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
Last Updated: December 26, 2022 by rachel
Dominick Diehl
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
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Category: Adoption, Disabilities, Fatality, Imprisonment, Physical Abuse Tags: 1986, idaho, Virginia
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