h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Unknown Victims
THE NAMES listed in this Memorial constitute only a small sampling of the victims who should be included, according to published statistics. Relatively few cases come to the attention of the news media because a police accident report was involved or because doctors asked courts to intervene. When adult JWs are admitted privately to hospitals and sign legal release papers, their deaths due to refusing blood are generally recorded only in confidential patient files. Published obituaries usually omit such details. Names are listed here if reported in the public news media or if submitted by relatives, friends, or other knowledgeable individuals who vouch for the information.

1. Tully Ioannides

2. Jehovah's Witness, age 18, died December 19, 1998, after refusing blood transfusions at the Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, Australia -- the second Jehovah's Witness woman in two weeks to die in the same hospital after refusing a blood transfusion. SOURCE (public media): http://www.theaustralian.com.au 22dec98 article "Another Witness chooses maker over medicine" By ADRIAN McGREGOR MORE Australian age 26

3. Jehovah's Witness woman, age 26, died December 1998, after refusing blood transfusions at the Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, Australia. SOURCE (public media): http://www.theaustralian.com.au 12/12/98 article "Jehovah Witness dies after refusing blood tranfusion" from AAP MORE Frank Blanchet

4. Jehovah's Witness, age 49, bled to death May 20, 1998, from an abdominal gunshot wound after refusing blood transfusions at Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara, California. SOURCE (public media): Santa Barbara "NEWS PRESS" 5/21/98 article "Wounded insurance agent dies" by DAWN HOBBS, as found Thursday May 21, 1998, at the newspaper's online edition website http://news.newspress.com/local/murder.htm MORE Chicago Sister

5. Jehovah's Witness, bled to death from complications of pregnancy December 1997 after refusing a blood transfusion in Chicago. SOURCE (public media): Internet e-mail discussion group "The Virtual Gathering," from a message publicly posted December 18, 1997, by a JW relative of the deceased. MORE Another Chicago sister

6. Bled to death from complications of pregnancy November 1997 after refusing a blood transfusion in Chicago. SOURCE (public media): Internet e-mail discussion group "The Virtual Gathering," from a message publicly posted December 18, 1997, by a JW who revealed this case when saying her relative's was "the second death within a month under the same circumstances". MORE Barbara Clay

7. Jehovah's Witness, age 78, died September 6, 1997, of heart failure after refusing a blood transfusion at Natchez, Mississippi. SOURCE (private e-mail): Carol Callon Fuqu MORE African girl

8. Unnamed young female Jehovah's Witness died early-mid-1997, after refusing a blood transfusion in a hospital in Zambia. SOURCE (public media): Times of Zambia, September 26, 1997 article MORE Gary L. Kreider

9. Jehovah's Witness, in his late forties, hanged himself December 1996 in Downey, California. SOURCE (private e-mail): his ex-wife's friend Ravyn Spencer MORE Siman Rapley

10. Jehovah's Witness, age 30, died October 2, 1996 at Cairns Base Hospital in Australia after blood transfusions were refused. SOURCE (public media): "October 03, 1996 From a newspaper in Rockhampton, Australia. Perhaps the North Queensland Times" MORE Dina Mainz

11. Jehovah's Witness, age 24, died October 1996 at Hvidovre hospital, Denmark, after blood transfusions were refused. SOURCE (public media): editorial in Denmark's largest newspaper Ekstrabladet, Oct. 21, 1996; also, the norwegian weekly magazine "Allers", no. 50-1996.MORE Elena Godlevskaya

12. Jehovah's Witness, age 17, died September 1996 at Riga, Latvia, after refusing blood. SOURCE (public media): Kievskie vedomosty, 25.09.1998 MORE Emelie Grootjes

13. Jehovah's Witness, age 19, died 1996 at Poole General Hospital in England. Her Jehovah's Witness parents refused blood transfusions for her. SOURCE (public media): The Daily Mirror, September 24, 1996, page 15 MORE unnamed woman

14. Jehovah's Witness, age 83, died October 1995 in Norway after blood transfusions were refused. SOURCE (public media): the Norwegian newspaper Dagbladet Oct 26, 1995, and the Norwegian newspaper, Varden, Oct. 27, 1995 MORE Cathy Grenci

15. Jehovah's Witness, age 34, died June 12, 1995 at York Central Hospital, Ontario, Canada after blood transfusions were refused. SOURCE (public media): The Toronto Star, Sunday May 26, 1996 MORE Tony Mendez

16. Jehovah's Witness, died June 6, 1995 at Arroyo Grande Community Hopsital after refusing blood transfusions. SOURCE (privately reported): August 11, 1997 e-mail from his niece Caribe A. Caro MORE Tammy Schultz

17. Jehovah's Witness, age 26, died in Oregon May 24, 1995, of heart failure due to repeated trauma. SOURCE (private e-mail): her best friend Ravyn Spencer MORE Joshua Walker

18. Jehovah's Witness, age 16, died October 4, 1994 in Quispamsis, New Brunswick, Canada. He agreed with his parents in refusing blood transfusions. SOURCE (public media): The Daily News of Halifax/Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada, October 6, 1994, page 13 MORE Judith Riberas

19. Child, age 14, died 1994 at Zaragoza, Spain after blood transfusions were refused. SOURCE (public media): El Mundo, September 17, 1994 MORE Marcos Vallés

20. Child, age 13, died 1994 at Zaragoza, Spain after blood transfusions were refused. SOURCE (public media): El Mundo, September 17, 1994 MORE Walter Swisher

21. Jehovah's Witness, age 37, died May 6, 1994 at home at Kokomo, Indiana. SOURCE (privately reported): form completed by his brother. MORE Adrian Yeatts

22. Child, age 15, died September 13, 1993 at the Dr. Charles A. Janeway Child Health Centre in St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada. He agreed with his Jehovah's Witness parents in refusing blood transfusions. SOURCE (public media): AWAKE! magazine, May 22, 1994, page 8 MORE including photo Lenae Martinez

23. Child, age 12, died September 22, 1993 at Valley Children's Hospital in Fresno, California. She agreed with her Jehovah's Witness parents in refusing blood transfusions. SOURCE (public media): Awake! magazine, May 22, 1994, page 10. MORE including photo Lisa Kosack

24. Child, age 12, died [date not supplied] at Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. She agreed with her Jehovah's Witness parents in refusing blood transfusions. SOURCE (public media): Awake! magazine, May 22, 1994, page 14. MORE including photo Dan Andersen

25. Child, age 15, died summer 1993 in Denmark after blood transfusions were refused. SOURCE (public media): The Watchtower February, 1, 1996, page 15 and the largest newspaper in Denmark, Ekstra Bladet January 25, 1996 MORE Susan Teeney

26. Jehovah's Witness, age 27, died 1993 in Britain. She refused blood transfusions. SOURCE (public media): TV Quick magazine, July 31 through August 6, 1993. MORE Nelida Gonzalez

27. Jehovah's Witness, age 55, died refusing blood November 1992 in Ponce, Puerto Rico. SOURCE (private e-mail): her neice Fran Jolly. MORE John Alson

28. Jehovah's Witness, age 47, died August 1992 at San Joaquin General Hospital in Stockton, California. He refused blood transfusions. SOURCE (public media): The Modesto Bee undated and August 16, 1992. MORE unnamed woman

29. Jehovah's Witness apparently died in 1992 in California. Document signed in advance prevented blood transfusions while she was unconscious. SOURCE (public media): Awake! magazine, September 22, 1992, page 12 MORE Minel Koehler

30. Jehovah's Witness, age 19, died April 1992 at St. Luke's Medical Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. She refused blood transfusions. SOURCE (public media): Pioneer Press, April 29, 1992, page 2C MORE Gary Ricketts

31. Jehovah's Witness, age 23, died March 23, 1992, in England. He refused blood transfusions. SOURCE (public media): London¹s TV Quick, November 7-13, 1992. MORE Brian Hunt

32. Jehovah's Witness, age 49, died 1992 in England. He refused blood transfusions. SOURCE (public media): Western Morning News, August 28, 1992 MORE Doreen Nielson

33. Jehovah's Witness, age 49, died September 19, 1991 in Cleveland, Ohio. She refused blood transfusions. SOURCE (public media): Cleveland Plain Dealer, May 9, 1992 MORE Kevin Rattenbury

34. Child, age 14, died August 1991 in Michigan. He agreed with his Jehovah's Witness parents in refusing blood transfusions. SOURCE (public media): Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Chicago Tribune, August 14, 1991 MORE Wyndham Cook

35. Child, age 15, died summer 1991 in South Africa. He agreed with his Jehovah's Witness parents in refusing blood transfusions. SOURCE (public media): Awake! magazine, August 22, 1991, page 15 MORE Thomas Poole

36. Jehovah's Witness, age 37, died March 1991 in Florida. Refused blood transfusions. SOURCE (public media): Miami Herald, March 7, 1991; Sun-Sentinel, July 9, 1992 MORE Cedric Thames

37. Jehovah's Witness, age 23, died in 1991 in Orlando, Florida. Relatives refused blood transfusions for him. SOURCE (public media): Associated Press dispatch, August 13, 1992; the Orlando Sentinel, August 14, 1992 MORE Catalina Galián

38. Jehovah's Witness, age 27, died 1991 at Cartagena, Spain after blood transfusions were refused. SOURCE (public media): Cambio 16, October 3, 1994 and Alternativa 2.000, No. 10, 1991 MORE Joanne Mangione

39. Jehovah's Witness, age 30, died at 3:30 p.m. on December 6, 1990, at Sister's Hospital, Buffalo, New York. Refused blood transfusions. SOURCE (public media): Buffalo News Sunrise Edition, December 7, 1990, page 1 MORE Estella Conroy

40. Jehovah's Witness, age 50-something, died September 3, 1990 refusing a blood transfusion in Jefferson City, Missouri. SOURCE (private e-mail): her oldest son Mike Conroy MORE Elihu Canle

41. Child, age 2, died February 7, 1990 at Santiago de Compostella, Spain after blood transfusions were refused. SOURCE (public media): Cambio 16, October 3, 1994 and Alternativa 2.000, March - April 1990 MORE Kelsey Crockford

42. Child, age 2, died 1990 in Houston, Texas. His Jehovah's Witness parents refused blood transfusions for him. SOURCE (public media): The Houston Chronicle, November 18, 1995, page 42A MORE Lysa Biffle

43. Jehovah's Witness, died December 1989 at Queens General Hospital, New York. Refused blood or blood products. SOURCE (public media): The New York Post, December 27, 1989 MORE Alexander Bazowsky

44. Child, age 5, died July, 1989, resident of Minto, New Brunswick, youngest of 3 children. Son of Carol and Brian Bazowsky, Grandson of Al and Dorothy Bazowsky SOURCE: private e-mail from Brian Callaghan MORE unnamed woman

45. Jehovah's Witness, age 20, died June 1989. She refused blood transfusions. SOURCE (public media): Journal of the American Medical Association, September 1990, cited in an Associated Press dispatch in the Rockford, Illinois, Register Star, September 6, 1990 MORE Jared Brown

46. Child, age 10 (?), died, 1989. Resident of Ottawa, Ontario, youngest of 3 children. Son of Gardner and Linda Brown SOURCE: private e-mail from Brian Callaghan MORE Lora Jaudon

47. Jehovah's Witness, age 29, died April 1989 at Pescack Valley Hospital in New Jersey. She refused blood transfusions. SOURCE (public media): The Record [undated clipping], pages A-1 and A-12. MORE John Truong

48. Jehovah's Witness, age 24, died 1989. Refused blood transfusions for four days SOURCE (public media): Cox News Service, July 8, 1989 MORE Lucia Gangi

49. Child, age 12, died February 1989 in Melbourne, Australia. Her Jehovah's Witness parents refused blood transfusions for her. SOURCE (public media): Australia¹s Telegraph Mirror Journal, March 25, 1992. MORE Christopher Burke

50. Jehovah's Witness, age 47, died January 1989 in Britain. Documents signed in advance prevented blood transfusions. SOURCE (public media): The Sun, January 19, 1989 MORE Juan Ortega

51. Jehovah's Witness, age 38, died August 1988. He refused blood transfusions. SOURCE (public media): the Miami Herald, August 31, 1988, page 6A MORE Ms. Peyton

52. Jehovah's Witness, died under the care of Dr. Elisabeth Rosenthal. Refused blood transfusions. SOURCE (public media): Discover magazine, August 1988 MORE Elizabeth Sample

53. Jehovah's Witness, age 57, died May 1988 in Detroit, Michigan, after refusing blood. SOURCE (private e-mail): her son Raymond A. Johnson MORE Audrey Lawson

54. Jehovah's Witness, age 31, died December 1987 at Burnaby Hospital in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada. She refused blood transfusions. SOURCE (public media): The Vancouver Province, December 9, 1987; the Edmonton Journal [undated]; The Vancouver Sun, December 18, 1992 inquest report MORE Bridget Warner

55. Jehovah's Witness, age 21, died, April 1986, at Tallahassee Memorial Regional Medical Center in Florida. She refused blood transfusions. SOURCE (public media): The Morning Call, April 28, 1986. MORE Buck Parker

56. Child, one day old, died February 11, 1986 in Albany, New York, after mother refused to allow transfusion and before hospital was able to obtain a court order. SOURCE (private e-mail): his mother JoAnne Parker MORE Donald MacDonald

57. Jehovah's Witness, age 27, died of leukemia after refusing blood February 2, 1986 in Largo, Florida. SOURCE (private e-mail): his sister Karenne Gionet Zentek MORE Judy Granvold

58. Jehovah's Witness, age 38, bled to death May 1985 in San Luis Obispo, California, after refusing blood transfusion. SOURCE (private e-mail): her husband's cousin Marlene Mercado MORE Mrs. M. L. Sierra

59. Jehovah's Witness, died December 1984 at Melilla, Spain after another JW disconnected her transfusion catheter. SOURCE (public media): Alternativa 2.000, No. 3 July-August 1990 MORE Kelly Brooks

60. Jehovah's Witness, died in the summer of 1984 in Owosso, Michigan after blood transfusions were refused. SOURCE (privately reported): Cousin's husband Ty Scharrer. MORE Michelle Hartley'

61. Jehovah's Witness, age 23, died 1983 at Brandon, Florida. Refused blood after a car accident. SOURCE (private e-mail): her best friend Lydia Paterson MORE unnamed man

62. Jehovah's Witness, died 1983 at Gerona, Spain. He refused blood transfusions. SOURCE (public media): El Periodico, September 17, 1993 MORE Renata

63. Child, age 14, died apparently in 1982, in Brazil. She refused blood transfusions. SOURCE (public media): The Watchtower, August 1, 1982, page 22 MORE Carol Sulkye

64. Jehovah's Witness, age 26, died December 14, 1981 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. She refused a blood transfusion. SOURCE (public media): The Toronto Star, January 20, 1982. MORE Kim Straton

65. Jehovah's Witness, age 33, died July 1981 in Kentucky. He refused blood transfusions. SOURCE (public media): The Courier-Journal, July 19, 1981. MORE Charles Williams

66. Jehovah's Witness, age 33, died July 12, 1981 in Detroit. He refused blood transfusions. SOURCE (public media): The Boston Globe, August 9, 1981 MORE Mark Ramsey

67. Jehovah's Witness, age 27, died February 1981 in Miami, Florida. He refused blood transfusions. SOURCE (public media): Miami Herald, February 21, 1985 MORE Anita Brown

68. Jehovah's Witness, died June 17, 1980 in California. Refused blood transfusions. SOURCE (public media): Contra Costa Times, June 25, 1980 MORE Sarah Cyrennes

69. Child, age 12, died March 30, 1980 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Jehovah's Witness parents prevented blood transfusions. SOURCE (public media): The Toronto Globe and Mail, undated clipping. MORE Eleanor L. Maurer

70. Jehovah's Witness, age 31, died September 1979 in Massachusetts. She refused blood transfusions. SOURCE (public media): The Boston Herald, September 19, 1979 MORE Arvid Moody

71. Jehovah's Witness, age 68, died June 1978 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, after refusing a kidney transplant. SOURCE (privately reported): his daughter Debbie (Moody) Shard. MORE Mary Williams

72. Jehovah's Witness, age 41, died November 1971 after refusing a blood transfusion at Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hospital SOURCE (private e-mail): her daughter Sandra Clemens. MORE unnamed girl

73. Child, age 13, died apparently in 1971, in Berlin, Germany. Her Jehovah's Witness mother refused blood transfusions for her. SOURCE (public media): The Watchtower, September 1, 1971, page 531 MORE Irene Walter

74. Child, age 2, died November 5, 1970 in Steyr, Upper Austria. Her Jehovah's Witness parents refused blood for her. SOURCE (public media): Awake!, September 22, 1972, pages 17-21 MORE unnamed woman

75. Jehovah's Witness, died apparently in 1970 in the Ellice Islands. She refused blood transfusions. SOURCE (public media): 1971 Yearbook of Jehovah¹s Witnesses, page 131 MORE Robert Pelzek

76. Jehovah's Witness, age 22, died in August 1968 at St. Luke's Hospital, Racine, Wisconsin. He refused blood transfusions. SOURCE (public media): UPI report in the Dallas Morning News cited in the book I Was Raised a Jehovah's Witnessby Joe Hewitt, 1997 edition, page 127 MORE Mrs. J. Christian

77. Jehovah's Witness, died March 1968 at Good Samaritan Hospital, Phoenix, Arizona. She refused blood transfusions. SOURCE (public media): The Arizona Republic, March 9, 1968 MORE George Crabtree

78. Jehovah's Witness, died 1966 in Holly, Michigan. Did not have needed surgery due to blood doctrine. SOURCE: Nephew Ty Scharrer. MORE John Perricone

79. Child, age 3, died March 4, 1961 at Pollack Hospital, Jersey City, New Jersey. Jehovah's Witness parents refused blood for the child. SOURCE (public media): The New York Times, March 5, 1961 MORE Bill Korinek

80. Jehovah's Witness, died July 31, 1957, in Utah. He refused blood transfusions. SOURCE (public media): the book We Left Jehovah's Witnesses - a Non-Prophet Organization by Edmond C. Gruss MORE Brendon Hood

81. Child, age 4, died late January or early February [year not supplied] at Canoga Park, California. Jehovah's Witness parents refused blood for him. SOURCE (public media): Associated Press dispatch reproduced on page 70 of the book Danger at Your Door by Duane Magnani. MORE Betty Jackson

82. Jehovah's Witness, age 24, died November 13 [year not supplied] at Hempstead General Hospital, Hempstead, New York. Her Jehovah's Witness husband refused blood for her. SOURCE (public media): Associated Press dispatch reproduced on page 70 of the book Danger at Your Door by Duane Magnani. MORE Leonard Budd

83. Jehovah's Witness, age 21, died [date not supplied] under the care of Dr. Morris Friedman at Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. He refused blood transfusions. SOURCE (public media): UPC dispatch reproduced on page 30 of Questions for Jehovah's Witnesses by William and Joan Cetnar MORE Dan Morgan

84. Jehovah's Witness, died October 1951. He refused blood transfusions. SOURCE (public media): 1975 Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses, page 224 MORE Samuel Muscariello

Jehovah's Witness, died in 1949. Refused blood transfusions. SOURCE (public media): 1975 Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses, page 223 MORE

No comment, James?

Is blood the elixir of life? Can a person live forever after he drinks what he is give?

Have you a list of all the people murdered during the last two world wars?

Do you concern yourself with all the unnecessary abortions executed each year?

How many Jews were killed by Hitler compared with those killed by the two atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki?

Just so you remember<<

James

You haven't killed as many innocents as the Nazis, so you're not as bad as people paint?

"Is blood the elixir of life? Can a person live forever after he drinks what he is give?"

That is plain stupidity.

How is a life-saving blood transfusion the same as drinking blood?

Do you expect to live forever because you refuse medical treatment?

How is blood life saving if you die afterwards?

James

Depends how long afterwards it is before you die.

How is it "godly" to deny treatment to the innocent?

You did say live saving treatment, there is only one person who can save your life, and you say you have no faith in him.

Were does your reasoning stand compared to mine stale mate I think so keep your life with death in view, if that is good enough for you.

I just happen to know different, and my knowledge leads me to obey the new ruler of the heavens, and his God and Father.

James

You keep telling yourself that, James...

You left off JESUS CHRIST.

James

Firstly, the people in that list are all verifiably real.

Secondly, where does it say in the bible that Jesus died because a JW used a single mistranslation of the bible to justify denying him a blood transfusion?

He like all faithful JW's would obey his father and not drink blood.

Your list does not say what the persons actually died of.

People do not have to die from the cold though, if the world were a better place all could be kept nice and warm during this cold spell.

Then people would have to give up being selfish, something many find it hard to do.

James

Every one of those victims was refused medical treatment - transfusion, transplant - because JWs would rather let an innocent child die instead of admitting their interpretation of a single verse of the bible might not be entirely accurate.

"... like all faithful JW's ..."

If you were a faithful JW, you would not be posting on internet messageboards...

That what they all say when they find the truth difficult to handle.

James

Er...?

"Truth", James?

That's rich, from a JW!

Gone all quiet, James?