A boy and girl, ages 8 and 10, were starved and tortured by their adoptive parents, Samuel Earl Hollie II and Brandi Rae Hollie (both pictured). The children were homeschooled and “isolated from others”. Their younger sibling, the Hollies’ biological child, was not reported to be abused.

The children were in foster care before they were adopted by the Hollies in 2015. The adoption agency’s policies require training, home study, a background check with references, monthly visits for 90 days, and a one-year checkup phone call. It is unclear when the children’s homeschooling began. The boy reported that the Hollies beat him, waterboarded him, and tased him. The girl reported she was forced to sleep in a closet, beaten unconscious with a baseball bat and a belt, tased, and burned. Both children were restricted to a diet of bread, water, and occasional table scraps from the Hollies’ full meals. When they escaped, the children were malnourished, scarred, and disfigured.

The abuse came to light when the Hollies dropped the children off at their uncle’s house while they went to work. The children escaped and ran to a nearby apartment complex, where a concerned resident called the authorities. The Hollies were charged with aggravated child abuse and child neglect.

Date: June 14, 2019
Location: Gainesville, Florida

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James Marsh, age 11, died as a result of abuse by his mother, Sarah Marsh, and his stepfather Martin Marsh*. James was homeschooled.

James was diagnosed with autism and ADHD around 2003. He received disability services as late as 2008. Sarah and Martin Marsh married in 2009. The Marshes moved to Central West in 2010 with James and their two other children (one Sarah’s, one Martin’s). James was withdrawn from school to be homeschooled in October 2010. He was kept half-naked, strapped to a portable toilet seat in the laundry room for up to 12 hours at a time, and restrained with PVC pipes and a bag over his head. In early September 2011, James last saw his pediatrician; his parents began locking him in the garden shed that night. In late September, James defecated on the floor and Martin Marsh rubbed his face in it, then doused him with water before leaving him restrained outside. James died of hypothermia; at the time of his death, he weighed only 52 lbs. The Marshes called the authorities when they found James unresponsive.

The Marshes were charged with manslaughter. Martin Marsh pleaded guilty and was sentenced to eight years in prison. Sarah Marsh was found not guilty.

*These are the pseudonyms supplied to the Australian media.

Date: September 30, 2011
Location: Central West, New South Wales, Australia

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Tiffany Walsh (L) and Jordan Otis (R)

Four girls were physically and sexually abused by their mother, Tiffany Walsh, and her boyfriend Jordan Otis. The girls were homeschooled.

The girls had different fathers; their mother had custody. “Walsh and her children began living with Otis in Mt. Sterling[, Kentucky around 2012], and left Kentucky to live in several states, until they returned to live in Hazard[, Kentucky] in March 2017.” Neither Walsh nor Otis was gainfully employed and Otis stayed home with the girls all day to homeschool them. He had them complete writing assignments for a few hours per day; then he forced them to create handmade goods and sell them door-to-door for approximately six hours per day, under threat of violence if they did not make their daily quota. Between March and May 2017, Otis “made the victims do excessive physical exercise, eat food condiments that made them sick, sprayed them with bleach,” beat them with wooden rods and coat hangers, locked them in closets, and sexually abused them. In another state, he forcibly tattooed three of the girls. The punishments were drawn from a “punishment jar”. Walsh was aware of and allowed the abuse and benefited from the forced labor.

The abuse came to light in May 2017, when the girls tried to sell their merchandise at a house that served as a children’s advocacy center. The employees were concerned and reported the girls’ activities to the authorities. Walsh pleaded guilty in federal court to forced labor and has been charged by the state with more than 100 counts of child abuse. Otis was charged with more than 100 counts of child abuse.

Date: May 2017
Location: Hazard, Kentucky

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Mark McGregor (L) and Melissa McGregor (R)

Twin 14-year-old girls, R. and K., were starved, physically abused, and imprisoned by their adoptive parents, Mark and Melissa McGregor. The girls were homeschooled. The McGregors’ eight other biological children who also lived in the home were not reported to be abused.

The girls were adopted from Bulgaria around 2012. The McGregors previously lived in Washington state, where a child abuse investigation was opened. The family moved several times, eventually settling in Missouri and opting to homeschool, allegedly so they could better “supervise” their children. The McGregors were frequent visitors at the library.

The girls were kept locked in a dark room or a sunroom for hours at a time. Their bedroom contained only a spring bed and a tub of ripped clothing for each girl; they were only allowed pillows for good behavior. Most of their meals consisted of raw vegetables; the family’s food was kept locked up, and the girls’ siblings were allowed second helpings while they were not. The girls were hit with spoons or spatulas in front of their siblings. They were required to ask permission in order to “get dressed, read their Bible, wear shoes or take a shower”, and when they were found, R. had not bathed in several weeks. As punishment for their behavior, the girls were forced to “run a gravel road barefoot or stand outside in the cold.”

The abuse came to light when a neighbor noticed R. walking down a nearby road with bloody feet. R. disclosed the abuse and the neighbor called the authorities. R., who had not been to the doctor or dentist for a long time, was found to weigh 92 lbs. and to have pinworm parasites; K. was found to weigh 76 lbs. and to have a distended stomach due to malnutrition. The McGregors were each charged with two counts of felony child abuse and their other children were removed from the home.

Date: July 8, 2019
Location: Summersville, Missouri

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Skylea Carmack

Skylea Rayn Carmack, age 10, was murdered by her stepmother, Amanda Carmack. Skylea was homeschooled.

Skylea lived with her father Kevin Carmack, her stepmother Amanda Carmack, three of Amanda’s children, and three children of Amanda’s brother. Kevin Carmack was a truck driver and was frequently absent from the home for his job. The children in the home reported that Amanda Carmack regularly beat them with a belt and forced them to assume stress positions as punishment. She also kept the children confined to their rooms, only allowing them out for food and bathroom breaks; neighbors reported not knowing that seven children lived in the home. Skylea had been confined to her room for a week and a half before her murder.

Skylea’s grandmother, Brenda Helmuth, was worried about Skylea because she was rarely allowed to see her; she reported that Skylea was getting thinner. Helmuth’s adopted child, whom Amanda Carmack regularly babysat, reported that Carmack was “mean” and starved the children. Amanda Carmack justified her abuse of the children on social media: she related one instance where she nearly came to blows with a bystander who witnessed abuse of the children by both Carmacks and threatened to call child services.

On August 31, Amanda Carmack strangled Skylea to death, allegedly because she caught Skylea stealing a charm bracelet. That evening, she went to the police to report that Skylea had run away, which Skylea had reportedly done several times before. After a four-day search, Skylea’s body was found September 4 in a trash bag behind the Carmacks’ home. Amanda Carmack was charged with murder, neglect, battery, and strangulation.

Date: August 31, 2019
Location: Gas City, Indiana

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John and Katrina Miller

A 13-year-old boy, R., was starved, imprisoned, and physically abused by his father, John P. Miller, and his stepmother Katrina M. Miller. R. was homeschooled. R.’s 3-year-old sister was not reported to be abused.

R. was born around 2006 and survived childhood leukemia. R.’s biological parents divorced in 2009 and his mother, Tiffany Miller, lost custody of him. R. went to live with his father and stepmother in Iberia, OH, while two of Tiffany Miller’s daughters lived with R.’s grandparents six miles away in Galion, OH. Around 2016, the Millers pulled R. out of public school to homeschool him, reportedly because of their religious beliefs. Around the same time they cut off R.’s contact with his grandparents and began starving R.

While John Miller had a typical diet, Katrina Miller was vegan. The Millers limited R. to a diet of almonds, bananas, and grapes, six a day, which he was forced to eat within 30 minutes of receiving them. R. reported that the Millers kept a camera trained on the refrigerator so he could not get extra food. If he vomited, he was forced to clean it up. R. was also forced to do extreme exercise and calisthenics. If he didn’t meet the Millers’ expectations about diet and exercise, R.’s father would beat him. When R. was rescued he weighed 62 lbs. and his hair was falling out; he attributed his survival to the meals he had gotten in public school before he was withdrawn to be homeschooled. R. was only allowed out of the house to attend church, where he wore bulky clothes to disguise his emaciated state. The Millers also prevented R. from getting follow-up care for his childhood leukemia, instead consulting an online doctor.

Around 2017, R. ran away from his Iberia home and hitchhiked to his grandparents’ house in Galion. Though R.’s grandfather reported the incident to social services, no intervention was made on R.’s behalf. In 2019, R. ran away again, unscrewing a window in order to escape because “he was afraid he’d starve to death.” Again he hitchhiked to his grandparents’ house, where his grandfather called the authorities to report that R. looked like a ‘Holocaust child’. The Millers were charged with child endangerment, kidnapping, and assault, among other charges.

Date: August 24, 2019
Location: Crestline, Ohio

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Alonzo Maxin and Andrea Arthur

Eight children—ages 10, 9, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1—were beaten, starved, and tortured by their parents, Alonzo Dewite Maxin and Andrea Lynn Arthur. The children were homeschooled.

Arthur and Maxin reportedly “ran away to New Jersey after having their first child.” The family lived in various other places including Georgia, and McMinnville, Tennessee before moving to Manchester. Arthur’s sister Stephanie Hicks, who personally called authorities four times for a welfare check on the children, last saw them on Thanksgiving 2017. Each time a welfare check was performed, the family moved away. The children were severely beaten; they were locked in an empty bedroom at night and their food was rationed. The 10-year-old boy looked like he was 5 due to malnutrition. When they were rescued, the children’s home was filled with animal urine and feces, trash, and roaches; the children had lice. “Arthur stated that she home-schooled the children[; however,] the home school [did] not appear to be legitimate.”

The abuse came to light in August 2019, when a neighbor in the family’s trailer park saw one of the children eating out of the garbage and called the authorities. The neighbors had not previously known any children lived in the home, though the family had been there two years. Arthur and Maxin were charged with aggravated child abuse.

Date: September 17, 2019
Location: Manchester, Tennessee

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Two boys, ages 16 and 12, were neglected by their mother, Bernadette Bisogno. The boys were homeschooled.

The boys lived with their mother and grandmother, ‘Tita Cora’ Bisogno, who was active in the Filipino community. The family also kept nine dogs on the second floor of the home, which was covered in feces. The dogs were covered in fleas and infected with mange. One of the bathrooms had no running water, and the kitchen was filled with expired and moldy food. Neighbors reported that the home was the source of a mosquito infestation and had a bad odor.

The neglect came to light when concerned members of the Filipino community reported to authorities their concerns that they had not seen Tita Cora for several weeks. When authorities arrived, they found the children covered in fleas, and Tita Cora had to be hospitalized. Bisogno was charged with two counts of child endangerment and one count of elder neglect. The home was declared uninhabitable.

Date: September 16, 2019
Location: Jersey City, New Jersey

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Melissa Keister

W., a girl born in 2009, was starved, imprisoned, and abused by her foster mother, Melissa Lin Keister. No charges were filed involving Keister’s husband, Allen Keister, or the six other children who lived in the home. W. was homeschooled.

Keister was active in her church and Milton Little League. Keister’s abuse of W. began in 2015. W. was starved for up to a week at a time: she would eat crumbs off the floor and frozen food because she was starving, and the other children would sneak her food. Keister claimed W. had a mental health disorder that prevented anyone else from feeding her; however, W. gained more than 20 lbs. in two months after she was removed from Keister’s home. On at least 50 occasions, when Keister caught W. eating food she was not supposed to, Keister forced W. to drink vinegar until she vomited. W. was also forced to sleep naked inside a square of tape on the floor in her bedroom; her bedroom had an alarm system, was equipped with a baby monitor, and had a boarded-up window. She was forced to take cold showers at night if she slept on her knees; if she “fell asleep while being home-schooled…she had to run laps around the house or do wall squats,” sometimes for up to two hours. W. was also beaten with a back scratcher and paddle, and on one occasion Keister struck W.’s head against the corner of a desk 20 times. Keister also drugged W. to make her sleep.

W. jumped out a window and ran away from home twice in early 2018; the whole neighborhood searched for her and returned her to her home. Neighbors called the authorities several times to report W.’s abuse, but it was finally investigated after “a home health aide called the Childline in April.” Two other social work professionals who had spent time in the home corroborated the abuse. Keister was charged with child endangerment, neglect, and reckless endangerment.

Date: April 7, 2018
Location: New Columbia, Pennsylvania

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An Evansburg man, X., sexually assaulted his three daughters A. (b. approx. 1995), B. (b. 1998), and C. (b. approx. 2000) over the course of six years. His two sons were not reported to be abused. The children were homeschooled.

The family lived in a ‘compound’ near Evansburg. X. “took an interest in firearms after the 9/11 terrorist attacks and underwent training that included instruction in guerrilla warfare.” He pulled his children from school and homeschooled them, forcing them to do weapons drills and training; one of his daughters reported that she could not write because she was pulled from school so early. He prohibited the girls from driving. He forced his wife to work overtime to support the family so she was rarely in the home and did not know how X. was abusing the children.

X. began sexually abusing B. around 2010, when she was 12. He sexually assaulted her many times per week for six years. X. considered B. to be his plural wife; he forced her to take marriage vows to him and forced her to call him ‘master’. In 2014, he posted a naked picture of her online and sold sex with B. to strangers he met online on two occasions; he videotaped and participated in the assaults. One one occasion, he punished B. for seeing a boy her age by “[sticking] clothes pins through her skin and [tearing] them off with a rope.” X. used the Bible to justify the abuse of his daughters and at his sentencing continued to maintain that B. would go to hell for wifely disobedience.

A., who has a developmental delay, was sexually assaulted for two years. X. forced her to have sexual contact with B., then sexually assaulted B. in front of her. C. was sexually assaulted for two and a half years, beginning when she was 14. She reported how X. groomed her and her sisters, telling them the abuse was “teaching” them. She also reported that her father hit her, her siblings, and her mother.

The abuse came to light when a family member reported it to the authorities in October 2016. X. was charged with 23 sexual offenses including human trafficking, incest, sexual assault, and child pornography. He pleaded guilty to 10 of the charges in February 2019 and in September 2019 he was sentenced to 23 years in prison.

Date: November 2016
Location: Evansburg, Alberta, Canada

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Greg and Susan Nelson with their three daughters

Three girls, ages 10, 9, and 8, were abused by their parents: Greg Nelson, his wife Susan Nelson, and his girlfriend Melissa Hamilton, who lived with them. The girls were homeschooled.

The family lived with 245 animals in “deplorable” conditions, with rotting food and animal urine and feces throughout the house. The police were called to the home four times in the year prior to the girls’ rescue. One neighbor indicated she had regularly called the authorities about the family for three years. The family did not allow authorities to enter the home, so there was never enough evidence for a warrant.

The abuse came to light when Greg Nelson ended his relationship with the two women and attempted to take the children with him when he moved out of the home. Susan Nelson would not allow this, so Greg Nelson called the police for a welfare check on the children. When police observed the family’s living conditions, the Nelsons and Hamilton were charged with child abuse and animal cruelty. The children were placed with a family member.

Date: October 20, 2019
Location: Edgewater, Florida

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Dennis Allen and Betty Nicolicchia-Allen

Five children—G., a 14-year-old girl, and siblings ages 12, 9, 8, and 6—were abused and neglected by their parents, Dennis Allen and Betty Nicolicchia-Allen. The children were homeschooled.

G. reported that “she was being homeschooled but wasn’t taught anything.” Instead, while Allen and Nicolicchia-Allen worked full-time, they forced G. to be a full-time caregiver for her siblings, as well as for six animals in the home. They kept the home in “deplorable” conditions, with no running water, an overflowing toilet, rotting food, animal urine and feces, and insects. G. also reported that her mother physically and emotionally abused her.

The abuse came to light when G. called an abuse hotline to report that she was considering suicide. The hotline alerted authorities to the conditions in the home. Allen and Nicolicchia-Allen were charged with child neglect.

Date: October 31, 2019
Location: Bunnell, Florida

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Margaret Breeze

An 11-year-old girl, K., was starved, imprisoned, and abused by her legal guardians, Margaret and Charles Breeze. K. was homeschooled. Other children in the home were not reported to be abused.

K. went to live with the Breezes in 2013. Margaret Breeze was the third cousin of K.’s biological mother, who claimed that K. had a mental health condition and thought Breeze could help. In order to gain custody as a foster parent in Bracken County, Kentucky, Breeze falsely claimed to be certified as a foster parent in Ohio. “She claimed she had raised three children of her own and a 1-year-old granddaughter.” Breeze also briefly cared for K.’s biological sister.

While the Breezes lived in a house, they kept K. locked in a trailer in the backyard, which they monitored with a video feed. K. was forced to sleep on a urine-stained mattress and wear a diaper. Her entire food intake consisted of rice each day at midnight; when she was rescued, she weighed only 47 lbs. and was diagnosed with Kwashiorkor, a rare protein deficiency normally only found in famine victims. In 2015, the girl’s biological mother found out that the Breezes were beating and waterboarding K. and allegedly unsuccessfully attempted to regain custody. At K.’s last doctor visit in 2016, she was underweight. In 2017, Joie Jodrey, Charles Breeze’s sister, reported that the Breezes were abusing K.; it is unclear what the results of that report were.

The abuse finally came to light in 2019 when K. told a teacher administering an online test that she was hungry and reported her limited food intake. The teacher reported concerns to the authorities. The Breezes were charged with child endangerment, kidnapping, and assault. K. was hospitalized for several days on the verge of liver failure; she recovered and is “thriving” in her new home, where she gained 15 lbs. in two months.

Date: September 13, 2019
Location: Georgetown, Ohio

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Scott and Cherry Blattert

Nine children—the oldest being S., a 15-year-old girl; the youngest being toddlers—were systematically physically abused by their parents, Scott and Cherry Blattert. The children were homeschooled.

Scott Blattert worked at the NSA Crane Naval Base and the Blatterts were religious. Scott experimented with beating his children with various implements including wooden spoons and dowel rods to determine that industrial grade glue sticks caused the most pain with the fewest markings. The glue sticks were kept on the mantle so that Cherry Blattert could use them to beat the children for “minor accidents or behavior issues” while Scott Blattert was at work. She kept a list of the children’s supposed infractions so that Scott could beat the children with glue sticks or a belt when he got home from work. Scott also punched the children, slammed them into walls, and choked them. The Blatterts meticulously documented the children’s injuries with photos and a journal. “One child kept a diary of the abuse and hid it inside her mattress.” There was only one phone in the home and it was kept in the Blatterts’ bedroom, where the children were not permitted to go.

Child protective services visited the home several times; the Blatterts hid the glue sticks in the bedroom when this occurred and coached the children not to speak to social workers. “The family recently moved from one home to another because a DCS worker lived nearby,” and after the children were too honest with social workers, Scott beat them. Though news sources did not report this, it is likely that the Blatterts were following the same child discipline manual as the parents of Sean Paddock, Hana Williams, and Lydia Schatz.

The abuse came to light when police were shown a video of Scott Blattert beating S. It is unknown who recorded the video or how it reached the authorities. Scott Blattert was charged with strangulation and aggravated battery. Cherry Blattert was charged with neglect of a dependent resulting in bodily injury.

Date: October 31, 2019
Location: Springville, Indiana

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New Zealand woman

Nine children, born between approximately 1995 and 2005, were starved and tortured by their mother, X. The children were homeschooled.

The family were active in their local “conservative Christian” church. At some point X. separated from her husband, who was not charged in connection with the abuse. X. began abusing the children in 2000. They were starved and forced to eat non-food substances; forced to do extreme exercise and spend hours in stress positions; beaten and thrown down stairs; submerged overnight in cold swimming pools; and emotionally abused. X.’s eldest daughter, M., reported that she now requires hearing aids due to head trauma from the abuse, and said “I am still learning that I am not stupid, disgusting, dumb and a servant.” Another adult daughter, P., reported ongoing daily headaches due to head trauma.

The abuse came to light in 2017, when five of the children were adults and had moved out of the house. Six of the children testified against X., who took a plea deal in the middle of the trial due to overwhelming evidence. She pleaded guilty to cruelty to children and assault on a child and was sentenced to four years in prison.

Date: 2017
Location: New Zealand

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Antonio Gonzalez Sr. (L) and Paul Bacorn (R)

Antonio Juan Gonzalez Jr., age 14, was murdered by his father, Antonio Gonzalez, and Gonzalez’s roommate, Paul Bacorn. Antonio was homeschooled. Antonio’s 4-year-old sister was not reported to be abused.

In September 2019, the family moved from Allegheny County to a trailer on a rural property in Mercer County; Bacorn lived in another trailer on the same property and watched the children when Gonzalez was away. The children’s mother had died a few years beforehand. Antonio was enrolled in an online cyber school, but Gonzalez “logged him into school so he wouldn’t get in trouble for missing class.” In late 2019, a concerned neighbor called the police concerned for the children’s safety and wellbeing; the family’s fridge was kept padlocked on the front porch and the trailers were in “deplorable” condition. Antonio was starved, sprayed with a hose, and forced to stand for hours in stress positions. When Antonio died, he weighed only 70 lbs. and officials said he looked like a “concentration camp victim.”

The abuse came to light after Antonio died as a result of hypovolemic shock due to blunt force trauma. Gonzalez called 911 and was charged with criminal homicide, aggravated assault, and child endangerment, among other charges. Bacorn was charged with criminal homicide and criminal conspiracy.

Date: October 23, 2019
Location: Delaware Township, Mercer County, Pennsylvania

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Takoda Collins

Takoda Collins, age 10, was tortured, raped, and murdered by his father, Al-Mutahan McLean. Takoda was homeschooled. McLean’s girlfriend, Amanda Hinze, and her sister Jennifer Ebert, who both lived in the home, knew about the abuse but did nothing to stop it. McLean also abused Takoda’s 13-year-old brother. A 3-year-old who lived in the home was not reported to be abused.

Takoda’s mother, Robin Collins, struggled with drug use and “spent time in jail after being charged with abusing her son in 2009. [S]he lost custody of [Takoda] while living in Wisconsin in 2013.” McLean then gained primary custody of Takoda, who was allowed to visit his mother four times a year. Takoda attended Horace Mann Elementary School in Dayton, where teachers reported concerns about Takoda and his older brother to social services many times, starting around 2014 when Takoda was in kindergarten. According to his teachers, Takoda often had poor hygiene and injuries, was too thin, and complained of starvation, beatings, and imprisonment by his father. In 2016, Takoda’s older brother ran away from home, citing abuse. On May 11, 2018, a social worker tried to visit Takoda’s home as a result of a teacher’s report of abuse concerns; subsequently, on July 31, 2018, McLean filed paperwork to homeschool Takoda. In November 2018, McLean called 911 to report Takoda was “talking crazy” and took Takoda to the hospital for behavioral analysis. McLean renewed the homeschool paperwork in summer of 2019, after Collins called in a well check for her son over her concerns he was being abused.

In addition to being subjected to sexual assault and associated injuries, Takoda was also locked naked in an attic, forced to eat his own feces, forced to spend long hours in a stress position, and beaten with a belt. Investigators recovered Taser dog collars from the home. The abuse came to light in 2019 when McLean called an ambulance to report Takoda was unresponsive; an investigation showed that Takoda had either been “held underwater or forced to drink excessive amounts of water before his death.” Takoda died in the hospital and McLean was charged with child endangerment, assault, and rape. Hinze and Ebert were charged with child endangerment.

Date: December 13, 2019
Location: Dayton, Ohio

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Raylee Browning

Raylee JoLynn Browning, age 8, was murdered by her father, Marty Browning, Browning’s partner Julie Dawn Titchenell, and Julie’s sister Sherie Titchenell. The family also lived with Julie Titchenell’s three children, including a girl, V. Raylee and V. were homeschooled.

Raylee was born in 2010. Her biological mother was not actively involved in her life; Raylee lived with Browning as early as 2011, when the first of her hospitalizations for various injuries occurred. All three of her caregivers alleged that Raylee had a history of self-mutilation starting in 2012 when Sherie Titchenell entered her life, although one of these supposed self-injuries was a broken femur, which is a common injury from child abuse. Raylee was on seven medications, purportedly to treat mood disorders and autism, at the time of her death; authorities think she may have been a victim of medical abuse.

Sherie was the primary caregiver for Raylee and for Julie’s children, although according to V., Sherie singled out Raylee for abuse because she was not Julie’s child, and V. for abuse because she was of a different race. Raylee and V. originally attended school in Nicolas County, WV, where Raylee asked cafeteria workers for extra food because she was starved at home. Teachers at her school made multiple reports to child services about their concerns, although it is unclear if a case was ever opened. According to V., “the adults had told her to lie to CPS workers about Raylee’s home life, and she did so because she was scared. She said that she and [Raylee] had been taken out of school and homeschooled because Sherie allegedly said she could think of no more lies for the two girls to tell to CPS workers.”

Raylee shared a bedroom with Sherie. Raylee was forced to sleep on the floor in a diaper and beaten with various objects. Raylee was punished during homeschooling by being forced to stand and walk in the hallways rather than being educated. Once Sherie punished Raylee by depriving her of water for three days; Raylee drank out of a toilet to stay alive. When Raylee died, “she had bruising, burns and lacerations on her body, and her rectum was torn.” Investigators hypothesized that Raylee’s cause of death was an infection that led to sepsis; according to V., it may have been drinking from the toilet that led to the infection.

The abuse came to light when Sherie brought an unconscious Raylee to the hospital; Raylee subsequently died. Raylee’s caregivers gave inconsistent statements about the circumstances of her death. Browning and the Titchenells were charged with Raylee’s death and with child neglect.

Date: December 26, 2018
Location: Oak Hill, West Virginia

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A boy between ages 9 and 17, identified by the media as Child AB, was starved, imprisoned, and abused by his Stepfather. The boy was homeschooled. The boy’s Mother knew about the abuse but did nothing to stop it.

Child AB was the second-oldest child when Stepfather entered the family in 2012. Stepfather’s abuse of Child AB began immediately as he scapegoated the boy. Mother “abdicated her responsibilities and duties as a parent.” Child AB was beaten, “fed stale food and banned from speaking to his siblings,” and Stepfather prevented the boy from seeing a doctor.

Around 2014, social services set up a “child in need” plan for Child AB, but closed the case after three months. Shortly after the case was closed, Stepfather stopped sending Child AB to school, telling social services that he would homeschool him. However, Stepfather never submitted a homeschool application form. Child AB was subsequently not seen by a professional for 14 months. During this time, Child AB was kept naked in a dark room which was locked and alarmed with the blinds nailed shut. The boy was not allowed to use a toilet, so the room was covered with feces.

The abuse came to light in 2016 when Child AB’s sister reported her brother’s imprisonment to her teachers at school. He was removed from the home. In May 2019, Child AB’s parents were convicted of child cruelty. Stepfather was sentenced to 7 years in prison; Mother was sentenced to 3 years.

Date: 2016
Location: Northamptonshire, England, UK

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Adam Douglas Franklin, age 7, was abused and murdered by his stepfather, Alan Suliber. Adam’s mother, Elizabeth “Katie” Franklin, knew about the abuse. Adam was homeschooled.

Franklin and Adam moved to Wyoming in March 1991 and Franklin soon began dating Suliber. In July 1991, Suliber slapped Adam, who fell against the washing machine. Franklin reported the incident to authorities who investigated. Franklin and Suliber married in October 1991; several people noticed various injuries to Adam during their marriage. At some point Adam was withdrawn from school to be homeschooled.

In February 1992, Franklin took Suliber and Adam to a boy scout meeting while she went to work the night shift. The next morning, she found Adam unresponsive in his bed. He was declared dead and investigators determined he had been beaten to death. Suliber was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison.

Date: February 14, 1992
Location: Rock Springs, Wyoming

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