (Adoptive father), convicted of permitting child neglect, given a 10 year deferred sentence.
Source:
Alva couple sentenced in child neglect cases
Review of the Death Kalib Smart
Report released detailing cause of death, injuries to Kalib Smart
Reports on death of handicapped boy, 17, prompts investigation into parents
Name: Olivia Clarence.
Age at death: 4.
Name: Ben Clarence.
Age at death: 3.
Name: Max Clarence.
Age at death: 3.
Died: April 22, 2014.
Cause of death: Smothered.
Location: New Malden, London, UK.
Disability: Spinal muscular atrophy type 2.
Details:
When twins Ben and Max were babies, their mother had requested DNR orders on them and Olivia; later on there were allegations that she had been tampering with their medical equipment, neglecting, and emotionally abusing her children. These allegations were dropped.
Oliva, Ben, and Max were all smothered by their mother when Olivia was four and Ben and Max were three years old.
Case status:
Tania Clarence (mother) pleaded guilty to manslaughter by diminished responsibility, and was hospitalized.
Source:
Woman smothered disabled twin sons before killing their sister, court hears
Was mum who smothered disabled kids ignored by social services because she was middle class?
Name: Gabriel McFarland.
Died: April 22, 2014.
Age at death: 4 months.
Cause of death: Head injury.
Location: Des Moines, Iowa, USA.
Disability: Deaf in one ear.
Details:
Gabriel’s birth parents were teenagers who decided to give him up for adoption. In an open adoption, they chose Rachel and Heidi McFarland to be Gabriel’s adoptive mothers. The McFarlands were there at Gabriel’s birth to cut the cord and take him home from the hospital. When they found out that Gabriel was deaf in one ear, they began learning sign language.
But Gabriel’s birth parents had never completely signed away their parental rights, and when Gabriel was a few months old, his birth mother decided not to go through with the adoption and took him back. Five weeks later, she left him alone with his birth father, who shook and beat Gabriel until he died from severe head injuries.
Case status:
Drew James Weehler-Smith (Birth father), convicted of murder, sentenced to 17 to 50 years and a $150,000 fine.
Source:
ADOPTION TWIST: Three Mothers Mourn Baby’s Death
Iowa couple win $3.25m after adopted baby killed by dad
Couple Wins $3.25 Million After Adopted Baby Was Reclaimed By Birth Parents And Killed By Father
Name: Otto Smith.
Died: April 13, 2014.
Age at death: 18.
Cause of death: Asphyxia.
Location: Auburn, Seattle, Washington, USA.
Disability: Autism.
Details:
After long-term severe abuse, Otto’s mother’s boyfriend restrained and smothered him. Despite witnessing months of abuse that nearly killed Otto and his brother several times, his mother did nothing to help.
Otto liked to watch The Lion King, and his favorite toy was a musical keyboard. His younger brother, who survived abuse for several months after Otto died, went on to testify in his murder trial. He is now safe, living with his grandparents.
Case status:
Matthew Christenson (Mother’s boyfriend); convicted of second-degree murder, homicide by abuse, felony harassment, sentenced to 65 years.
Pascia Backman (Mother), pleaded guilty to helping cover up the murder, ordered to mental health and drug treatment.
Source:
Autism Memorial: Otto Smith
Trial considers whether man killed, tortured girlfriend’s sons
Mom: Beau’s love left me ‘euphoric,’ then he killed my son
Brother of slain autistic teen: Abuse rendered me ‘hopeless’
Boyfriend found guilty of murdering woman’s autistic son
65 years for Auburn man in death of girlfriend’s autistic son he bound and gagged
