Homeschooling’s 

Invisible Children

Child of Recardo and Therian Wimbush

Recardo and Therian Wimbush locked their oldest son in a lightless basement room for almost two years with only a bucket for a toilet. The boy was 13 when the ordeal ended. His siblings were not included in the allegations. All 10 children were homeschooled; however, the Wimbush’s oldest son had not received any instruction since he was […]

Antonio Rader

Antonio Rader, age 7, was beaten, starved, and tortured by his mother, Mary Rader (right), and her mother and stepfather, Deana (left) and Dennis Beighley. Antonio’s siblings, 11- and 4-year-old sisters and a 9-year-old brother, were not abused, although his brother was underweight. Antonio had attended public school until fall 2013, “at which time his […]

Siblings of Andrew Wells

Andrew Keith Wells, 20, sexually assaulted 8 of his 9 siblings. His parents, Brian and Janelle Wells, knew about the abuse and did nothing to stop it. Andrew Wells had been homeschooled and had only a fifth-grade education, as well as “numerous mental issues.” His younger siblings were all being homeschooled at the time of […]

2 daughters of Johann and Kimery Jorg

Two girls, ages 13 and 11, were abused by their adoptive parents, Johann and Kimery Jorg. Both girls were made to sleep outside using a bucket for a bathroom, and they were not allowed to wear clothes. They were forced to run barefoot in the heat for hours and beaten with a wooden paddle as […]

Girl by the Jackson family

A 16-year-old girl was repeatedly raped and sexually abused by the six Jackson brothers (Eric, 27; Jon, 25; Matthew, 23; Nathaniel, 21; Benjamin, 19; and Aaron, 18) from the time she was 4 until she was 14. Though the girl was not identified, it appears that she was the brothers’ younger sister. The boys’ parents, […]

Christopher Smithburg

Christopher Smithburg, adopted from the Philippines at age 8, was physically abused by his mother, Susan Smithburg. Christopher, his 17-year-old brother, and his 10-year old sister were homeschooled. Christopher got into trouble in school, and was ultimately sent to a boarding school and then homeschooled. His mother put an alarm on his bedroom door, and her use […]

4 children of Juan Carlos Sanchez and Bobbi Sue Pack

Three children, girls aged 11 and 9 and an 8-year-old boy, were beaten, imprisoned, and starved by their stepfather, Juan Carlos Sanchez. Their mother Bobbi Sue Pack and grandmother Edwina Luis knew about the abuse but did nothing to stop it. A fourth child, Sanchez’ two-year-old daughter, was not harmed. The three older children were […]

8 children of Jamie Marie Hicks and Vernon Courtney Lovell

Twin 16-year-old boys were starved, beaten, and tortured by their mother, Jamie Marie Hicks. The abuse was discovered when two of Hicks’ children ran away from home and reported abuse to officials. The children’s stepfather of thirteen years, Vernon Courtney Lovell, knew about the abuse but did nothing to stop it. All the children were […]

Aidan Edward Bossingham, and 2 siblings

Aidan Edward Bossingham, age 13, was starved to death by his mother, Jessica Lee Jensen. He weighed 21 pounds when he died. Though Aidan was diagnosed with a human growth hormone deficiency, Jensen refused to give him medication and had not taken him to a doctor since 2008. She treated him differently from his siblings, […]

3 children of Eraca Dawn Craig and Christian Jessica Deanda

Three children—an 8-year-old girl and two boys, ages 5 and 3—were abused, imprisoned, and starved by their parents, Eraca Dawn Craig (left) and Christian Jessica Deanda, who were domestic partners. The children were homeschooled. The girl had been chained to the wall with shackles around her ankles and a collar around her neck, reportedly to […]