Homeschooling’s 

Invisible Children

Christina Corrigan

Content note: Case narratives include descriptions of severe violence inflicted on children, including abuse and neglect, sexual violence, torture, and murder, as well as mentions of suicide and domestic violence. They also include photos of victims and perpetrators of violence.

Christina Corrigan 2
On November 19, 1996, Marlene Corrigan called 911 to report that she could not wake her 13 year old daughter, Christina. Investigators found the girl dead, covered in bedsores, and surrounded by filthy conditions. In response to her daughter’s growing weight, Marlene had withdrawn her from school to homeschool her over a year earlier. Marlene had sought help for Christina when the girl was younger, but had not found an answer to controlling the girl’s weight gain. Christina eventually became so overweight that she lost the ability to stand and spent her days on the living room floor. Before her death, Christina had reached a weight of 680 pounds and become completely immobile, but her mother did not seek medical help. Christina died of heart failure. Marlene was sentenced to probation.

Date: November 19, 1996
Location: El Cerrito, California

Documents: Date:
680-Pound Girl’s Shocking Death 1997-07-19
680-pound girl’s mom: I’m innocent 1997-08-08
“I did the best I could” 1997-11-09
Bedsores Covered 680-Pound Girl, Expert Says 1997-12-18
3 Years Probation in Obese Girl’s Death 1998-02-28