On Thursday, Migdalia Veras, 57, from Queens was charged with killing her son with cerebral plasy, Rene Veras, 38.  He was found stabbed to death in his apartment.  His mother has insisted that this was an assisted suicide.

According to Vera, her son was depressed because of his disability and asked her to help him commit suicide. In fact, he begged her to help him die. He used a motorized wheelchair and was able to walk around the apartment but he had trouble speaking. Cerebral Palsy is a developmental disability that affects body movements and muscle coordination. It is caused by brain damage during fetal growth.  As a result, people with cerebral palsy may not be able to ambulate, communicate, play, or eat in the same ways as most other people.  Due to their difficulty in communicating, people often assume that those with Cerebral Palsy have learning disabilities.  However, most people with Cerebral Palsy have above average intellect.

A neighbor told a local newspaper that Rene was not able to speak but replied to others by smiling.  Another neighbor  said “they were quiet people and that they were always together”.   However, a home caregiver who worked for people on the Vera’s floor said that she would frequently hear shouting from their apartment.

Authorities are charging Migdalia Vera with second degree murder.  When the police arrived, Rene Vera was lying face up with knife wounds in his chest.  Two knives were found: one on his chest and one on the floor near his bed.  The police also stated that she put a pillow over his face.  After she killed him, she tried to kill herself by slicing her wrists and stabbing herself.  Investigators believe that Migdalia Vera had killed him after a disagreement.  She is currently at New York Hospital in Queens where she remains in a state of stability.