Tammy Renea Andrews allegedly tortured her 10 year old adopted son, whom she homeschooled while sending her biological children to school. Andrews is charged with routinely tying the boy up or chaining him, denying him food, and beating him with a baseball bat and a hammer. She also allegedly pinched his tongue with a staple puller and pliers, and shot him with a BB gun and then refused to seek medical care for him (the bullet was found lodged in his abdomen by a doctor who examined him after he was removed from the home). The allegations of abuse came to light after a neighbor called to report that the boy was being stabbed in the hand by his mother. Officers who arrived on the scene found that the boy had blood on his hands and pants and that his body was covered in odd scars.

Date: February 2010
Location: Safford, Arizona