Homeschooling’s 

Invisible Children

3 children of Stanley Lacefield and Cicely Mason

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.

lacefield and mason
A 10-year-old boy and his 8-year-old sister were beaten and imprisoned by their stepfather, Stanley A. Lacefield, and their mother, Cicely K. Mason. The couple were also wanted in Arkansas on charges of beating one of Lacefield’s sons in 1998. Their 6-month-old son was not reported to be abused. The children were homeschooled.

The boy was forced to live in a kitchen cupboard while his sister was forced to live in a closet. The boy was scalded, beaten with a hammer and a knotted extension cord, and tortured with other household implements. The abuse came to light in September 1999 when the boy escaped from his prison and was found wandering in the street with a fractured skull and hand and leg injuries. Lacefield and Mason went on the run with the two younger children; they were featured on America’s Most Wanted and were apprehended in Memphis, Tennessee on October 2, 1999. They each pleaded guilty to several felonies. Lacefield was sentenced to 25 years in prison; Mason was sentenced to 8.

Date: September 23, 1999
Location:
Dayton, Ohio

Documents: Date:
Lacefield, Mason won’t fight extradition 10-12-1999
CHILD BEATING CASE ENDS WITH GUILTY 2000
TROUBLING INCIDENTS IN HOME-SCHOOL SETTINGS 11-17-2004
AMW Official Captures Directory 03-27-2013