Name: Melissa Neyman
Died: July 23, 1997
Age at death: 19
Cause of death: Negligence; Strangulation
Location: Tacoma, Washington, USA
Details:
Melissa lived at a residential care facility. Though regulations stipulated that restraints must be prescribed by a doctor, she was tied to her bed with makeshift restraints by staff. On the night of her death, Melissa tried to escape. She climbed out the window, but she became tangled in the restraints, which tightened around her neck, killing her. She was found hanging outside the window the next morning.
Melissa's death was caused by unprescribed, unsupervised, makeshift restraints–a case of negligence.
References:
People Die And Nothing Is Done
Autistic Woman's Death Reviewed
Autism Memorial 