27 – Disability Day of Mourning

Ronnie Campbell Sr.

Name: Ronnie Credle Campbell Sr.
Died: February 9, 2024.
Age at death: 46.
Cause of death: Stabbed.
Location: Norfolk, Virginia, USA.
Disability: Leg amputee.

Details:
Upon seeing him approach the house where his son lived, Ronnie’s son charged him and stabbed him and his grandmother to death. When he was arrested, he immediately made a full confession.

Ronnie was known as “Fu-fu” to his family. They remember him as loyal and free-spirited, with a good sense of humor.

Case Status:
Ronnie Nyamekye Campbell (Son) was found not guilty of second-degree murder by reason of insanity and hospitalized indefinitely.

Sources:
Man found not guilty by reason of insanity in 2024 double homicide in Norfolk, ordered to state hospital
Commonwealth v. Ronnie N. Campbell
Norfolk police arrest suspect in deadly ‘domestic-related’ double stabbing
Ronnie Credle Campbell – Metropolitan Funeral

James Lewis

Name: James Rashard Lewis.
Died: September 29, 2021.
Age at death: 10.
Cause of death: Throat cut.
Location: Waco, Texas, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
James was found dead at home, with his throat cut. His father, who police say was covered in blood and attempted to evade arrest, was charged with murder.

Neighbors often saw James running back and forth in the hallways and up and down the steps of their apartment complex.

Case Status:
Bronchae Defraunce Lewis (Father), charged with capital murder, found not guilty by reason of insanity; to be evaluated for 100 days at a state mental institution; case to be reviewed yearly.

Sources:
Waco man charged in death of autistic son found not guilty by reason of insanity
Waco man indicted in September death of 10-year-old son
Waco 10-year-old slain Wednesday identified
Affidavit details how Waco man allegedly murdered 10-year-old son
Waco man charged in brutal killing of autistic son regains competency to stand trial
Waco man charged in brutal killing of autistic son regains competency to stand trial

George Howson

Name: George Howson.
Died: March 24, 2021.
Age at death: 73.
Cause of death: Assault.
Location: Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
Disability: Parkinson’s disease.

Details:
George was beaten to death by his stepson.

Case Status:
Timothy Brown (stepson) was found not criminally responsible due to post-seizure psychosis and hospitalized; he was released after “less than a year and a half.” George’s family disputes the verdict, stating that experts “worked outside their expertise and scope of practice” and that the verdict was based on “incomplete testing and false information.”

Sources:
Hamilton Police are investigating the City’s fourth homicide of 2021
He beat his stepfather to death — and was found not criminally responsible
Hamilton man in hospital for psychiatric assessment will stand trial for alleged murder of stepfather
George Howson – 2021

Heidi Winchester

Name: Heidi Anne “Annie” Winchester.
Died: January 30, 2019.
Age at death: 50.
Cause of death: Sharp-force trauma.
Location: Lake Oswego, Oregon, USA.
Disability: Terminal cancer.

Details:
Annie’s husband killed her with a box cutter.

During her fight with rectal cancer, Annie formed a group called Annie’s Cancer Club, where she and other people with cancer could support each other.

Case status:
Michael Winchester (Husband), found guilty of manslaughter except for insanity.

Source:
Lake Oswego husband who killed ill wife spared prison
Criminal trial postponed for Lake Oswego murder suspect
Police: Lake Oswego man admits to killing wife, who had terminal cancer
Lake Oswego Police Say How They Think Heidi Winchester Was Killed
Husband confesses to killing wife in Lake Oswego
Friends say woman killed in Lake Oswego was battling cancer; husband charged with murder

Abraham Cardenas

Photo of Abraham Cardenas, a little boy with olive skin and dark hair, smiling for the camera. He is wearing a red striped shirt and red pants, and is sitting on a scooter board. Name: Abraham E. “Abe” Cardenas.
Died: April 5, 2018.
Age at death: 7.
Cause of death: Stabbed.
Location: Sweden, New York, USA.
Disability: Learning disability.

Details:
Abraham was stabbed and decapitated by his mother.

He was a first-grader whose teachers remember his enthusiasm for school. He especially loved drawing.

Case status:
Hanane Mouhib (Mother), charged with murder, found not responsible by reason of mental disease or defect; in state custody.

Source:
Friends and loved ones of murdered Sweden boy speaking up
Hanane Mouhib indicted in brutal killing of 7-year-old son in Brockport
Sweden mom charged in brutal slaying of her 7-year-old son
N.Y. mom arrested for decapitating 7-year-old son with knife
Abraham E. “Abe” Cardenas (2011-2018)

Zoe Whitford

Name: Zoe Whitford.
Died: February 10, 2018.
Age at death: 3.
Cause of death: Suffocation.
Location: Dublin, Ireland.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
When Zoe attended a Montessori school, the principal noticed that her behavior was different and told her mother that she ought to have an assessment. At the assessment, she was given a diagnosis of borderline-to-mild autism, but her mother was convinced that she had severe autism with pathological demand avoidance. She thought Zoe would never get the right services and it would ruin her other child’s life.

Her mother suffocated her with a Minnie Mouse pillow; she died three days later in the hospital.

Case status:
Her mother, charged with murder, found not guilty by reason of insanity, committed to mental hospital.

Source:
Autism Memorial: Zoe Whitford
Irish mum charged with murder of her three-year-old daughter
Mother who smothered autistic daughter committed to Central Mental Hospital after bed made available
Woman who smothered her daughter was suffering from severe depression with psychotic features, court hears
Woman found not guilty of murder by reason of insanity
Mother smothered girl (3) after autism diagnosis, court told
Mother smothered toddler daughter with Minnie Mouse pillow as she called out for her father, court told
Mother accused of child’s murder was ‘overwhelmed’
Mother who admits suffocating her three-year-old daughter was ‘obsessed’ over autism, court hears
Mother not guilty of murder by reason of insanity
Mother who admits suffocating girl (3) ‘obsessed’ over autism, court told
Mother accused of child’s murder ‘obsessed’ over autism

Leah Cohen

Name: Leah Cohen.
Died: August 11, 2017.
Age at death: 66.
Cause of death: Stabbed.
Location: London, England, UK.
Disability: Unspecified physical and mental disability; walked with a cane.

Details:
Leah Cohen and her daughter Hannah were stabbed to death by her son. Apparently, he was upset that he had been left out of his father’s will.

Leah and her family own Beigel Bake, their family business, a London bakery famous for its salt-beef bagels. Hannah and her sister ran a cake shop, which closed when Hannah was killed; Leah’s other two sons now run the bagel shop.

Case status:
Joshua Cohen (Son), pleaded guilty to manslaughter by diminished responsibility; received an indefinite hospital order.

Source:
Joshua Cohen, who killed his mother and sister, admits manslaughter
Brick Lane bagel tycoon’s son ‘murdered mother and sister at home’
Man charged in North London bagel dynasty murders
Golders Green murder – son, 27, charged with murder after his bagel millionaire mum and sister are stabbed to death’ in their North London home
Heir to famous London bagel shop ‘arrested over knife murder of mother and sister’
Bagel murder suspect had been cut out of family fortune weeks before killings, documents show
Tributes paid to mother and daughter ‘stabbed by schizophrenic son’
Son arrested after allegedly stabbing mum, 66, and daughter, 33, to death in North London

Omar Omran

Memorial left outside Omran Omar's apartment, consisting of flowers, stuffed animals, and notes. In the foreground is a sign that says, "Rest in peace, precious little boy." Name: Omar Omran.
Died: July 10, 2017.
Age at death: 3.
Cause of death: Stabbed.
Location: Kimmage, Dublin, Ireland.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Omar was stabbed to death by his mother.

Neighbors left flowers, notes, and toys outside his apartment building. One neighbor remembered that Omar used to throw his toys over his balcony, and his neighbor used to bring them back to him.

Case status:
Maha Al Adheem (Mother), charged with murder; found not guilty by reason of insanity, committed to mental hospital.

Source:
Mother of boy stabbed to death in Dublin is Iraqi doctor
Doctor arrested after son, 3, is found stabbed to death
Boy (3) killed in Kimmage ‘not a stranger to anyone’, says father
Mum accused of killing autistic son told police ‘it was my knife’
Doctor is held over fatal stabbing of autistic son, 3
Doctor ‘arrested after her autistic toddler is stabbed to death in their flat’
Mum arrested over toddler son found dead with stab wounds in apartment
Detectives investigating fatal stabbing of toddler (3) arrest woman
Stab victim Omar (3) laid to rest after ‘final kiss’ from father
Heartbroken father of stabbed Irish tot kisses him goodbye as he is laid to rest
Tearful Father Of Omar Omran Lays Stabbed Son To Rest
Doctor accused of murdering son was ‘amazing’ mother, neighbour tells court
Doctor who stabbed her son (3) to death in their south Dublin home found not guilty of his murder
Doctor found not guilty of murdering son (3) by reason of insanity

Kathy Smith

Name: Kathy Smith.
Died: May 13, 2017.
Age at death: 59.
Cause of death: Stabbed.
Location: Olean, New York, USA.
Disability: Arthritis, emphysema.

Details:
Kathy’s husband stabbed her to death.

Case status:
Edward J. Smith Jr. (Husband), charged with second-degree murder, declared not guilty by reason of insanity, committed indefinitely to a state psychiatric institution.

Source:
Smith not guilty of murdering wife by reason of insanity
Edward Smith’s daughter says mental illness led to murder
911 call played at Olean man’s hearing: ‘I murdered my wife’
Man charged with murdering wife in Olean House released from hospital, held without bail
Olean man accused of stabbing wife to death indicted on multiple counts
Olean man accused of murdering his wife
Police – Husband in Olean calls 911 after murdering his wife
Kathy Smith Obituary
Olean Man Accused of Murdering Wife Appears in City Court

Carol Simon and Brayden Otto

Name: Carol Simon.
Age at death: 48.
Disability: Unspecified skin condition.

Name: Brayden Robert-Emil Otto.
Age at death: 7.
Disability: Unspecified disability.

Died: November 20, 2016.
Cause of death: Strangled, throat cut.
Location: Sioux Falls, South Dakota, USA.

Details:
Carol and her grandson Brayden were killed by her son, who strangled them and then slit their throats to make sure they were dead. Later, the killer claimed that he had done it as a “mercy killing”, because Carol was ill and wasn’t getting better and because Brayden was disabled.

Carol was an outgoing nurse who liked learning. Brayden was an elementary school student remembered for his big smile.

Case status:
Heath Allen Otto (Carol’s son, Brayden’s uncle), charged with first-degree murder, found not guilty by reason of insanity; committed to a mental institution.

Source:
Man who killed mother, nephew in 2016 not guilty by reason of insanity
Man told police he wanted to put mother, nephew out of their misery
7-year-old homicide victim was South Dakota suspect’s nephew
Name released of 7-year-old killed in double homicide
Accused killer makes amazing claim
Child in double killing also related to suspect
Child’s name released in double homicide
Brayden Otto, 7
Guestbook for Brayden Robert-Emil Otto
Brayden Otto’s Obituary
Carol L. Simon, 48
Monsters Among Us: Heath Otto charged with killing his mother, Carol Simon and a his 7-year-old nephew, Brayden Robert-Emil Otto
Trial on pause to evaluate competency of man charged with murder of mother, nephew