Status: Sentenced – Page 81 – Disability Day of Mourning

Manuel Reyes and Rita Morales

Photo of Manuel Reyes. He has tan skin and gray hair, and is wearing a blue sweater and white shirt. Name: Manuel Reyes.
Age at death: 85.
Disability: Double amputee (Legs).

Photo of Rita Morales. She is an elderly woman with gray hair and light-brown skin, wearing a brown collared shirt. Name: Rita Morales.
Age at death: 87.
Disability: Elderly disabled.

Location: Canoga Park, Los Angeles, California, USA.
Died: April 30, 2010.
Cause of death: Traumatic injury.

Details:
Manuel and Rita were both killed by their caregiver, who was Rita’s son and Manuel’s nephew. They were bludgeoned to death with a hammer; Rita was also stabbed.

Case status:
Arthur Reyes Morales (Son, Nephew), pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree murder, sentenced to 30 years to life and must serve at least 17 years.

Source:
Judge finds Canoga Park man was sane when he killed his elderly mother, uncle
Hammer killer sane when he murdered 87-year-old mom, 85-year-old double-amputee uncle
Manuel Reyes, 85
Rita Morales, 87

Name: Gerren Joseph Isgrigg, a.k.a. “Wylie’s Angel”.
Died: April 12-15, 2010.
Age at death: 6.
Cause of death: Exposure.
Location: Wylie, Texas, USA.
Disability: Multiple disabilities; medically fragile.

Details:
Gerren’s grandmother abandoned him in a park, hidden away where no one would see him, and he died there. Unidentified when his body was found, Gerren was briefly known as “Wylie’s Angel”.

Case status:
Darlene Phillips (Grandmother); pleaded guilty to murder; sentenced to 12-28 years.

Source:
Grandmother gets 28 years in death of Gerren Isgrigg, boy dubbed ‘Wylie’s Angel’

Wesley Lawson

Name: Wesley Wayne Lawson.
Died: March 7, 2010.
Age at death: 39.
Cause of death: Starvation.
Location: Lake Wales, Florida, USA.
Disability: Cerebral palsy.

Details:
Wesley’s mother neglected him; he died of starvation weighing 55 pounds. When he died, his bedsores were so severe that his bones could be seen.

Wesley liked playing the harmonica and wheelchair dancing. He competed in the Special Olympics.

Case status:
Vernetta Lawson (Mother), pleaded no contest to aggravated manslaughter of a disabled adult, sentenced to five years probation.

Source:
Woman Spared Jail Time in Starvation Death of Her Disabled Son
Wesley Wayne Lawson Obituary

Kaiya Kapahu

Photo of a small girl with light-tan skin, big brown eyes, and straight, long, black hair. Name: Kaiya Kalora Kapahu.
Died: February 18, 2010.
Age at death: 5.
Cause of death: Starvation.
Location: Phoenix, Arizona, USA.
Disability: Rett syndrome.

Details:
Kaiya was deliberately starved to death by her uncle.

Case status:
Leonard “Sonny” Orta Jr. (Uncle); pled guilty to second-degree murder; sentenced to 18 years.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Kaiya Kapahu
Hawaii dad trusted his brother, but Kaiya instead was starved
Father of special-needs girl found dead had planned to bring her home
Family, friends still struggling as they say farewell to Kaiya
Find a Grave: Kaiya Kalora Kapahu
GCC student honors the memory of Kaiya Kapahu

Thoretta Miller

Portrait photo of a woman with dark-brown skin and curly black hair, wearing a pink blouse and turquoise scarf. Name: Thoretta Miller.
Died: February 12, 2010.
Age at death: 57.
Cause of death: Traumatic injury.
Location: Texas City, Texas, USA.
Disability: “Legally blind and disabled”.

Details:
Thoretta’s granddaughter beat and stabbed her to death.

Case status:
Cheretta Smith (granddaughter), pleaded guilty to murder, sentenced to 42-84 years.

Source:
Texas City woman who killed blind grandmother gets 84 years
Texas City woman admits to murdering blind grandmother
Cheretta Andurnique Smith v. The State of Texas

Ajit Singh

Name: Ajit Singh-Mahal.
Died: February 9, 2010.
Age at death: 12.
Cause of death: Multiple organ failure.
Location: London, England, UK.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Ajit’s mother, facing a social services investigation for neglect, forced him to drink bleach. He died of multiple organ failure.

Case status:
Satpal Kaur-Singh (Mother); pled guilty to manslaughter; sentenced to 7 years.

Source:
Mother kills autistic son by forcing him to drink bleach
Mother killed her autistic son, 12, by forcing him to drink bleach as she ‘feared that social services would take him away’
Woman jailed for killing autistic son, 12, with bleach
Autism Memorial: Ajit Singh

Willie Henderson

Name: Willie Henderson.
Died: January 22, 2010.
Age at death: 60.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: North Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.
Disability: Blind, mobility impaired.

Details:
When Willie Henderson needed help around the house, his godson used to act as a handyman.

Willie’s godson shot him in the back of the head. In court, he claimed that it had been self-defense, even though there were no signs of a struggle.

Willie Henderson was a Vietnam war veteran.

Case status:
Billy Ray James (Godson), pleaded no contest to involuntary manslaughter; spent six years in prison before release.

Source:
Willie Henderson Obituary
Handyman to stand trial in North Las Vegas shooting death
Ex-felon found guilty of 2010 slaying of North Las Vegas man
Hung jury in re-trial of North Las Vegas murder case
Murder case tried three times headed for mistrial, judge says
Judge declares mistrial after man’s third trial in North Las Vegas murder case
Man waits for release in Vegas killing after 3 trials, 1 plea deal, 6 years in prison

Laura Cummings

Photo of Laura Cummings, a woman with fair skin and light-brown hair in a pageboy cut, wearing large glasses and a red sweater with a white lace collar. Name: Laura Cummings.
Died: January 21, 2010.
Age at death: 23.
Cause of death: Asphyxia.
Location: Buffalo, New York, USA.
Disability: Intellectual disability.

Details:
Laura was raped, tortured, and finally smothered by her mother and half-brother.

Friends remember her as shy, quiet, and kind.

Case status:
Eva Cummings (Mother), pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, assault, unlawful imprisonment, endangering the welfare of a disabled person as a hate crime, and was sentenced to 57 years to life.
Luke Wright (half-brother), was found guilty of assault, rape, incest, sodomy, endangering the welfare of an incompetent person, and unlawful imprisonment as a hate crime, and sentenced to 50 years to life.

Source:
Laura Cummings
Angel of Hope: Remembering Laura Cummings
Six years after her horrific death, North Collins woman is laid to rest
N.Y. mom gets prison for killing disabled daughter
Prosecutor: NY man raped, scalded disabled sister
Authorities: Mom, son raped, killed disabled woman

Betty Anne Gagnon

Photo of Betty Anne Gagnon, a middle-aged woman with short brown hair and light skin; her hair is parted messily and her expression is sad. Name: Betty Anne “BA” Gagnon.
Died: November 20, 2009.
Age at death: 48.
Cause of death: Head injury.
Location: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
Disability: Intellectual disability.

Details:
BA was beaten and starved by her sister and sister’s husband. Eventually she died from a blow to the head, weighing 65 pounds.

Case status:
Denise Scriven (Sister), convicted of “failing to provide the necessities of life” and sentenced to 20 months in jail.
Michael Scriven (Brother-in-law), convicted of “failing to provide the necessities of life” and sentenced to 20 months in jail.

Source
Betty Anne Gagnon’s caregivers get jail terms in death
Inquiry into mentally disabled woman’s death likely to raise uncomfortable questions
Betty Anne Gagnon death inquiry hears of caregivers’ descent into drugs, depression
Paula Simons: Who killed Betty Anne Gagnon? We may not like the answers
Denise Scriven testifies that break down prevented her from caring for her disabled sister
Woman who served time for death of sister testifies that breakdown prevented her from caring for sibling
Betty Anne Gagnon’s sister testifies about suicide plan, drug use
Fatality inquiry into disabled woman’s death makes 13 recommendations
Report into death of mentally disabled woman in Alberta calls for better programs

Marie-Nicole Rainville

Black and white photo of Marie-Nicole Rainville, a middle-aged woman. She has light skin and dark hair cut short; she is smiling broadly. Name: Marie-Nicole Rainville.
Died: November 12, 2009.
Age at death: 71.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Quebec City, Canada.
Disability: Stroke.

Details:
Marie-Nicole was shot by her husband.

Case status:
Jacques Delisle (Husband), first-degree murder, sentenced to 25 years to life.

Source:
Jacques Delisle | Murderpedia, the encyclopedia of murderers
‘Destroyed, but not guilty,’ says judge accused of murdering his wife
Bail denied for ex-judge waiting for ministerial review of murder conviction