Cases

Two adopted daughters of a pastor in Ocala or Gainesville, Fl were sexually abused by their adopter. The eldest has a child from the pastor.

3 year old Kimberly was stolen for international adoption to a couple in Spain. She was recovered and returned to her family, however in July 2001, the lawyer representing the family received death threats, and Kimberly's two uncles were assassinated.

   
Adopted from Guangdong China at age 12 in 1999 by Mike and Patty McLaughlin of Largo, Florida. McLaughlins had 4 other children (2 adopted, 2 bio). and homeschooled Nora. Nora's leg had been crippled by polio so she wore a brace. Slightly over a year later, at age 14, she was driven to Tennessee by her adoptive father to live with Tom and Debra Schmitz. Schmitz' later adopted her. She was with that family 3 years before authorities removed the all children from the home due to child abuse.(As a young adult, she lived with the Gateley family and took their name.)

  

Russian native Nadezhda Fratti forged documents to place children from Russia's Volgogad region with Italian families. 1993 - 2000 period

Four children adopted by Sylvia and Michael Wenger were sexually abused, kept locked,and were forced to eat their own vomit.

Camryn, the to be adopted child of Edd Keith Morgan and Rochelle Morgan, died Dec 19, after her father slammed her head against a hard surface several times on the night of the 17th or morning of the 18th. Edd plead guilty to a second degree felony. Rochelle was not charged.

Viktor Matthey: age 6, of Hunterdon County, New Jersey died of cardiac arrest due to hypothermia after adoptive parents Robert and Brenda Matthey locked him overnight in a damp unheated pump room. Viktor was also severely beaten by his adoptive father. The Matthey's attended a Pentacostal (AG) church and homeschooled their children. Both parents are sentenced to 10 years for confining Viktor to a pump room, 10 years for excessive corporal punishment and 7 years for failing to provide medical care. The sentences run concurrently. Viktor, along with twin bio brothers,  was adopted from Blagoschevensk, Amur, Russia 10 months before his death. The twins are now adopted by Robert's mother who has disavowed her son. Both Mattheys were released from jail in Fall 2008.
Memorial site: http://www.viktorspromise.org/
Star Ledger Special Report series http://www.nj.com/specialprojects/index.ssf?/specialprojects/viktor/main...
Photos http://www.nj.com/photos/viktor/

In October 2000, less than four months after arriving in County Armagh, 14-month-old David died in the care of his adoptive parents Gwen and Geoffrey Briggs.

The Assistant State Pathologist for Northern Ireland, Dr Michael Curtis, failed to examine X-rays which showed multiple fractures on David's body when he carried out an initial post-mortem. Later his body was exhumed and a second post-mortem examination revealed 27 partially-healed fractures.

Two weeks after the death of David Briggs, his 14-month old twin brother Samuel was brought to hospital with a fractured skull. Geoffrey Briggs had punched the child for refusing to take some medicine. Unlike his brother Samuel survived the attack.

Geoffrey Briggs received one year imprisonment for the attack on Samuel and was released after six months when he was being attacked by fellow inmates, after which the couple fled to Scotland. For the death of  David no-one was ever charged. The Briggs were former overseas missionaries.

The boys were adopted from Romania, where there parents were unaware of their adoption.

Articles about adoptees with past or present citizenship issues that are not believed to be currently facing deportation. However, minor illegal activity could cause any of these adopted people with unresolved citizenship to be detained by ICE.

 

3-year-old boy with cerebral palsy and other medical needs, in the custody of the CT Department of Children and Families was killed by his prospective adoptive father, James Curtis, in Florida as punishment for soiling himself. Mr Curtis wrapped Alex tightly in a blanket and left him for 30 minutes. Alex asphyxiated. Jennifer Curtis was not charged. The Curtis' were given custody of Alex even though their homestudy  and background checks were not complete and would have revealed past violence.