David Martinez
David Alfonso ‘Davie’ Martinez, age 8, died of malnutrition and medical neglect. A criminal investigation is ongoing. Davie was homeschooled. Davie lived with his mother, Rachell Martinez, and his stepfather Steven Zahara. Davie had four siblings. He died from complications of an infection caused by malnutrition and neglect. Date: September 7, 2014 Location: Lowell, Massachusetts
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 […]
Daughter of Julio Valladares and Linda Richmond
An 8-year-old girl was beaten, starved, and tortured by her father, Julio Valladares, and his partner Linda Richmond. The girl was homeschooled. Richmond also had a son on whose behalf no charges were filed. In 2013, someone at the girl’s elementary school noticed her bruises and called in a tip. In response, Valladares pulled the […]
3 Children of Echo Terry
Three girls–V.T. (b. 2004), J.T. (b. 2005), and M.T. (b. 2010)–were starved and imprisoned by their adoptive mother, Echo Marie Terry. Their infant sister, Ma.T., was not reported to be abused. The girls were homeschooled. Terry became the foster mother of the three girls–biological sisters–in 2011 and formally adopted them in 2013. The abuse began […]
Son of Charlie Mayes
A 16-year-old boy was physically abused by his father, military veteran Charlie Mayes. The boy was forced to carry a heavy stone for miles in hot weather as punishment for failing to do his schoolwork. The boy “had a history of problems at school” and was homeschooled. The abuse came to light when a pizza […]
Boy by Jennifer Yanke and Stephan Alcox
A 13-year-old boy was neglected and deprived of food by his mother, Jennifer Yanke, and his stepfather Stephan Alcox. The boy had been pulled out of school and was reportedly homeschooling himself. The boy was left alone in a feces-strewn vacant house for a month while his parents lived in a nearby hotel. The boy […]
7 Children of Sonia Kubisak
Seven children, ages 7 to 17, were neglected by their mother, Sonia Kubisak, who claimed to be homeschooling them. In March 2014, Kubisak moved the children to a campsite in Oklahoma, reportedly to escape an abusive relationship in Pennsylvania. Kubisak starved the children and medicated them with cattle wormer and flea treatment. When the children […]
Thomas Elberling
Thomas Elberling, age 11, was shot to death by his father, Jens Elberling, who then committed suicide. Thomas had been homeschooled for the past two years. Thomas was recognized internationally as a chess champion and was ranked fifth in his age group in the US. Jens Elberling and Thomas’s mother, Kate Chou, filed for divorce […]
Granddaughter of Steve and Joetta Sells
A 15-year-old girl was beaten, imprisoned, and nearly starved to death by her grandfather, Steve Sells, his wife Joetta Sells, and Steve’s daughter Crystal Sells. The girl, who had special needs, was withdrawn from school in 2010 to be homeschooled. The girl’s 4-year-old sibling was not reported to be abused. Steve Sells got custody of […]
Children of Christine Baughman
An 11-year-old boy was physically and emotionally abused by his adoptive mother, Christine Evelyn Baughman. The boy’s adoptive father, pediatrician Henry Baughman, has not been charged. The boy and his brother were adopted from Ukraine in 2013. The Baughmans’ four children were homeschooled, according to Christine Baughman’s Pinterest profile. The abuse, which included beatings with […]
