Status: Sentenced – Page 64 – Disability Day of Mourning

Bridget Charlebois

Name: Bridget Charlebois.
Age at death: 22.
Cause of death: Pneumonia.
Disability: Quadriplegic.
Died: February 2, 2014.
Location: Phoenix, Arizona, USA.

Details:
Bridget’s abusive boyfriend and caregiver had already been caught once leaving her for twelve hours without food or water.

Bridget was nine months pregnant when she had a medical emergency. Instead of helping her or calling emergency services, her boyfriend let her die. By the time an ambulance was called, Bridget was dead, and it was too late to save her baby boy, Isaiah.

Case status:
Andres Bohn Reyes (Bridget’s fiance), convicted of manslaughter, sentenced to 6-7 years.

Source:
Glendale caregiver arrested for murder of disabled fiancee, unborn son
Phoenix Man Accused of Murdering His Quadriplegic Fiancée and Their Unborn Child
Memories of Bridget Charlebois
Man arrested in 2014 deaths of quadriplegic fiancée, unborn son
Mother of pregnant woman: ‘He watched my daughter die’
Police: Phoenix caregiver let pregnant, quadriplegic fiancee die
Caregiver arrested for murder in death of disabled fiancee, unborn son
Arizona man charged for ‘killing pregnant quadriplegic fiance’
Maricopa County Man Arrested For Death Of Woman, Full Term Unborn Child
County Attorney: The Cold Case of a Cold-Hearted Lover
The Latest: Prosecutor: Caregiver ‘did absolutely nothing’
Man Charged With Killing Quadriplegic And Pregnant Fiancee
Man Accused of Killing Quadriplegic Pregnant Fiancee and Her Unborn Child

Ramsay Scrivo

Photo of Ramsay Scrivo, a young man with short brown hair and a muscular build; he is smiling slightly. Name: Ramsay Scrivo.
Died: January 31, 2014.
Age at death: 32.
Cause of death: Asphyxia.
Location: St. Clair Shores, Michigan, USA.
Disability: Schizophrenia.

Details:
Ramsay’s mother dosed him with Xanax until he fell unconscious, then strangled him to death.

Case status:
Donna Scrivo (Mother), convicted of first-degree murder, sentenced to life without parole.

Source:
Donna Scrivo weeps at sight of autopsy photo of son
Dueling images of Donna Scrivo emerge in murder trial
Detective testifies about the discovery of Ramsay Scrivo’s dismembered body along a St. Clair County road
Mom who killed, dismembered son gets life in prison

Ayahna Comb

Name: Ayahna Comb.
Died: January 29, 2014.
Age at death: 9.
Cause of death: Malnutrition/dehydration.
Location: Houston, Texas, USA.
Disability: Cerebral palsy.

Details:
Ayana was fatally neglected by her mother. When she died, her mother wrapped her in blankets and put her 15-pound body in the crisper drawer of her refrigerator.

Case status:
Amber Keyes (Mother), pleaded guilty to injury to a child by omission, sentenced to 20-40 years.

Source:
Death of girl found wrapped in blankets in refrigerator ruled a homicide
Mother of girl, 9, found dead in refrigerator sentenced to 40 years

Lucas Ruiz

Photo of Lucas Ruiz, an infant lying on a fleece throw; he has light skin, neat brown hair, and a round face. Name: Lucas Ruiz.
Died: January 24, 2014.
Age at death: 17 months.
Cause of death: Alcohol poisoning.
Location: Belle Chasse, Louisiana, USA.
Disability: Down syndrome.

Details:
Lucas’s mother poisoned him with hand sanitizer injected into his feeding tube.

Case status:
Erika Wigstrom (Mother), charged with first-degree murder, pleaded guilty, sentenced to 40 years.

Source:
Belle Chasse mom booked with fatal poisoning of her 17-month-old son

Aidan Bossingham

Photo of a young boy with light olive-toned skin, wearing a sweatshirt and a Cardinals baseball cap. Name: Aidan Edward Bossingham.
Died: January 12, 2014.
Age at death: 12.
Cause of death: Starvation.
Location: Kenmare, North Dakota, USA.
Disability: Growth hormone deficiency.

Details:
Aidan’s mother refused him treatment for his growth hormone deficiency and starved him until he died.

Case status:
Jessica Lee Jensen (Mother); pled guilty to murder and child neglect; sentenced to 40 years in prison with 15 years suspended.

Source:
North Dakota woman sentenced in child starvation case
N.D. 13-year-old weighed 21 pounds; mom accused in his starvation death

Bruce Simmons

School photo of Bruce Simmons, a young man with pale skin and brown hair gelled into a neat side-parted style. He is wearing a brown flannel shirt. Name: Bruce Simmons.
Died: January 12, 2014.
Age at death: 58.
Cause of death: Hypothermia.
Location: Kindred, North Dakota, USA.
Disability: Mental illness.

Details:
Bruce’s brother neglected him, letting him starve and freeze to death.

Case status:
Ronald Simmons (Brother), pleaded guilty to one count of endangering a vulnerable person, sentenced to 1 year of parole.

Source:
Plea deal disgusts sister-in-law of brothers in frozen farmhouse case
North Dakota man let mentally ill brother freeze to death: charges

Arthur Pelham

Photo: An older man, balding, with brown hair, wearing a jacket and red shirt. Name: Arthur “Gary” Pelham.
Died: January 5, 2014.
Age at death: 66.
Cause of death: Hypothermia.
Location: Jonesboro, Georgia, USA.
Disability: Bipolar disorder, schizophrenia.

Details:
Gary’s caregiver locked him outside the house during a January ice storm and would not let him back inside. In ten hours, he was dead.

Mr. Pelham was a military veteran.

Case status:
Dale El Smith (Paid caregiver), convicted of murder, sentenced to life.

Source:
Murder conviction stands for woman who left veteran outside to freeze
Ex-caregiver gets life for murder in freezing death of man
Murder conviction stands for woman who left veteran outside to freeze
Murder conviction upheld for woman who let veteran freeze to death

Lena Smith

Photo of Lena Smith. She is an African-American woman wearing big hoop earrings. She has very curly black hair. Name: Lena “Elaine” Smith.
Died: January 2, 2014.
Age at death: 45.
Cause of death: Stabbed.
Location: Norfolk, Virginia, USA.
Disability: Schizophrenia.

Details:
When Lena’s boyfriend stabbed her to death, he claimed he had done it in self-defense because she had schizophrenia and was violent. Lena did have schizophrenia–but she had been stabbed six times in the back, and the jury didn’t buy his self-defense claim.

Case status:
Ulysses Jay James (Ex-boyfriend), convicted of second-degree murder, sentenced to 31 years.

Source:
Man who stabbed his ex-girlfriend to death in Norfolk gets 31 years
Police make arrest in stabbing death of Norfolk mother
Norfolk man stabbed his girlfriend in self-defense, lawyer argues as murder trial opens

Saharah Weatherspoon

Photo of Saharah Weatherspoon, a toddler girl sitting in a pink car seat. She has very curly black hair and brown skin. Name: Saharah Weatherspoon.
Died: January 1, 2014.
Age at death: 23 months.
Cause of death: Head injury.
Location: Ringgold, Georgia, USA.
Disability: Developmental delay.

Details:
When doctors noticed Saharah’s bruises in the months before her fatal head injury, Saharah’s foster mother said Saharah was falling down because of her developmental delay and asked for a helmet. Saharah died of severe head injuries; she had been beaten to death by her foster mother.

Case status:
Clara Louise Edwards (Foster mother), pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter, sentenced to 20 years.

Source:
Former Ringgold foster mom pleads guilty to killing baby, sentenced to 20 years
Defense wraps up its case with afternoon of testimony in Clara Edwards murder trial
Jury Reaches Verdict in Foster Child Death Case

Piotr Grabowski

Photo: Young man with pale skin and light-brown hair in a buzz cut. Name: Piotr Grabowski.
Died: Unspecified; killers sentenced in 2014 “after a lengthy trial”.
Age at death: 31.
Cause of death: Blunt trauma.
Location: Osztyn, Poland.
Disability: Unspecified; wheelchair user.

Details:
Piotr’s wife lured him into a park, where her two boyfriends were waiting to beat him to death.

Case status:
Joanna Grabowski (Wife); sentenced to 25 years.
Jacek Pawlak (Wife’s boyfriend), sentenced to life.
Lukasz Kaminski (Wife’s boyfriend), sentenced to life.

Source:
Wife rewarded two men who murdered her wheelchair-bound husband by having a threesome immediately after they killed him