Officials responding to a child neglect tip found a 5 year old adopted girl weighing only 21 pounds. Her body showed signs of having been restrained for long periods of time. She and her three siblings, all of whom were adopted and had special needs, were removed from their adoptive parents home and placed in protective custody. The girl in question had Down syndrome. Ernest Richard Davison and Cynthia Joan Davison, the parents, were charged and convicted to 3 and 4 years in jail, respectively. Cynthia had been homeschooling all four of the children.
Location: Beachwood, New Jersey
Date: December 2004
