Remembering the Disabled Murdered by Caregivers
Suspect convicted and sentenced.
Name: Daniel “Danny” Leubner.
Died: September 4, 1999.
Age at death: 13.
Cause of death: Smoke inhalation.
Location: Auburn, New York, USA.
Disability: Autism.
Details:
Danny died by smoke inhalation in a house fire deliberately set by his mother.
Case status:
Michelle Davis (Mother). Pled guilty to manslaughter; sentenced to six years.
Source:
Autism Memorial: Daniel Leubner
Justice for Danny
Cayuga County child killer back in court
Name: Joy Martin.
Died: May 28, 1999.
Age at death: 69.
Cause of death: Morphine poisoning.
Location: Wanganui, New Zealand.
Disability: Terminal cancer.
Details:
As she lay dying of cancer, Joy’s daughter injected her with a lethal dose of morphine.
After Joy was dead, her daughter wrote a book about killing her mother and was arrested.
Joy’s portrait on this memorial comes from the cover of her daughter’s book. It includes only half her face because on the book’s cover, her daughter used photo manipulation to combine half her face with half of Joy’s. In keeping with my policy of giving the killer as little publicity as possible, the daughter’s part of that image has been cropped out. –Editor
Case status:
Lesley Martin (Daughter), convicted of attempted murder; sentenced to 15 months, released after serving half her sentence.
Name: Kirk Hammersley-Baker.
Died: March 22, 1999.
Age at death: 7.
Cause of death: Asphyxia.
Location: Stoke-on-Trent, England, UK.
Disability: Epilepsy.
Details:
Kirk’s neglectful father and unstable home life was relieved by his attendance at school, which served as his safe haven. He was a loving boy who had a big smile and liked hugs.
Involved in a custody battle and afraid he had lost custody, Kirk’s father drugged him, strangled him with a scarf, wrapped him in a blanket, and dumped his body in an outhouse.
His school opened a new play area in his memory, which was revamped in his honor for the 20th anniversary of his death.
Case status:
Karl Hammersley-Baker (Father), convicted of murder, sentenced to life.
Source:
Tragedy of ‘little boy lost’ strangled to death by own dad
The chilling murder of Stoke-on-Trent boy, 7, strangled to death by his own dad
Murdered Kirk, 7, to be remembered with play area revamp 20 years on
Tragedy of ‘little boy lost’ who wanted love and affection.
Father in custody row killed son, 7
Life for man who strangled son
Name: Louise Papeman.
Died: February 21, 1999.
Age at death: 88.
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Location: Pearl River, New York, USA.
Disability: Kidney disease, depression.
Details:
On her 88th birthday, Louise’s husband shot her with a rifle.
Case status:
Walter Papeman (Husband), sentenced to 1 year.
Source:
Mercy killings: After Westchester Medical Center deaths, a look at similar deaths
MAN, 86, KILLS SICK WIFE, 88: COPS
METRO NEWS BRIEFS: NEW YORK; Retired Plumber Held In Killing of His Wife
Police: Man Kills Ailing Wife On Her 88th Birthday
What is mercy killing? Does Richard DeLucia’s murder-suicide qualify?
Name: Pierre Pasquiou.
Died: December 28, 1998.
Age at death: 10.
Cause of death: Drowning.
Location: Saint-Brieuc, France.
Disability: Autism.
Details:
Pierre was drowned by his mother; she pushed him off a pier into the Atlantic Ocean.
Case status:
Annie Pasquiou (Mother). Given a three year suspended sentence; served no time.
Source:
Autism Memorial: Pierre Pasquiou
Solomon, A. (2014). Far from the tree: Parents, children and the search for identity. Scribner Classics.
Life with Aspergers: Murdering Disabled People
Name: Julie Jensen.
Died: December 3, 1998.
Age at death: 40.
Cause of death: Antifreeze poisoning.
Location: Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin, USA.
Disability: Depression.
Details:
Julie died from antifreeze poisoning. Before her death, she had sent a letter to a friend in which she explained that she was worried about her husband’s behavior, and to suspect him if she died. When her husband was arrested, he claimed that Julie had killed herself because of her depression. While prosecutors pointed out that Julie’s husband had discussed poisoning his wife with co-workers and fellow prisoners in jail, and had searched the Internet for information on poisoning and murdering one’s spouse, defense attorneys claimed Julie had killed herself and framed her husband.
Julie’s husband had the means to hire private lawyers, so the case has been a complex one. Though he was initially convicted and sentenced to life, the verdict was overturned after lawyers argued that the letter which Julie had written to her friend was inadmissible as evidence due to being “hearsay”. In circuit court, the verdict was reinstated; but in appeals court, that decision was reversed and the case sent back to circuit court. More than twenty years after Julie’s death, her husband is now getting a new trial on the same murder charge.
Case Status:
Mark Jensen (Husband), convicted of first degree murder, sentenced to life without parole; verdict overturned, new trial granted; convicted of murder, sentenced to life without parole.
Sources:
Wisconsin man convicted by second jury in antifreeze murder of wife
Wisconsin man again found guilty of killing wife with antifreeze at retrial
Wisconsin man’s retrial begins in wife’s antifreeze death
A ‘letter from the grave’ and a 2-decade long legal battle: 20-year-old murder case goes back to a jury
Mark Jensen Kenosha murder trial: Childhood friend of Jensen’s son takes stand
Second trial date set in Jensen murder case
Murder of Julie Jensen
Name: Shi Rui “Serena” Wang.
Died: September 23, 1998.
Age at death: 23 months.
Cause of death: Medication overdose.
Location: Padstow, New South Wales, Australia.
Disability: Cerebral palsy.
Details:
Serena’s parents were Chinese living in Australia, and Serena’s mother was afraid that if she committed suicide, her husband would take Serena back to a Chinese orphanage. She tried to tie up her husband to stop him from saving Serena’s life, but he fought back and she instead killed him. Then she killed Serena with a medication overdose, and attempted suicide, but was found by police.
Case status:
Joyes Hong Wang (Mother); convicted of manslaughter, sentenced to 4-6 years in prison.
Name: Lenka Orlikova.
Died: August 29, 1998.
Age at death: 14.
Cause of death: Stabbed.
Location: Madison, Wisconsin, USA.
Disability: Brain damage from meningitis.
Details:
Lenka was stabbed to death by her father. He also tried to kill her mother, who survived. Her twin sister was unhurt.
Case status:
Oto Orlik (Father), convicted of murder, sentenced to life term.
Source:
ORLIK’S OTHER DAUGHTER TAKES WITNESS STAND.(Local/Wisconsin)
ORLIK GETS LIFE TERM FOR KILLING DAUGHTER RESEARCHER SANE, JURY SAYS.(Local/State)
Stabbing Death Charges
Family wants to see accused dad
Name: Shannon John Faichney.
Died: June 6, 1998.
Age at death: 18.
Cause of death: Blunt trauma; cerebral hemorrhage.
Location: Wauchope, New South Wales, Australia.
Disability: Intellectual disability.
Details:
Shannon was living with a couple and another teenager. The teenager beat him severely for ten days. On the last day of his life, he was beaten so severely that he fell unconscious; but, despite knowing of the situation, the adults in the house did not call for medical aid for ten hours, while Shannon slowly died.
Case Status:
BJT (Minor household member), status unknown.
Mark McDonald (Household member), sentenced to 4 years with an 18-month minimum and an additional term of 2 years 6 months.
Deborah Anne McDonald (Household member), pleaded guilty to manslaughter by gross negligence, sentenced to 5-7 years.
Sources:
R v McDonald [2001] NSWCCA 301 (2 August 2001)
Shannon John Faichney (1980-1998) – Find A Grave.
Name: Tausha Lee Lanham.
Died: April 19, 1998.
Age at death: 7.
Cause of death: Starvation.
Location: Burgettstown, Washington County, Pennsylvania, USA.
Disability: Prematurity, developmental delays.
Details:
Tausha’s mother kept her restrained and starved her to death. She was seven years old, but weighed less than twelve pounds, when she died.
Case status:
Michelle Tharp (Mother), first-degree murder, death sentence.
Source:
Under a rock, near some water
Michelle Tharp’s attorneys say she should not face death for starving daughter
Michelle Tharp | Murderpedia, the encyclopedia of murderers