2 Children of Paul and Amanda Lavoe
Paul Lavoe beat his teenage daughter and a teenage relative adopted from Ghana with electrical cords in what one doctor called an “extremely violent assault.” The two girls were enrolled in a virtual school but quickly fell behind in their work because their parents expected them to watch their three younger children while both parents […]
15 Children of Robert Hale (Papa Pilgrim)
Robert Hale served as midwife at the births of all fifteen of his children. The family homesteaded, homeschooled (although little education took place), and lived in isolation in the Sangre de Cristo mountains of New Mexico until 1998, when Hale, who began calling himself Papa Pilgrim, moved his wife and children to Alaska. In 2002 […]
Child of Ardee Verlon Tyler and Penny Sue Tyler
Ardee Verlon Tyler and Penny Sue Tyler adopted five girls from Liberia in 2005. The couple had two older biological children. The second adopted daughter, age 8 when she first arrived in the family and 10 when the children were finally removed, was singled out for abuse by her adoptive parents. They tied her with […]
3 Children of Laurie Williamson
As early as 2000, Laurie Williamson’s eldest son’s teacher began expressing concern about him as they watched a once-happy preschooler become thin and withdrawn. Williamson responded by withdrawing him from school and homeschooling all three of her children. By the time Williamson’s three children—Tom, Roger, and Chrissy—were 11, 9, and 6, they were on a […]
2 Children of Ingrid Brewer
Ingrid Brewer adopted two children out of foster care, and reported them missing on January 15 less than a year later. The children, an 8 year old boy and a 7 year old girl, were found laying by a road not far from their home, wearing only light clothing in the mid-20s weather and hiding […]
Shelby and Shasta Miller
In early April, Shane Miller pulled his two daughters, Shelby, 8, and Shasta, 4, out of school to homeschool them. A month later he murdered both girls along with their mother, Sandy. Date: May 6, 2013 Location: Shingletown, California
Willie Robinson
8 year old Willie Robinson, who died of pneumonia due to Hodgkin’s lymphoma, would have survived if given proper cancer treatment. His parents, Monica Hussing and William Robinson Sr., had not provided Willie or their five other children, ages 5, 6, 7, 13, and 14, with medical care in three years. After receiving a concerned […]
Children of Earl and Deborah Dinkler
A 13 year old girl and an 11 year old boy were forced by their adoptive parents, Earl and Deborah Dinkler, to run 15 laps around the property before breakfast each day. This had been going on for four years when the abuse came to light. If Earl and Deborah were not satisfied with the […]
Child of Todd and Lisa Mortensen
Todd Mortensen is alleged to have sexually abused a 12 year old girl placed in his home. The girl was in the process of being adopted by another family, but when this family began to struggle with caring for her they made private arrangements to place her with the Mortensens. Todd and Lisa Mortensen homeschooled […]
Esther Combs
Esther Combs, originally named Elsa Garcia, was taken from Baptist Children’s Home in Valparaiso, Indiana, by Joseph and Evangeline Combs at 4 months old in 1978. Esther was never actually adopted, although she grew up believing that she had been. Joseph, a Baptist minister, sexually abused Esther and Evangeline beat her with a baseball bat […]
