Remembering the Disabled Murdered by Caregivers
Suspect convicted and sentenced.
Name: Aliyah Marie Branum.
Died: April 26, 2013.
Age at death: 2.
Cause of death: Blunt force trauma; fractured skull.
Location: Citrus County, Florida, USA.
Disability: Multiple congenital disabilities.
Details:
Aliyah was beaten to death by her mother.
Case status:
Chelsea Huggett (Mother), pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and aggravated child abuse; sentenced to 30 years.
Source:
Chelsea HUGGETT
ANGELIZD’s Place – Child Abuse Pages – Aliyah Marie Branum
Name: Richard Baxter Davenport Jr.
Died: April 16, 2013.
Age at death: 59.
Cause of death: Blood loss.
Location: North Wilkesboro, North Carolina, USA.
Disability: Leg amputee; used a wheelchair.
Details:
Richard’s neighbor, who served as his caregiver, entered his home and cut his throat, leaving him to die.
He was a military veteran who had been in the Marines.
Case status:
Coy Edward Pack (Neighbor), pleaded no contest to voluntary manslaughter, sentenced to three years and six months to five years and four months in prison
April Pack (Neighbor; Caregiver), pleaded guilty to being an accessory to murder, burglary, and armed robbery, sentenced to 5 years, 6 months to 7 years, 8 months in prison.
Source:
Coy Pack murder trial set
Husband of woman arrested earlier is also charged with murder
Davenport, Richard Baxter, Jr.
Arrest made for murder
Richard Davenport Jr., Marine veteran, dies on April 16
North Wilkesboro man found dead in his home
Eddie Pack pleads guilty to voluntary manslaughter
April Pack is sentenced for being accessory in man’s death
Name: Adrian Colon.
Disability: Autism.
Name: Alexis Colon.
Disability: Cerebral Palsy.
Died: April 11, 2013.
Age at death: 4.
Cause of death: Fire.
Location: West Allis, Wisconsin, USA.
Details:
Adrian and Alexis, twin brothers, and their sister Nayeli, were left locked into their room by their mother while she went out. While they were alone, a fire started and killed the three siblings. Their mother had received prior warnings about her neglect of the children.
Case status:
Angelica Belen (Mother), pleaded guilty to neglect, sentenced to 18 years in prison and 18 years of probation.
Source:
Three young children die in West Allis house fire, mother in custody
Mother of victims in fatal West Allis fire faced previous neglect charges
Couple wishes they would have done more for children killed in fire
Find a Grave: Adrian Colon
Autism Memorial: Adrian Colon
Name: Brian Daniels.
Died: April 9-10, 2013.
Age at death: 46.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Columbia, Missouri, USA.
Disability: Scars from third-degree burns over 2/3rds of his skin.
Details:
Brian’s boyfriend wanted the $5 million settlement Brian had received after he was burned in an apartment fire, so he hired a hit man to shoot Brian. They forged Brian’s will and power of attorney, and two other men helped provide false alibis. The hit man fatally shot Brian in the head. Despite an attempt to stage a burglary scene, all four were arrested.
Brian loved to study ancient religious rituals. He bought and sold ancient Egyptian art online.
Case status:
James Thompson (Caretaker/Boyfriend), first-degree murder, life without parole.
Casey Lewis (Hit man), first degree murder, life without parole.
Christopher Hurt (Accessory), pleaded guilty to hindering the prosecution of a felony, sentenced to 5 years probation.
Glen Anderson (Accessory), pleaded guilty to hindering prosecution, five years probation.
Source:
Columbia man gets probation in connection with death of Brian Daniels
Shooter in murder-for-hire case sentenced to life in prison
A SURPRISING LIGHT: Appears in the dark, strange world of CoMo murder victim Brian Daniels
Name: Michael Stevens.
Died: April 1, 2013.
Age at death: 26.
Cause of death: Choking.
Location: Lakeland, Florida, USA.
Disability: Intellectual disability, epilepsy.
Details:
Michael’s mother neglected him. She didn’t keep him clean, and she often locked him into his room or tied him to a chair. She hadn’t filled his seizure medication prescription in over a year when Michael had a seizure, choked on his vomit, and died.
Case status:
Janet Wade Stevens (Mother), convicted of manslaughter, obstruction of justice, and aggravated abuse; sentenced to 20 years.
Name: Harry Aspley.
Died: April 1, 2013.
Age at death: 23 months.
Cause of death: Head injury; shaken baby.
Location: Stoney Stanton, England, UK.
Disability: Developmental delay; suspected autism.
Details:
Harry was violently shaken by his foster mother. This caused brain injuries which killed him.
Case status:
Wendy Hardy (Foster mother), pleaded guilty to manslaughter, sentenced to six and a half years.
David Hardy, charged with child cruelty.
Source:
Autism Memorial: Harry Aspley
Death of toddler shaken by foster mum “could have been prevented”
Foster mother jailed for killing toddler by violently shaking him
Woman jailed after death of 23-month-old Harry Aspley
Name: Robert Gensiak.
Died: March 20, 2013.
Age at death: 32.
Cause of death: Sepsis.
Location: Scranton, Pennsylvania, USA.
Disability: Down syndrome.
Details:
Robert was severely neglected by his family; he died of blood poisoning from an untreated skin rash his body could not fight because he was so malnourished.
Case status:
Susan Gensiak (Mother), pled to third-degree murder, sentenced to 10-20 years in prison
Joan Gensiak (Sister), convicted of neglect, sentenced to 6 years.
Rebekah Gensiak (Sister), convicted of misdemeanor neglect, sentenced to 6-23 months in jail.
Source:
Susan Gensiak And 2 Daughters Charged With Murder Of Robert Gensiak, Disabled Man
Lackawanna County woman’s sentence overturned in disabled brother’s neglect death
Joan Gensiak re-sentenced to same term for starvation death of brother
Name: Douglas Ivor Streeter.
Died: March 14, 2013.
Age at death: 69.
Cause of death: Shooting.
Location: Natte Yallock, Victoria, Australia.
Disability: Motor neuron disease.
Details:
Douglas and his brother John owned a large sheep farm, which his son was due to inherit when he died. His son shot Douglas and John.
From Douglas’s obituary: “Dougie, an extraordinary person. You always greeted us with wide open arms when we came to visit. Our hearts would melt as we watched you take our little boy out for many drives in your ute with the flashing light.”
Case Status:
Ross Streeter (Son), convicted of two counts of murder, sentenced to 28-37 years.
Sources:
Love and tears for lost brothers
Farm killer stood to inherit $500,000
Killer Ross Streeter ‘sick in the guts’ over shooting murder of father, Douglas, and uncle, John
The Queen v Streeter
STREETER, Douglas Ivor | Death Notices | Melbourne
Name: Gerald Lee Lakes.
Died: March 13, 2013.
Age at death: 24.
Cause of death: Starvation, dehydration.
Location: Lexington, Kentucky, USA.
Disability: Intellectual disability.
Details:
Gerald was neglected and starved to death by his parents.
Case status:
Jerry Lakes (Father), pleaded guilty to second-degree manslaughter, two counts of knowing abuse or neglect of an adult, three counts of exploitation, and three counts of theft by failure to make required disposition of property, sentenced to 20 years.
Peggy Whitlock (Mother), guilty to two counts of knowing abuse and neglect, sentenced to 10 years.
Source:
Lexington couple sentenced for neglect in death of mentally handicapped son
Detectives: Father of man who starved to death spent thousands in a casino
Name: Marci Garvin.
Died: March 11, 2013.
Age at death: 39.
Cause of death: Pneumonia, dehydration.
Location: Fort Worth, Texas, USA.
Disability: Cerebral palsy, intellectual disability, epilepsy.
Details:
Marci’s father and sister neglected her so badly that she died of infection, pneumonia, and dehydration.
Marci had spent 18 years working part-time for the Star-Telegram human resources office. Sadly, the same newspaper was later to publish the report on her death.
Case status:
Mike Garvin (Father), convicted of injury to the disabled and sentenced to 10-20 years in prison.
Tabby Martinjak (Sister), convicted of injury to the disabled and sentenced to 10-20 years in prison.
Source:
Father, daughter sentenced to 20 years in prison in death of disabled woman
Failing Marci: A disabled woman’s story of triumph and tragedy | Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Failing Marci: Investigation raises questions about care and oversight for disabled woman – Fort Worth Star-Telegram (TX), 3/1/2015 Bexar County, Texas