Memorial Wall
Nicola Raphael
died on June 24th, 2001
15yo Nicola from Scotland was bullied in school because she liked Goth music and clothing style. She was fearing for her safety, felt under the threat of physical assault, and spoke to school counselors about it - but didn't want to tell her mom. Nicola overdosed on her mom's painkillers. Her friend Ashley set up a website and email address and invited bullied children too afraid to tell an adult to write in with their experiences. "I was amazed at how many people wrote to me with their stories - and just how many people are being bullied," she said.
Daniel Christopher Benoit
died on June 25th, 2007
7yo Christopher from Georgia, USA, loved going to the beach with his grandparents, reading with his aunt, playing with his two German Shepherds, riding horses, and watching animals on TV. His mom was a professional wrestling valet and a model, and his dad was a professional wrestler. On June 22nd, 2007, Christopher's dad strangled him and his mom, and three days later committed suicide. Motives are unknown; according to medical examiner, "Benoit's brain was so severely damaged it resembled the brain of an 85-year-old Alzheimer's patient," possibly due to repeated, untreated concussions throughout his wrestling career.
Sofia Rodriguez-Urrutia Shu
died on June 26th, 2006
8yo Sofia from Western Australia had mom, dad, and two older siblings. On June 26th she was at a local mall with her uncle and 14yo brother. Sofia went to the bathroom and never came back. Her brother found her dead body just 10 minutes later. Sofia was sexually assaulted and killed in the bathroom stall by a mall employee who has been investigated for a similar assault on another 8yo girl three years prior.
"As a family we talk about Sofia maybe once or twice a week," her father said. "We talk more as if Sofia is still around somehow more than what happened. She would have turned 18 (last year), she would be driving now, legal now. You also get strength from situations like this and we feel stronger now ... we also feel that Sofia has been helping us." Sofia's school established an annual scholarship in her honor, and The Chapel of the Innocents in their church.
Aiwa Matsuo
died on June 26th, 2004
15yo Aiwa from Japan was murdered by her classmate (female). The girl lured Aiwa into her apartment, beat her, strangled her to death, and then decapitated her corpse. The reason she had her own apartment at 15 was because she attacked her father with a metal baseball bat, prompting him to move her into her own apartment. She had several medical text books, used to hurt small animals, posted photos of Aiwa's body on a message board, and told the police "I wanted to kill someone." Her father apologized to Aiwa's family for his daughter's mental health, and hanged himself two months later.
Julie Parkin
died on June 27th, 2017
39yo Julie Parker, primary school teacher from from UK, discovered that her husband had a sexual interest in a child and had made indecent videos. She confronted him, he packed his bags, but then "snapped" and stabbed her to death with a kitchen knife. "She was so sad when she found out what I really am," he said. "I should have killed myself. What is wrong with me? There is something wrong with me." His browsing history included "Cambodia child abuse," "teacher sexually assaulted," and "teacher viewing porn." Her browsing history included "what to do if you don't feel loved enough in your relationship", "top five signs your husband is demanding and controlling" and "fight for your marriage when your husband is emotionally distant from you".
Renea Lau Yuk-ling
died on June 28th, 2014
32yo Renea from Australia worked as pastry chef at Ganache Chocolates; she was passionate about making desserts and very good at it. Renea also sang at the Melbourne Chinese Baptist Church. "Her singing wasn't the best," her boyfriend said, "but she sang anyway because she loved to." The night before her death, Renea, her boyfriend and their friends practiced songs for their upcoming gig at an aged care home. Around 5.30am the next morning, on her way to work, Renea was violently attacked, raped, and strangled to death by a homeless man. He later explained that he "didn't even think about it" but "just exploded into this violent, violent rage"."Renea Lau had never met you, had never seen you," the judge said to the rapist. "You had never spoken to her. You had no relationship with her whatsoever, you merely passed her in the street and, as a result of that, she is now dead at your hands in a most brutal and sadistic manner."
Theodore Meyer
died on June 28th, 2014
Mr & Mrs Meyer from Oklahoma, USA, had been married for over 70 years and had three children, three grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren. At the age of 91, both Mr and Mrs Meyer suffered from dementia, and were cared for by their 63yo son. On June 26th, 2014, the son returned home intoxicated, and beat Mr Meyer with his cane, causing multiple broken ribs and a collapsed lung. Mr Meyer died two days later. Mrs Meyer survived her husband by two months.
Linzi Ashton
died on June 29th, 2013
25yo Linzi from UK had two children and worked as a bar maid. "Everybody loved her," the father of Linzi's daughter said. "She was devoted to the kids, she was everyone's friend, she put everybody first and she was a one-off." Linzi was involved in an abusive relationship for the last nine months of her life; she filed two police reports against her boyfriend, one for rape and the other for physical assault. Linzi withdrew both complaints and the relationship continued, until her boyfriend beat her to death; she suffered 108 separate injuries during the attack.
Shafia Family
died on June 30th, 2009
Mohammad Shafia had two wives, Rona (on the photo) and Tooba, and seven children. The family went from Afghanistan to Pakistan, then to Australia, then to United Arab Emirates, and finally to Montreal, Canada. Rona felt trapped in an abusive marriage, and feared for her life. Tooba, the second wife, allegedly said to Rona, "You are a slave, you are a servant." She and their husband held on to Rona's IDs and passport, so Rona felt she couldn't flee from them. She was also worried about her legal status, because she came to Canada as a domestic servant, on a visitor's visa, and was introduced as an aunt, not a wife.
On June 30th, a car that belonged to the Shafia family was discovered submerged at the nearby canal, with four bodies found inside: Rona Amir Mohammad, and three teenage daughters of the family, 19yo Zainab, 17yo Sahar, and 13yo Geeti. Mohammad Shafia, his wife Tooba Mohammad Yahya, and their 20yo son Hamed, were found guilty on four counts of first degree murder each. The remaining three children (a boy and two girls) were placed with social services, and a publication ban was placed on the case, to not disclose their names.
Harkirat Singh
died on July 1st, 2018
6yo Harkirat from India was the only child, and attended first grade in a private school. On July 1st, Sunday, the family had breakfast, and after that, around 10AM, Harkirat's mom took him to a bath, while his dad was washing their car and his grandpa was resting at a veranda. Harkirat didn't want to bathe, and when he started shouting, his mom strangled him to death with a washcloth. His dad and grandpa rushed him to a hospital, but it was too late
Anthony Haynes
died on July 1st, 2001
Anthony Haynes died July 1 2001 while at an Arizona boot camp operated by the America's Buffalo Soldiers Re-enactors Association. The investigation into his death is ongoing, but sources close to the camp said Anthony was also deprived of food and water and forced to stand in the sun for hours without water. Former camp drill instructors have said that counselors often kicked the youths, and the boys' daily diet consisted of only an apple, a carrot and a bowl of beans. On Sunday July 1st 2001 staff reportedly beat and bruised kids in the hot desert sun. But the worst was yet to come for Anthony Haynes. The kids say that after several hours in the sun, Anthony began to hallucinate. "He said he saw Indians and water," He was also eating dirt. By sundown, they say Anthony had gotten worse. "He was passed out. His face was just pale." But when contacted Colonel said Anthony was faking his sickness. "I've seen Anthony do the very same thing before." The staff took Anthony to a motel and put him in a bathtub and turned on the shower. They then reportedly left him alone for five to ten minutes. When they returned, according to some witnesses, Anthony was face down in the water and barely responsive. An instructor called Colonel Long. Despite that call, Long was convinced Anthony was faking, and ordered his staff to bring him back to camp. That's where Colonel Long finally got concerned and tried to revive Anthony. His wife called 911. At this point, Anthony Haynes was not breathing and died soon after being airlifted to hospital.
Sarah Payne
died on July 1st, 2000
Sarah was an 8yo UK girl murdered by a convicted sex offender who served two and a half years for abduction and sexual assault on another 8yo girl in 1995. The case influenced the campaign for Sarah's Law, that would allow controlled access to the Sex Offenders Register, so that parents with young children could know if a child sex-offender was living in their area.
Kenny Pierce
died on July 1st, 1990
Too a little brother I never got to share my life with whose existence was ignored until death came upon you from ignorance and lack of compassion. To a brother I often cry out of pain and the shear sadness of missing you and the day I get money I will be the one to get you an official memorial site and stone with your name. I love you and I miss you so much. Blessed be
Chastity Butler
died on July 2nd, 2008
9-year-old Chastity Butler died from complications of diabetes after her mother failed to help her manage her disease. Police say that CPS investigations showed Chasity was often forced to take the readings and give insulin injections to herself or get help from her younger sister. The investigators said Jones did not adhere to diet rules, often feeding Chasity foods high in glucose.
Nina Hilt
died on July 2nd, 2005
2yo Nina (originally named Vika) was adopted from a Russian orphanage by a Californian couple. At first Nina hoarded food and ate so little that her parents took her to a doctor, but in a few months overcame these difficulties. She also struggled with potty training, and preferred non-verbal communication (English being her second language at the age of two), but enjoyed physical activities and games (click on her name to read about her "Monster Walk"). On July 1st, Nina's adoptive mother beat her to death. "I hurt Nina," she told the police. "I choked her and I hit her and hit her... She was not behaving and not listening and just crying. I was so angry so angry. I got up to her bedroom and I said stop it, stop it! I dropped her on the floor and I kicked her." She then put Nina back in bed and continued punching her on the back with a closed fist. She could not say how many times she hit Nina or if the child cried. "Since I brought Nina home we never bonded," she explained. Nina died the next day of blunt trauma to the abdomen. The woman pleaded guilty to murder and was sentenced to 35 years in prison.
Decarol Deloney-Cain
died on July 3rd, 2013
54yo Mrs Deloney-Cain from Illinois, USA, worked as a flight attendant for United Airlines for 28 years and had a husband, three children, and two grandchildren. When her 17yo daughter told her she was pregnant, Mrs Deloney-Cain told her she wanted her to get an abortion. The teen wanted to keep the baby so as to be together with her boyfriend as a family. They argued about it for a few days, and then the teen and the boyfriend murdered her by luring her into the basement, putting a pillow case over her head, and repeatedly hitting and stabbing her. They had two friends help them dispose of her body, and paid them with cash the teen withdrew from her mom's credit card. The next day they pawned mom's computer and bought an engagement ring. The teens were caught a few days later and eventually pleaded guilty to murder.
