Homeschooling’s 

Invisible Children

Elizabeth Thomas

Mary Catherine Elizabeth Thomas (b. 2002), who went by Elizabeth, was beaten and imprisoned by her mother, Kimberly Thomas. Thomas also beat four of Elizabeth’s siblings. Elizabeth and her nine siblings were homeschooled. According to Elizabeth’s older sister, Brandy Landauer (b. 1998), the 10 children were homeschooled all their lives “but they played sports and […]

Wesley Jordan

Adam Wesley Jordan (b. 1980), who went by Wesley, was tortured and imprisoned for 18 months by his stepfather, Steve Maynard, and his mother Bonnie Maynard. Wesley’s two sisters (S., b. 1984; and M., b. 1990) were not reported to be abused. The children were homeschooled. Wesley’s parents divorced in 1990 and he moved with […]

Jack Garcia

Jack Kirby Garcia, age 9, was beaten to death by his uncle, Jacob Andrew Barajas, and his mother’s boyfriend, Robert Leroy Wilson. Jack’s mother, Oriana Iris Garcia, knew about and sanctioned the beating. After the beating, she delayed getting medical care for Jack, contributing to his death. Jack was homeschooled. Jack was enrolled in public […]

Joseph Bishop

Joseph “Joey” Bishop, age 18, died of Duchenne muscular dystrophy as a result of medical neglect by his mother, Jamie Bishop, and his grandparents Raymond and Sharon Martin. He died of sepsis due to infected bedsores in February, 2017. At his death, he had not been moved from his bed for six months, despite being mobile […]

Malayia Knapp, and 8 siblings

Malayia Knapp (b. 1998) and her sister (b. 2001) were beaten, starved, and imprisoned by their adoptive parents, Mindy Dawn Knapp and Anthony “Andy” Knapp. Their 7 other siblings were not reported to be abused, although at least one other sibling had tried to run away. All the children were homeschooled. Malayia was the “oldest […]

Natalie Finn, and 4 siblings

Natalie Jasmine Finn, age 16, was imprisoned, tortured, and starved to death by her parents, Nicole Marie Finn and Joseph Michael Finn II. Natalie’s 15-year-old brother and 14-year-old sister were also starved, imprisoned, and tortured. An older brother, Alexander Kendal Finn (age 23), and another 15-year-old sibling were not reported to be abused. Natalie was […]

3 Children of Joshua and Brandi Weyant

Three children (JTW, a 6-year-old boy; SRB, a 5-year-old girl; and HRW, a 4-year-old girl) were imprisoned, starved, and beaten by their adoptive parents, Joshua Ross Weyant and Brandi Jene Weyant. The children were homeschooled. Five other children who lived in the home, including a 17-year-old girl, were not reported to be abused. JTW and […]

Boy by RCMP officer

A boy (b. 2002) was imprisoned, starved, and physically and sexually abused by his father, an officer in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and his stepmother. The boy’s two siblings were not reported to be abused. The boy was homeschooled. The boy last attended school in June 2012; his parents began homeschooling him in September […]

2 Children of Richard and Cynthia Kelly

A boy (b. 2002) was imprisoned, starved, and medically neglected by his adoptive parents, Richard and Cynthia Kelly. His older sister (b. 1997), who was also adopted, was not reported to be abused. The children were homeschooled. The boy, who was reported to have special needs, was kept locked in the basement by the Kellys […]

5 Children of the ‘Springs Monster’

Five children (a 16-year-old girl, an 11-year-old boy, two younger girls, and a 2-year-old girl) were tortured by their father, dubbed the ‘Springs Monster’. Their mother was also charged with child abuse, although she claimed that she was a victim of her husband. The children were homeschooled. The children were “shocked with electric wires and […]