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Forced confinement - Abuse case list

Lucretia and Sabrina Day

11-year-old Lucretia and 12-year-old Sabrina, both orphans, adopted by philanthropist Thomas Day, were "trained-up" to become his wife.   Soon after he acquired the girls, he changed the girls’ names and moved to France with the purpose of isolating them from other English speakers and keeping them free from other influence.  Thomas Day quickly abandoned Lucretia because he found her to be "perfectly stupid". Sabrina was kept longer.  In an attempt to make her strong, Day tortured her physically by dripping hot wax on her back and arms while insisting she not scream in pain. Eventually he abandoned Sabrina too.
Date:
Placement type: Adoption
Type of abuse: Non-lethal physical abuse
Abuser: Adoptive father

Location

United States

Girl adopted by Cindy Patriarchias

8-year-old girl adopted by Cindy Patriarchias was locked up in a home made wooden cage, while her adoptive mother and  her live-in boyfriend Edmond Gonzales went out.
Date: 2013-01-28
Placement type: Adoption
Type of abuse: Non-lethal neglect
Abuser: Adoptive mother, Other non-family member
Disabilities: yes

Location

Las Cruces, New Mexico
United States
See map: Google Maps

Two children adopted by Ingrid Brewer

Palmdale resident Ingrid Brewer reported to the sheriff's department that her two adoptive children were missing on January 15. Deputies searching for the children, an 8-year-old boy and a 7-year-old girl, found them lying near a parked vehicle on a street near their residence hiding under a blanket. The children were not wearing warm clothing despite temperatures in the mid-20s.

The two children told deputies they ran away from Brewer because they were tired of being tied up and beaten by her. They told deputies that Brewer locked them up in separate bedrooms when she went to work every day, and that on numerous occasions she tied their wrists with zip-ties and beat them, sometimes with an electrical cord or a hammer. They were also reportedly deprived of food.

Both kids had injuries consistent with their descriptions of abuse, including wrist marks indicating zip-tie restraint.

Date: 2013-01-15
Placement type: Adoption
Type of abuse: Non-lethal physical abuse, Non-lethal neglect, Non-lethal deprivation
Abuser: Adoptive mother
Home schooling: yes

Placement

Organizations: Aspiranet

Location

United States

Rilya Wilson

Rilya Wilson missing in Florida
4 year old girl in foster care with Pamela Graham and her live in girlfriend Geralyn Graham, disappeared from the home in December 2000. DCF did not notice she was gone until April 2002 due to falsified reports. When Florida DCF finally realized Rilya was missing, Geralyn claimed a state worker had taken Rilya for testing and never returned with her. Geralyn had a criminal record, including fraud and grand theft, which was not discovered by DCF when they approved the foster home. She used many aliases and claimed at times that she was Rilya's Grandmother and/or that Pamela was her sister. After Rilya disappeared, Geralyn applied for food stamps based on having Rilya in her home. Eleven people were fired by DCF when Rilya's disappearance became known.
Prior to Rilya's disappearance, Geralyn Graham beat her with a switch, tied her to her bed by her wrists, glued a Halloween mask to her face, and confined her to a dog crate.

Though Rilya's body has not been found, in 2005, Geralyn Graham was charged with murder, child abuse and kidnapping after she allegedly confessed to a jail cellmate.
Date: 2002-04-01
Placement type: Foster care
Type of abuse: Non-lethal physical abuse, Economic exploitation, Death by unknown cause
Abuser: Foster mother

Placement

Persons: Willie Harris

Post placement

Persons: Deborah Muskelly

Location

Kendall, Florida
United States
See map: Google Maps

Children adopted by Nikki and Larry Russell

At least 3 of 4 children adopted from foster care by Nikki and Larry Russell were beaten, duct taped to their beds and deprived food.The 93 lb 17 year old was not in school, IcyHot was applied to his genitals and in his rectum. Russells also had a 5th biological child in the home.
Date: 2012-11-27
Placement type: Adoption
Type of abuse: Non-lethal physical abuse, Non-lethal neglect, Non-lethal deprivation
Abuser: Adoptive father, Adoptive mother

Location

Terre Haute, Indiana
United States
See map: Google Maps

Boys adopted by Leslie Tiesler and Brad Thill

Three adopted boys were starved, shot with a BB gun, beaten with a spoon, and confined to a tool chest for days with only a pipe for fresh air. Thills adopted 4 boys in 2008, Leslie had a bio son. They divorced in 2010, but Tiesler continued to live in Brad Thill's house while he was overseas. Tiesler, the non-adopted son and one of the adopted boys participated in the abuse. Tiesler claimed the boys were homeschooled. Forty-fve days after removal from the home, the 3 abused boys had gained 27, 20 and 10 pounds.
Date: 2012-05-01
Placement type: Adoption
Type of abuse: Non-lethal physical abuse, Non-lethal deprivation
Abuser: Adoptive mother, Adopted sibling, Non-adopted sibling, Undetermined
Home schooling: yes

Location

Cameron, North Carolina
United States
See map: Google Maps

Girl adopted by Samuel and Diana Franklin

15 year old girl adopted by Diana and Samuel Franklin was confined in a chicken coop, required to wear a shock collar, and had food and water restricted.
Date: 2012-05-30
Placement type: Adoption
Type of abuse: Non-lethal physical abuse, Non-lethal deprivation
Abuser: Adoptive father, Adoptive mother
Home schooling: yes
Fundamentalist faith: yes

Location

Butler, Georgia
United States
See map: Google Maps

Five girls adopted by Scott and Drew Anne Hamrick

Scott and Drew Anne Hamrick adopted five girls from foster care while having three sons of their own. Four of the girls were sexually abused by their adoptive father, while three were physically abused by their adoptive mother. The girls were locked up and starved. The adoptive mother knew about the sexual abuse, but did nothing in response.

Scott Hamrick committed suicide soon after investigations started. Drew Anne pleaded guilty to witness tampering.
Date: 2011-06-30
Placement type: Adoption
Type of abuse: Non-lethal physical abuse, Sexual abuse, Non-lethal neglect, Non-lethal deprivation
Abuser: Adoptive father, Adoptive mother

Location

Eatonville, Washington
United States
See map: Google Maps

Boy adopted by Ronald and Tammy White

16-year-old boy adopted by Ronald and Tammy White was forced by his adoptive father to drink a gallon of water, causing his organs to shut down. The boy was regularly beaten and locked in a room without access to a bathroom.
Date: 2011-07-14
Placement type: Adoption
Type of abuse: Non-lethal physical abuse, Non-lethal deprivation
Abuser: Adoptive father
Disabilities: yes

Location

Spring Hill, Florida
United States
See map: Google Maps

Children adopted by Elisha and Cheryl Christopher

Children adopted by Elisha and Cheryl Christopher were allegedly suffocated and forced to jump off a roof. One of the children was allegedly locked into a dog cage.
Date: 2011-07-22
Placement type: Adoption
Type of abuse: Non-lethal physical abuse
Abuser: Adoptive mother

Location

Lexington, Kentucky
United States
See map: Google Maps

Lilly Manning

At the time 15-year-old girl adopted by her great-aunt Lillian Manning, escaped from a closet she had been locked into. Prior to that she had been tortured by her adoptive mother and her adoptive mother's husband.
Date: 2007-10-31
Placement type: Adoption
Type of abuse: Non-lethal physical abuse, Non-lethal neglect, Non-lethal deprivation
Abuser: Adoptive mother, Other non-family member

Location

Sacramento, California
United States
See map: Google Maps

Children adopted by Anya James

Six children adopted by Anya James were physically abused by their adoptive mother.The children were confined in small rooms with alarms on doors and windows to alert James if they tried to escape. They had to use kitty litter buckets as toilets. James homeschooled the children and allowed only minimal contact with the outside world.The children were malnourished because James severely restricted their diets, police say. Their growth was stunted to the extent they didn't go through puberty as teenagers, and some children had downy hair cover (Lanugo) due to starvation.

Between 2000 and 2010, James received $750,000 in adoption subsidies from the State of Alaska.
Date: 2010-10-01
Placement type: Adoption
Type of abuse: Non-lethal physical abuse, Non-lethal deprivation
Abuser: Adoptive mother
Home schooling: yes

Location

Anchorage, Alaska
United States
See map: Google Maps

Boy adopted by Kathlyn Anthony

6-year-old boy adopted from foster care by Kathlyn Anthony was forced to sleep in a plastic dog crate. Connecticut Department of Children and Families investigated previous allegations of abuse, but wasn't able to substantiate those.
Date: 2011-03-07
Placement type: Adoption
Type of abuse: Non-lethal physical abuse, Non-lethal deprivation
Abuser: Adoptive mother

Location

Old Saybrook, Connecticut
United States
See map: Google Maps

3 children adopted by John and Sonja Kluth

A 15-year-old and a 11-year-old boy and 9-year-old girl, adopted by John Edward Kluth and Sonja Kay Kluth, were allegedly beaten, choked, whipped, and burned.  In addition, the adoptive parents allegedly forced the youngsters to eat pet food, kept both boys confined to the basement, and locked the oldest son in a dog crate for up to two months.

According to news reports, the adoptive father claimed he and his wife were going to be accused of child abuse, but the children came to them already damaged.

The Canadian County Sheriff says the couple was receiving $4,500 a month support money from the state of Wisconsin, where they adopted the children before moving to Oklahoma.


Date: 2011-02-23
Placement type: Adoption
Type of abuse: Non-lethal physical abuse
Abuser: Adoptive father, Adoptive mother
Home schooling: yes

Location

Yukon, Oklahoma
United States
See map: Google Maps

Children adopted by Dwayne and Pamela Hardy

Two children, ages 6 and 9, adopted in February 2010, by Dwayne and Pamela Hardy, were locked in their rooms and not allowed to eat. If they were caught sneaking food from the garbage, they were paddled with wooden spoons or a belt, which was the "Christian thing to do".
Date: 2010-08-12
Placement type: Adoption
Type of abuse: Non-lethal physical abuse, Non-lethal deprivation
Abuser: Adoptive father, Adoptive mother
Home schooling: yes
Fundamentalist faith: yes

Placement

Location

Altamonte Springs, Florida
United States
See map: Google Maps
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