Minoru Hioki

No PhotoName: Minoru Hioki.
Died: September 20, 2013.
Age at death: 75.
Cause of death: Cyanide poisoning.
Location: Muko City, Kyoto, Japan.
Disability: Lung cancer.

Details:
Mr. Hioki moved in with a woman he had met through a dating service. When he went to take his health supplements, he did not know his wife had poisoned the capsules. When he began gasping for breath and passed out, his wife refused resuscitation on his behalf, telling medics that he was dying of lung cancer and had no children, even though his lung cancer was in remission and he had several children. Mr. Hioki’s death was initially ruled natural, as was that of Masanori Honda, who had also been living with the same woman. However, when she made the mistake of killing a healthy man whose death could not be written off, an autopsy was done and cyanide poisoning was discovered in all three bodies.

Case Status:
Chisako Kakehi (Common-law Wife), convicted of three murders, sentenced to death.

Sources:
The 74-year-old ‘Black Widow’ killer who murdered her lovers with cyanide
Alleged black widow gets second cyanide charge
‘Black Widow’ charged in Japan over death of husband No. 4

Jaelen Edge

A photo of a brown-skinned boy with a buzz cut, wearing a T-shirt, sitting on a deck chair, looking to the side, frowning. Inset: Photo of a brown-skinned young girl with brown skin and black hair pulled back, chin in her hand, smiling, wearing a coral blouse.Name: Jaelen Edge.
Died: September 14, 2013.
Age at death: 13.
Cause of death: Drowning.
Location: Santa Ana, California, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Jaelen was poisoned and then drowned by his mother, who also killed his ten-year-old sister Faith.

Case status:
Marilyn Edge (Mother); pleaded guilty to murder; sentenced to life without parole.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Jaelen Edge
Ariz. Mother Allegedly Kills Children To Prevent Father From Getting Custody
Marilyn Edge Update: Ariz. mom accused of poisoning daughter, autistic son, charged with murder
Mother Accused of Poisoning Children in OC Asks Judge for Death
Marilyn Edge update: Documents shed light on what murder suspect was going through
Arraignment postponed for Marilyn Edge, mother charged in children’s deaths
Grand jury testimony: Mom’s plot to kill children involved sleeping pills, drowning
Mother pleads guilty
Mother sentenced to life in prison for murder of 2 kids in Santa Ana

Nathalyz Rivera

Photo of Nathalyz Rivera, a baby with light-tan skin and black hair, wearing a big white hair ribbon. She has her eyes wide open and her tongue poking out of her mouth a little.Name: Nathalyz Rivera.
Died: September 9, 2013.
Age at death: 3.
Cause of death: Starvation.
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
Disability: Down syndrome (visually impaired, unable to walk or talk).

Details:
Nathalyz and her siblings were starved and neglected by their parents, fed only once a day. Nathalyz, the youngest, could not hold a bottle to feed herself. When she died of starvation, her parents were arrested.

Her two brothers and two sisters survived and were moved to foster homes.

Case status:
Carmen Ramirez (Mother), convicted of 3rd-degree murder, manslaughter, negligence; sentenced to 30-60 years in prison.
Carlos Rivera (Father), convicted of 3rd-degree murder, manslaughter, negligence; sentenced to 30-60 years in prison.

Source:
Mother ‘used daughter’s disability checks to party at casinos months before her 3-year-old starved to death on filthy floor’
Parents of fatally starved girl get long prison terms

Edward O’Brien Jr.

Gravestone of Edward J. O'brien Jr.Name: Edward J. O’Brien Jr.
Died: September 8, 2013.
Age at death: 92.
Cause of death: Heart failure
Location: West Whiteland, Pennsylvania, USA.
Disability: Heart condition.

Details:
Edward’s son kept him from getting medical treatment for his heart condition and neglected him. When he died of heart failure, he was starving and covered in bedsores.

Mr. O’Brien was a World War II veteran.

Case status:
Edward J. O’Brien III (Son), found guilty of third-degree murder, involuntary murder, aggravated assault, and recklessly endangering another person, sentenced to 5-10 years.

Source:
Prelimnary hearing set in death of West Whiteland man
In murder trial, Chesco lawyer says father died as he wanted
Chester County Man Convicted Of Murder In Death Of Elderly Father
West Whiteland man guilty of murder in his father’s death
Judge gives O’Brien 5 to 10 years for death of father
Chesco attorney guilty of letting father die ordered to state prison

Madison Garcia

Photo of Madison Garcia, a fair-skinned baby strapped into a car seat. She has a big white bow on her head. There are lots of dangle toys hanging all around her.Name: Madison McKenzie Garcia.
Died: September 2, 2013.
Age at death: 13 months.
Cause of death: Malnutrition, dehydration.
Location: West Columbia, South Carolina, USA.
Disability: Down syndrome.

Details:
Madison’s parents starved her to death.

Case status:
Tracy Roach (Mother), pleaded guilty to murder, sentenced to life without parole.
Filiberto Garcia Campos (Father), pleaded guilty to murder, sentenced to life without parole.

Source:
Pair charged after infant daughter dies from malnutrition, dehydration
Father gets life in prison after infant with Down syndrome starved to death
Lexington dad gets life sentence after infant daughter dies from malnutrition, dehydration

Virginia Chumbley

Photo of Jenny Chumbley, fair-skinned woman with long brown hair cut in bangs. She is wearing a white shirt with blue sleeves. Her head is tilted back and she is smiling.Name: Virginia “Jenny” Chumbley.
Died: August 28, 2013.
Age at death: 44.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: London, Kentucky, USA.
Disability: Breast cancer.

Details:
Jenny’s husband shot her in the head as she slept. He claimed he had done it to “stop her suffering”.

Case status:
Ernest Christ Chumbley (Husband), pleaded guilty to manslaughter, sentenced to 13-15 years.

Source:
Man who says he killed wife to stop suffering given 15 years

Melissa Torres

Photo of Melissa Torres, a woman with light brown skin, dark brown hair, and glasses. She wears large earrings and a maroon-and-gray sweater; in the foreground is a joystick for controlling her power wheelchair.Name: Melissa Torres.
Died: August 4, 2013.
Age at death: 32.
Cause of death: Asphyxia.
Location: New York City, New York, USA.
Disability: Quadriplegic.

Details:
Melissa’s boyfriend strangled or suffocated her.

Melissa had a two-year-old son who was in the apartment at the time. Though he was alone for most of the next day, the little boy was found safe and now lives with his grandmother.

Case status:
Angelo Sanchez (Boyfriend), convicted of and sentenced to 25 years to life.

Source:
Quadriplegic Woman Found Dead In Her Williamsburg Bathroom, Boyfriend Charged
Boy left with murdered mom’s body still thinks she’s just sleeping
NYC man gets 25 years to life for suffocating quadriplegic girlfriend, leaving son with body

Matthew Hafer

No PhotoName: Matthew Hafer.
Died: Several days before July 27, 2013.
Age at death: 28.
Cause of death: Prescription drug overdose.
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Matthew’s mother poisoned him with an overdose of prescription drugs.

Case status:
Joann Hafer (Mother), pled guilty to second-degree murder; sentenced to 10 years to life.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Matthew Hafer
Woman accused of killing son who had autism set for court
Police: Vegas woman drugged adult son to death
Mom accused of fatally drugging son appears in court
Police: Woman survives suicide attempt, arrested in death of disabled son
Court case

Lola Mae Stout

No PhotoName: Lola Mae Stout.
Died: July 14, 2013.
Age at death: 73.
Cause of death: Heat stroke.
Location: Phoenix, Arizona, USA.
Disability: Stroke, goiter, schizophrenia.

Details:
Instead of getting medical care for their ailing mother, Lola Mae’s sons and husband loaded her in the back of the van where they all lived along with 35 starving animals. As they loaded her in, she collapsed, but they ignored her and went on a two-hour drive to Phoenix. The van had no air conditioning; when they arrived, they found her dead.

Case status:
Alan Stout (Son), sentenced to 2 years probation for vulnerable adult abuse and animal cruelty.
Gregory Stout (Son), sentenced to 2 years probation for vulnerable adult abuse and animal cruelty.
Alva Stout (Husband), sentenced to 2 years probation for vulnerable adult abuse and animal cruelty.

Source:
Men get probation for abuse in mother’s death
AZ woman found dead in van carrying 35 animals

Isaiah Buckner

School photo of Isaiah Buckner, a boy with fair skin and sandy hair, wearing very thick glasses and a striped shirt. His smile shows a gap between his front teeth.Name: Isaiah A. Buckner.
Died: July 10, 2013.
Age at death: 10.
Cause of death: Peritonitis from untreated internal injury.
Location: Athol, Massachusetts, USA.
Disability: Autistic, deaf, visually impaired.

Details:
Isaiah died soon after he was rushed to the hospital with abdominal trauma. His caregiver had kicked him in the stomach, severing his small intestine; then the injury was ignored for several days, killing him.

Isaiah attended Austine School for the Deaf. He was energetic and social and liked to give everyone hugs.

Case status:
Christopher Vinsant (Mother’s boyfriend), pled guilty to involuntary manslaughter, sentenced to 8-10 years.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Isaiah Buckner
Athol man pleads guilty in death of 10-year-old Isaiah Buckner
Man pleads guilty to manslaughter for Athol boy’s death in 2013
Man pleads guilty to manslaughter for Athol boy’s 2013 death
Investigative report details 110 child abuse and neglect deaths, with a third happening under eye of Mass. DCF
Isaiah Buckner | Out of the shadows