Status: Sentenced – Page 9 – Disability Day of Mourning

Jasmine Cannady

Name: Jasmine Cannady.
Died: February 22, 2021.
Age at death: 22.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Ambridge, Pennsylvania, USA.
Disability: Mental illness.

Details:
Jasmine’s mother allegedly shot them and their 16-year-old brother Jeffrey with a shotgun. Police say Jasmine’s mother said she was worried that Jasmine would be committed to a mental institution because of their disability, and that their father would take custody of their brother; so she killed both siblings instead.

Jasmine worked at FedEx. They are remembered by friends at PRISM, the local LGBT+ youth organization, as sweet, shy, and artistic. They loved to dance. Under Jasmine’s favorite quotes on Facebook, they posted, “Don’t let anyone bring you down. Don’t let people tell you can’t do anything in life. You mean something.”

Case Status:
Krisinda A. Bright (Mother), pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree murder, sentenced to 2 consecutive life sentences without parole.

Source:
Krisinda Bright, Ambridge Mother Accused Of Killing 2 Children, Pleads Guilty
Ambridge mother accused of killing her two children will face trial
HRC Mourns Trans & Non-Binary Siblings Who Were Killed
Beaver County LGBTQ+ group holds vigil for siblings killed in Ambridge shooting
‘Please Don’t Shoot’: Krisinda Bright Accused Of Shooting, Killing Her 16-Year-Old, 22-Year-Old Children
Jasmine Cannady | Facebook

Connie Hunt

No Photo Name: Connie Hunt.
Died: February 15, 2021.
Age at death: 72.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Chocowinity, North Carolina, USA.
Disability: Dementia, physical disability.

Details:
Connie’s ex-son-in-law, who lived with her and her daughter, killed her with a shotgun.

Case Status:
James Carver (Ex son-in-law), pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, sentenced to 25-31 years in prison.

Sources:
Chocowinity man admits to murder
Chocowinity man pleads, sentenced in murder case
Beaufort County man charged with murder in death of ex-mother-in-law
Beaufort County man sentenced to 25-31 years in prison for murder of ex-mother-in-law

Peter Cuacuas

Name: Peter Cuacuas.
Died: February 10, 2021.
Age at death: 7.
Cause of death: Starvation.
Location: Newburgh, New York, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Peter lived with his mother, but saw his father every Saturday. He stopped attending his online classes in January; in February, he was brought to the hospital, dead on arrival from starvation and weighing only 37 pounds. He died because his mother kept him locked into his room and denied him food.

Case Status:
Letitia Bravo (Mother), pleaded guilty to manslaughter, sentenced to 15 years.
Arturo Cuacuas (Father), pleaded guilty to criminally negligent homicide, sentenced to one and one-third to four years in prison.

Sources:
Caregiver pleads guilty in starvation death of 7-year-old boy
Memorial marks 1 year since starvation death of Newburgh boy
Dad Admits Role In Child’s Death, Will Testify Against Girlfriend
Autism Memorial: Peter Cuacuas
‘He weighed 37 pounds, and he was 7 years old.’ Questions linger following Newburgh boy’s death
Inquiry To Be Launched Into Newburgh Schools Following Starvation Death Of 7-Year-Old Peter Cuacuas
Letitia Bravo Facing Murder Charges After 7-Year-Old Peter Cuacuas Dies Of Starvation

Jamal Anderson Jr.

Name: Jamal Anderson Jr.
Died: February 8, 2021.
Age at death: 5.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.
Disability: Down syndrome.

Details:
Jamal died from a gunshot wound to the stomach. Intially, his father claimed that Jamal had been shot by home invaders; but when police found the murder weapon in a backpack outside the house, it turned out to be his father’s gun.

Jamal loved music and dancing and could often be found talking to relatives on his iPhone.

Case Status:
Jamal Anderson Sr. (Father), pleaded guilty to child neglect, sentenced to 12 years in prison, 8 years extended supervision, and “over $1000” in restitution.

Sources:
Dad charged after son, 5, with Down syndrome fatally shot in stomach
Jamal Anderson, Jr.
12 years in prison for Milwaukee father in fatal shooting of son
My son life was taken by gun violence at 5yrs old, organized by Jaquita Harbour

Hezekiah Pettiford

No Photo
Name: Hezekiah Pettiford.
Died: January 28, 2021.
Age at death: 15.
Cause of death: Head injury.
Location: Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
Disability: Autism, ADHD.

Details:
Hezekiah was found unresponsive at his home and was taken to the hospital, where he died two days later from a severe head injury. He weighed only 75 pounds, indicative of malnutrition, and his injuries were consistent with chronic child abuse.

Hezekiah loved math, had an extensive vocabulary and enjoyed watching game shows like Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy. His favorite movie was Home Alone and he loved eating macaroni and cheese and chicken nuggets.

Case Status:
Stefanie Colon (Aunt), found guilty of first-degree child abuse resulting in severe physical injury and two counts of neglecting a minor; sentenced to 4 years.
Dion Ball Sr. (Uncle), convicted of first-degree murder and first-degree child abuse; sentenced to 25 years to life.

Sources:
Aunt, uncle charged with abuse, manslaughter in teen’s death
Hezekiah Pettiford – Baltimore, Maryland , Brooks Clinton Funeral Service, P.A. – Memories wall
Focus on preventing child abuse after family members charged in 15-year-old’s death

Guadalupe Martinez

Name: Guadalupe “Lupita” Martinez.
Died: January 28, 2021.
Age at death: 30.
Cause of death: Throat cut.
Location: Othello, Washington, USA.
Disability: Autism, intellectual disability.

Details:
Guadalupe, called “Lupita” by her family, lived with her mother and her mother’s boyfriend. Her mother’s boyfriend killed her mother after an argument; then, when Guadalupe walked in on the killing, he slammed her head against the cement and cut her throat.

Guadalupe loved nail polish, costume jewelry and music.

Case status:
Mauricio Nava-Garibay (Mother’s boyfriend), pleaded guilty to murder, sentenced to 43 years.

Source:
Man who killed, dismembered 2 Othello women gets 43 years in prison
Guadalupe Martinez Obituary
Autism Memorial: Guadalupe Martinez
‘We are all scared’: Neighbors speak after the murders of two women in Othello
Othello man admits to murdering two women: Court documents
Man Stabs and Chops Up Girlfriend And Her Daughter After Argument

Michael Montgomery

Name: Michael Montgomery.
Died: January 13, 2021.
Age at death: 34.
Cause of death: Stabbing.
Location: Wichita, Kansas, USA.
Disability: Unspecified; wheelchair user.

Details:
Police found Michael’s cousin lying on the road in the middle of traffic; he confessed to them that he had killed his cousin. When they searched his house, they found Michael’s wrapped body in a crawl space. His cousin had stabbed him to death.

Michael’s caregiver says he was kind, caring, and often talked about how much he loved his family. “I know how he is, she says, “and how he would tell me, you gotta stay strong. Keep that smile on your face.”

Case status:
Jason Payne (Cousin), pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, sentenced to 19.5 years in prison.

Source:
Kansas man sentenced for killing his disabled cousin
Wichita man admits murdering wheelchair-bound cousin found stuffed in crawl space
Affidvait: Man confesses to killing cousin, placing body in bag, inside crawlspace
Wichita cops found slain man’s body zipped in bag in basement crawl space: affidavit
Caretaker speaks out after former patient is murdered
Police identify man killed in disturbance at E. Wichita home
Wichita stabbing victim identified, cousin arrested

Gopi

No Photo Name: Gopi.
Died: December, 22, 2020.
Age at death: 20.
Cause of death: Throat cut.
Location: Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, India.
Disability: Mobility impaired after accident.

Details:
Gopi had become disabled after an accident, and his father was frustrated that he had to care for him. Gopi’s father came home drunk one day, killed his son with a machete, dumped the body in an unused septic tank, and fled.

Case Status:
Thangavel (Father), convicted of murder and concealing/destroying evidence; sentenced to life.

Sources:
Man gets life imprisonment for killing son in Tiruchi
55-year-old man gets life for killing disabled son
Murder of differently-abled son: Father gets life sentence; Trichy Court Judgment

Mr. Mukai

No Photo Name: Mukai (Family name; given name unknown).
Died: December 2020.
Age at death: 51.
Cause of death: Insulin overdose.
Location: Osaka, Japan.
Disability: Diabetes.

Details:
Mr. Mukai’s wife gave him an overdose of insulin, which he had not been prescribed, causing him to fall into a coma. He remained hospitalized until he died the next year.

Case Status:
Shizuka Mukai (Wife), convicted of murder, sentenced to 15 years.

Sources:
Court rejects appeal of woman jailed for 15 years for killing husband with insulin overdose
A 48-year-old woman arrested in Osaka for suspected murder or insulin administration to her husband Osaka

Karreon Walter-Franks

Name: Karreon Walter-Franks.
Died: November 27, 2020.
Age at death: 15.
Cause of death: Starvation, pneumonia.
Location: Vancouver, Washington, USA.
Disability: Autism, developmental delay, visually impaired.

Details:
At the time of his death, Karreon was known to the child welfare system. His aunt reported to social workers that Karreon and his siblings had been starved for years and had to steal food to survive, and that Karreon was emaciated and had collapsed from hunger. His brother told them that Karreon’s mother had hit him with a cane for throwing up. The last contact by child welfare to the home was only a week before Karreon died and the funeral home contacted police because his body weighed only 65 pounds and was in very poor condition.

After his death, Karreon’s two younger siblings were removed from the home.

Case Status:
Felicia Adams (Aunt, adoptive mother), convicted of second-degree murder and homicide by abuse, sentenced to 35 years.
Jesse Franks (Felicia’s husband), convicted of second-degree murder and homicide by abuse, sentenced to 30 years.

Source:
Karreon Franks’ adoptive parents sentenced to decades in prison for his murder
Couple Accused of Starving Blind Adoptive Son to Death Pleads Not Guilty After Turning Themselves In
Trial begins for parents accused of starving Washington teen to death
SW Washington couple deny starving 15-year-old son to death as murder trial nears end
Clark County jury convicts adoptive parents of homicide by abuse, murder in Vancouver boy’s starvation death
Adoptive parents testify in death of disabled Vancouver boy, say they never withheld food as punishment | The Spokesman-Review
Clark County jury convicts parents for starving disabled son to death
Autism Memorial: Karreon Walter-Franks
State records highlight years of suspected abuse in home where Clark County teen died
Couple arrested in Stockton appear in court on murder allegation in starvation case
Washington couple arrested in starvation death of child
Disabled 15-year-old boy dies weighing 65 pounds DAYS after CPS visits adoptive parents’ home: Reports
Parents of Vancouver teen who died from starvation face murder charges; arrest warrants issued
Washington teen’s death ruled homicide due to starvation and neglect
Police: Authorities visited starving teen days before death
Child welfare visited disabled 15-year-old boy DAYS before he died weighing only 65 pounds, court docs reveal