This is passed on by Stephen Drake of the disability rights group Not Dead Yet.

On May 13, a 3-year old girl was murdered by her mother, a pathologist. The little girl was diagnosed autistic, and there has apparently been an attempt to blame the murder, in part, on the lack of services for autism in the Peoria, Illinois area, where the murder occurred.

A newspaper columnist interviews the child’s grandfather in which he details the little girl’s life and progress – the little girl had not lived with her mother for most of her life, residing near an autism treatment center in North Carolina with her father and grandmother.

Don’t blame autism for the death of Katherine McCarron, says her paternal grandfather.

"I am positively revolted when I read quotes that would imply any degree of understanding or hint at condoning the taking of my granddaughter’s life," says Michael McCarron, 62, of Indianapolis. " … I’m dealing with a very straight-forward murder case.

"This was not about autism. This was not about a lack of support."

On May 13, the 3-year-old Morton girl was suffocated with a plastic bag, allegedly at the hands of her mother, Dr. Karen McCarron, 37. The mother has been under suicide watch at the Tazewell County Jail, where she is being held under $2 million bond and faces two counts of first-degree murder.

Michael McCarron called me this week after having read numerous stories about the case, some of which he says point the finger of guilt in the wrong direction. For instance, though polite, he ridiculed the notion of his daughter-in-law’s friends who have portrayed her as distraught over a lack of autism treatment in the Peoria area.

"Katie wasn’t in central Illinois (until May)," he calmly says. " …. So what programs central Illinois has or doesn’t have … has not one ounce of applicability to (the death of ) Katherine McCarron."