Bittersweet News
I spend some time each day monitoring the news and maintaining the Autism Memorial site, and lately, things have been unusually quiet. This year so far, 2014, I've added only seven new people, mostly children. That there should be any is bad, but that the new cases are a trickle instead of a flood is somewhat hopeful.
Recently, the killers of two autistic teenagers, guardians who were supposed to protect and teach them, were brought to justice.
Brandon White, age 15, was killed by his mother's boyfriend, who tied him up and suffocated him. Brandon's killer was sentenced to 90 years, and it will be 45 years before he'll get out. Good riddance. Justice came too late for Brandon, but at least the murderer will never do this to another boy.
The other trial was for the killer of Melissa Stoddard, the 11-year-old girl who died, after a long period of physical and emotional abuse, because she was tied to a plywood board with her mouth duct-taped shut. Melissa's stepmother was convicted of first-degree murder and given a life sentence.
These aren't the slap-on-the-wrist sentences we're used to seeing given to people who murder autistic children. I hope it's a trend that continues. Actually, I hope we never see another murder, but that's too optimistic and I know it. I just hope the new cases continue to slow down, and that when an autistic person does die, their killers are treated just the same as if their victims had been non-autistic.
Recently, the killers of two autistic teenagers, guardians who were supposed to protect and teach them, were brought to justice.
Brandon White, age 15, was killed by his mother's boyfriend, who tied him up and suffocated him. Brandon's killer was sentenced to 90 years, and it will be 45 years before he'll get out. Good riddance. Justice came too late for Brandon, but at least the murderer will never do this to another boy.
The other trial was for the killer of Melissa Stoddard, the 11-year-old girl who died, after a long period of physical and emotional abuse, because she was tied to a plywood board with her mouth duct-taped shut. Melissa's stepmother was convicted of first-degree murder and given a life sentence.
These aren't the slap-on-the-wrist sentences we're used to seeing given to people who murder autistic children. I hope it's a trend that continues. Actually, I hope we never see another murder, but that's too optimistic and I know it. I just hope the new cases continue to slow down, and that when an autistic person does die, their killers are treated just the same as if their victims had been non-autistic.