Remembering the Disabled Murdered by Caregivers
Suspect convicted and sentenced.
Name: B. L. (Initials; full name unknown.)
Died: November 26, 2005.
Age at death: 13 months.
Cause of death: Brain damage; shaken baby.
Location: Alberta, Canada.
Disability: Developmental delay.
Details:
B. L. died of shaken baby syndrome, caused by his foster father.
Case status:
His foster father pleaded guilty to manslaughter; he was sentenced to five years, paroled within 2 years.
Source:
Learning from a sad, short life
Name: Jason Ritzert.
Died: November 10, 2005.
Age at death: 30.
Cause of death: Asphyxia.
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
Disability: Intellectual disability.
Details:
Jason’s roommates, who often abused him under the pretext of “punishing” him, set him on fire and then left his severe burns untreated for days before strangling him.
Case status:
Timothy Caldwell, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder, sentenced to life in prison.
Melissa Adams, pleaded guilty to third-degree murder, sentenced to 30-60 years.
Russell Lee Hilliard, pleaded guilty to third-degree murder, sentenced to 20-40 years.
Name: Mary Mount.
Died: October 19, 2005 (Body found; died around January 4, 2004).
Age at death: 28.
Cause of death: Smothered.
Location: Cape Coral, Florida, USA.
Disability: Russell Silver Syndrome.
Details:
Mary left home to stay in a hotel room with her boyfriend. Sometime during that time, she disappeared. Her boyfriend was questioned; initially, he said that she had taken her car and left, then that she had died of natural causes and he had buried her body. Years later, new evidence led to murder charges, and he admitted to smothering Mary to death.
Case Status:
Terry Daniel McDonald (Boyfriend), pleaded guilty to murder, sentenced to 25 years.
Sources:
Man sentenced to 25 years in prison for 2004 killing of Lee County woman
Terry McDonald charged with murder of Mary Mount, State Attorney’s Office says
Man sentenced to 25 years in prison for 2004 killing of Lee County woman
El Paso Police Department Voluntary Statement
Family says suspect has gotten away with murder for 14 years
Name: Stefanie Christina Brummer.
Died: September 18, 2005.
Age at death: 5.
Cause of death: Suffocation.
Location: Eagleby, Logan, Queensland, Australia.
Disability: Intellectual disability.
Details:
Stefanie’s mother smothered her. She was reportedly frustrated with the child for “doing the wrong thing and being naughty”.
Case Status:
Alice Maree Potter (Mother), pleaded guilty to manslaughter, sentenced to 3-8 years.
Sources:
R v Potter; ex parte A-G (Qld) [2008] QCA
Mother smothers 5yo to death
Name: Britney Abbott.
Died: August 21, 2005.
Age at death: 9.
Cause of death: Car crash.
Location: Auckland, New Zealand.
Disability: Usher syndrome.
Details:
Britney and her little sister both had Usher syndrome. Their father put them in the car and drove off a mountain, killing Britney. Her little sister survived.
Case status:
Garth Duwayne Abbott (Father), convicted of manslaughter, sentenced to 4 1/2 years, released after serving 19 months.
Source:
Father found guilty of manslaughter
Charges ‘ridiculous’ says wife
Killer may not be deported
Parole may bar father from family
Family fights to stay in NZ
Sentencing for man who killed daughter
Mass of the Angels for Britney
Killer immigrant given work permit instead of deportation order
Name: Talia Williams.
Died: July 16, 2005.
Age at death: 5.
Cause of death: Abuse.
Location: Wheeler Army Airfield, Hawaii, USA.
Disability: Incontinence.
Details:
Talia was beaten to death by her father and stepmother.
Case status:
Naeem Williams (Father), murder, life without parole.
Delilah Williams (Stepmother) murder, sentenced to 20 years.
Source:
Talia Williams
Name: Adacelli Snyder.
Died: June 29, 2005.
Age at death: 2.
Cause of death: Malnutrition, infection.
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.
Disability: Cerebral Palsy.
Details:
Adacelli’s parents neglected her and kept her in filthy conditions. She died of a combination of malnutrition and infection.
Case status:
Jack Richardson (Father), sentenced to 10 years to life.
Charlene Snyder (Mother), sentenced to 10 years to life.
Source:
Angelizdsplace: Adacelli Snyder
Parents accused in death of girl
Name: Donna Spadea.
Died: June 26, 2005.
Age at death: 59.
Cause of death: Poisoning.
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
Disability: Intellectual disability.
Details:
Along with several other intellectually disabled adults, Donna was imprisoned, starved, drugged, and beaten by Linda Weston, who acted as her Social Security payee so that she could steal Donna’s money. Donna died after two months of captivity while she was imprisoned in a tiny laundry room, and toxicology testing revealed that she had been poisoned with the drugs Linda had regularly mixed into her food.
Case status:
Linda Weston (Caretaker), multiple charges, life sentence + 80 years.
Gregory Thomas, charged with hate crimes.
Jean McIntosh, pleaded guilty, sentenced to 40 years.
Eddie Wright, pleaded guilty, sentenced to 27 years.
Nicklaus Woodard, pleaded guilty to several charges, including conspiracy, kidnapping and using a firearm in an act of violence, sentenced to 27 years.
Source:
‘Tacony dungeon’ woman who imprisoned disabled adults gets life sentence + 80 years
Daughter of Tacony dungeon ‘mastermind’ gets 40 years – Metro Philadelphia
Tacony ‘dungeon’ case ends with admission of hate crimes against disabled
Seven years after rescue, ‘Tacony dungeon’ victims confront tormentor sentenced to 40 years
‘Pastor Wright,’ codefendant in Tacony dungeon case, gets 27 years in prison
“Basement of horrors” indictment brings light to 2008 Norfolk death
‘Tacony dungeon’ woman who imprisoned disabled adults gets life sentence + 80 years
Name: Adrianna Maria Cram.
Died: June 13, 2005.
Age at death: 4.
Cause of death: Abdominal injury, head injury.
Location: Omealca, Mexico.
Disability: Thyroid condition; speech delay; developmental delay.
Details:
Adrianna’s adoptive parents beat her to death.
Case status:
Elizabeth Romero Marin (Adoptive mother), convicted of aggravated murder, sentenced to 45 years.
Hector de Jesus Luna (Adoptive father), convicted of aggravated murder, sentenced to 2 years.
Source:
Adrianna Maria Cram
Oregon’s investigation into foster child’s death ends at state line
Adrianna Maria Romero Cram
Name: Tiffany Pinckney.
Died: April 2, 2005.
Age at death: 23.
Cause of death: Starvation.
Location: Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.
Disability: Autism, developmental delay.
Details:
Tiffany was locked in a basement by her sister and her sister’s husband, where she starved to death.
Teachers remember Tiffany as a girl who loved music and “was lots of fun”.
Case status:
Allison Cox (sister), convicted of manslaughter, sentenced to 9 years.
Orlando Klass (sister’s husband), pled guilty to criminal negligence, sentenced to 2 years house arrest.
Source:
Autism Memorial: Tiffany Pinckney
Trial ordered in autistic woman’s death
The life and death of Tiffany Pinckney
Autistic woman was starved to death, crown asserts
Nine years for woman’s death