Homeschooling’s 

Invisible Children

5 Children of John and Linda Dollar

Content note: Case narratives include descriptions of severe violence inflicted on children, including abuse and neglect, sexual violence, torture, and murder, as well as mentions of suicide and domestic violence. They also include photos of victims and perpetrators of violence.

Dollar

John and Linda Dollar are accused of abusing their 5 adopted children, ages 12, 13, 14, 14, and 16, by branding them with a cattle prod, striking their feet with hammers, pulling out their toenails with pliers, and binding them with chains. The Dollars also deprived the children of food to the extent that the twins, aged 14, weighed only 36 and 38 pounds. The abuse was discovered when John Dollar called 911 to report that there was blood gushing from his 16 year old son’s head. There were three other children in the home. The Dollars homeschooled their children through a private umbrella school.

Date: January 21, 2005
Location: Beverly Hills, Florida

Documents: Date:
Pair accused of child torture arrested in Utah 2005-02-02
Abu Gharib in FLORIDA 2005-02-02
Children tell story of torture 2005-02-04
Citrus couple arrested, face abuse charges 2005-02-05
PAIR WANTED IN TORTURE OF FIVE TEENS CAPTURED 2005-02-05
COUPLE ACCUSED OF TORTURE CAUGHT 2005-02-05
Pair in child torture case agree to return to Fla. 2005-02-07
Torture Accusations Leveled After Call Led To Treatment 2005-02-08
COUPLE ACCUSED OF TORTURING KIDS LIKELY TO FACE CHARGES IN FLORIDA 2005-02-08
Kids subjected to death camp-like abuse, charges say 2005-02-08
TORTURE SUSPECTS TO BE EXTRADITED 2005-02-08
Couple Clear Way To Be Extradited On Abuse Charges 2005-02-08
Taught at home, kids out of sight 2005-02-09
Duo’s Alleged Torture Tools Seized 2005-02-09
School Noted Adoptees’ Size 2005-02-12
Police say toenails, pliers found in RV 2005-02-12
Abused kids could go to adopted sister 2005-02-13
PARENTS ACCUSED OF ABUSE CLAIMED THEY WERE LOVING 2005-02-13
‘GROTESQUE’ ABUSE CASE WASN’T WHAT IT SEEMED 2005-02-13
CHILD TORTURE CASE 2005-02-14
Did Florida Fail Abused Children? 2005-02-14
PAIR’S ADULT DAUGHTER SAYS SHE WAS ABUSED 2005-02-15
Dollar Adoptees’ Eldest Sibling Wants Custody 2005-02-15
Older sister in Dollar case pays price for caring 2005-02-17
Follow-Up: Interview With Dollars’ Daughter Shanda Rae Shelton, Attorneys Bill Grant, Bo Samargya 2005-02-18
Replace Dollars’ guardian, trust says 2005-02-19
Fla. Couple Accused of Child Torture — Couple Accused of Monstrous Acts Vs. Kids 2005-02-20
Allegations depict house of horrors 2005-02-20
PAIR CHARGED WITH ABUSE DENIED BAIL 2005-02-21
Florida couple once praised for parenting now accused of torture; judge denies bail 2005-02-21
TORTURE SUSPECTS APPEAR IN COURT 2005-02-21
Abuse affects all in family 2005-02-22
Another Dollar daughter wants to visit siblings 2005-02-27
Citrus couple face more charges of child abuse 2005-03-02
Daughters fight to see their siblings in alleged torture case 2005-03-02
Lawyers, state fight over fate of kids 2005-03-02
1 lawyer named for 7 Dollar children 2005-03-03
Advocate says Dollar boy is taken from foster home 2005-03-05
Three Dollar kids removed from schools, foster home 2005-03-06
Evidence on Dollars sought 2005-03-09
Five Florida children allege abuse at hands of parents 2005-03-11
Details released in Dollar abuse case 2005-03-11
Judge bars media in Dollar children’s case 2005-03-11
KIDS TELL OF TORTURE BY ADOPTIVE PARENTS 2005-03-12
PARENTS DENIED BAIL IN ABUSE CASE 2005-03-16
Dollars’ calls, letters released 2005-04-06
Documents reveal thoughts of Dollar couple 2005-04-08
COUPLE SEEK DEFENSE HELP IN ABUSE CASE, LETTERS SHOW 2005-04-08
RECORDS: COUPLE IN TORTURE CASE SOUGHT SUPPORT 2005-04-08
Defense in Dollars case glimpsed at 2005-04-12
Dollars talk with Indiana newspaper 2005-04-13
Judge refuses to release Dollars 2005-04-16
DNA From Torture Matches Children’s 2005-06-07
Dollars surrender their parental rights 2005-06-07
COUPLE WILL BE TRIED JOINTLY IN ABUSE TRIAL 2005-06-07
Lawyer: Dollar kids’ woes delay depositions 2005-07-09
Prosecutor: Don’t make kids face the Dollars 2005-07-23
Dollars’ appeal to get bail is denied 2005-08-13
Hearing looks at how Dollar kids testify 2005-08-30
Testimony: Dollar children lived like war prisoners 2005-09-09
Dollars Plead No Contest, Get 15 Years In Prison 2005-09-14
PARENTS GET 15 YEARS IN ABUSE-STARVATION CASE 2005-09-15
Detective speaks out on Dollar tortures 2005-09-16
Dollar child abuse: Survivors of childhood torture speak out 2010-11-23