Homeschooling’s 

Invisible Children

Dominick Diehl

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.

Newspaper photo depicting the Diehl family, with Dominick on the far right in the back row

Dominick J. Diehl, who also went by Andrew, was 13 when he was beaten to death by his adoptive parents, Michael and Karen Diehl. He was regularly tied to the floor of the family’s bus and beaten with rods and a homemade whip as a form of punishment. The couple homeschooled their brood of 17, including 4 biological children and 13 adopted special needs children. Two years before Andrew’s death, the family left their home in Post Falls, Idaho, and went on a road trip that was originally only supposed to last for a couple of months. During these years they lived in their school bus, parking at camp sites across the country. While the family of 19 was on a 2 year school bus trip they had become heavily involved in a fundamentalist Christian faith community in Virginia. The couple was sentenced to a collective seventy years in prison for the beating death of their adopted son.

Date: October 29, 1986
Location: Virginia Beach, Virginia

Documents: Date:
Family Of 17 Children Makes Life, Learning A Moving Experience 1985-12-23
FATHER ACCUSED OF CHILD ABUSE SAYS HIS CONSCIENCE IS CLEAR 1986-10-28
Facing Charges, Father Wanted Life Support Continued : Brain-Dead Boy’s Death Ends Dispute 1986-10-29
A TRAGIC TURN ON A TRIP FOR GOD 1986-10-30
ADOPTED BOY SLAIN PARENTS OF 17 ACCUSED OF ABUSE 1986-10-30
PARENTS OF 17 ARRESTED IN FATAL BEATING OF SON 1986-10-30
Religious pair charged in son’s death 1986-10-30
Friends Shocked by Murder Charges 1986-10-31
2 SERVICES HELD FOR ADOPTED BOY 1986-11-01
AUTOPSY SAYS SCARS, BRUISES COVERED YOUTH 1986-12-13
DIEHL TESTIFIES HE DISCIPLINED SON `TO GET HIM TO ENJOY LIFE’ 1986-12-18
PROSECUTOR TO TRY AGAIN TO USE MRS. DIEHL’S STATEMENT TO POLICE 1986-12-19
DIEHL CHILDREN NOW MAY VISIT EACH OTHER 1987-01-07
16 DIEHL CHILDREN CAN VISIT ONE ANOTHER 1987-01-08
JUDGE TO RULE ON DIEHL’S `DISTRAUGHT’ CONFESSION 1987-03-04
DIEHL TAKES FIFTH AT PRETRIAL HEARING 1987-03-04
JUDGE ALLOWS USE OF DIEHL STATEMENT 1987-03-05
‘ NOBODY WOULD UNDERSTAND’ BEATINGS, DIEHL TOLD POLICE 1987-03-05
JUDGE REJECTS FIVE MOTIONS IN DIEHL CASE 1987-04-08
KAREN DIEHL TRIAL TO PROCEED 1987-07-03
Fundamentalists Go on Trial In Va. Beating Death of Son 1987-07-07
SONS TELL OF TIMES MRS. DIEHL STRUCK VICTIM, 13 1987-07-10
JURORS HEAR VIDEOTAPE OF MRS. DIEHL ADMITTING TO SHACKLING SON 1987-07-10
DIEHL WARNED SON NOT TO TELL POLICE ABOUT PUNISHING VICTIM 1987-07-14
MRS. DIEHL TELLS JURY OF HORRORS OF BEING PARENT TO DISTURBED SON 1987-07-15
Father Guilty in Beating Death of Son, 13 1987-07-16
MRS. DIEHL’S JURY PONDERS 3 HOURS, TO RETURN TODAY 1987-07-17
VA. BEACH JURY RESUMES STUDY OF CHARGES AGAINST MRS. DIEHL 1987-07-17
JURY FINDS MRS. DIEHL GUILTY 1987-07-18
RELATIVES OF DIEHLS WANT CUSTODY OF COUPLE’S CHILDREN 1987-07-20
PROSECUTORS BLAME INSTRUCTIONS FOR MRS. DIEHL’S LIGHTER SENTENCE 1987-07-25
DIEHL OFFERS APOLOGY, IS GIVEN 41-YEAR TERM 1987-09-01
Va. Judge Gives Man 41 Years For Slaying Adopted Son, 13 1987-09-02
MRS. DIEHL’S SENTENCE OF 31 YEARS IS UPHELD 1987-09-15
APPELLATE COURT SAYS DIEHL MAY APPEAL 1988-10-02
MRS. DIEHL ASKS FOR NEW TRIAL 1989-01-11
DIEHL SAYS MURDER CONVICTION WAS IMPROPER, ASKS REVERSAL 1989-03-09
MRS. DIEHL’S MANSLAUGHTER CONVICTION VOIDED 1989-09-13
Va. Manslaughter Case 1989-09-13
STATE WILL TRY TO BLOCK MRS. DIEHL’S RELEASE 1989-09-16
MRS. DIEHL RELEASED PENDING APPEAL OF RULING ON CONVICTION 1989-09-23
RULING FREES MOTHER 1989-09-23
JUDGE FREES MRS. DIEHL ON BAIL UNTIL COURT HEARS HER APPEAL 1989-09-23
MICHAEL JOSEPH DIEHL v. COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA 1989-10-24
APPEALS COURT REINSTATES MRS. DIEHL’S CONVICTIONS 1990-04-04
KAREN DIEHL LOSES APPEAL ON 5-5 VOTE PROSECUTORS TO SEEK HER RETURN TO PRISON 1990-04-04
APPEALS COURT RULES AGAINST MRS. DIEHL 1990-04-05
KAREN DIEHL LOSES APPEAL, MUST RETURN TO PRISON 1990-05-01
KAREN DIEHL TO RETURN TO PRISON TODAY 1990-05-02
DIEHL ORDERED BACK TO PRISON 1990-05-02
Beach Child-Killer Will Be Released Aug. 5 1993-07-15
Social worker can’t escape felony case 2001-10-12
The Re-emergence of Karen Diehl Revives Horror of Abused Child 2001-10-16
Old and young need protectors, not predators 2001-10-30

Homeschooling's Invisible Children is a project of the Coalition for Responsible Home Education.

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