Homeschooling’s 

Invisible Children

Roman Lopez, and 7 siblings

Roman Anthony Lopez, age 11 (b. 2009), was starved, tortured, and murdered by his father, Jordan Piper, and his stepmother Lindsay Piper. Roman’s 7 siblings who lived in the home (ages 1 to 17) were also abused, including Carson (b. 2008) and Brock Garvin (sons of Lindsay Piper and her former husband Marcus Garvin). All […]

5 Children of Robert and Stephanie Duncan

Five children–Noah* (b. 2005), Elijah*, James* (b. 2009), William*, and Ella* (b. 2014)–were imprisoned and tortured by their adoptive parents, Robert and Stephanie Duncan. The children were homeschooled. The Duncans moved into their home around 2009. They began fostering the children shortly thereafter. Three of the children were half-siblings and the other two were half-siblings. […]

4 Children of Elizabet Estrada

A 16-year-old boy, P., was starved and medically neglected by his mother, Elizabet Estrada. No charges were filed on behalf of Estrada’s other children, two of whom were 18 or older and one of whom was younger than P. All four children were homeschooled. P. was born in December 2002 and last saw a doctor […]

Antonio Juan Gonzalez Jr.

Antonio Juan Gonzalez Jr., age 14, was murdered by his father, Antonio Gonzalez, and Gonzalez’s roommate, Paul Bacorn. Antonio was homeschooled. Antonio’s 4-year-old sister was not reported to be abused. In September 2019, the family moved from Allegheny County to a trailer on a rural property in Mercer County; Bacorn lived in another trailer on […]

Girl by Melissa Keister

W., a girl born in 2009, was starved, imprisoned, and abused by her foster mother, Melissa Lin Keister. No charges were filed involving Keister’s husband, Allen Keister, or the six other children who lived in the home. W. was homeschooled. Keister was active in her church and Milton Little League. Keister’s abuse of W. began […]

Martha Peight

Martha Peight, b. 1989, was sexually abused by her father, Daniel R. Hostetler. Martha was homeschooled. Hostetler abused Martha multiple times between 2002 and 2006. In 2007, Martha’s brother reported the abuse to David R. Fisher, the pastor of their Mennonite congregation, Shaver’s Creek Christian Fellowship. Fisher ordered Hostetler to confess to the congregation and […]

6 Children of Joseph and Samantha Ferguson

A girl, Jane*, was imprisoned, physically abused, and medically neglected by her adoptive parents, Joseph and Samantha Ferguson. The girl’s sister, Jean*, was also imprisoned. The girls’ four siblings were not reported to be abused. All six children were homeschooled. Jean and Jane, biological sisters both adopted by the Fergusons, “were undergoing trauma therapy for […]

Damon Decree, Jr.

Damon Decree, Jr. (pictured), age 13, was murdered by his mother, Shana Decree, and his older sister, Dominique Decree. Damon was homeschooled at the time of his death. Damon lived with his mother; older siblings Naa’Irah Smith (age 25), Dominique Decree (age 19), and Joshua (age 17); maternal aunt Jamilla Campbell; and Campbell’s twin 9-year-old […]

6 Children of Timothy and Barbara Krause

Six children—five boys, ages 16, 15, 14, 14, and 12; and a 13-year-old girl—were tortured and starved by their adoptive parents, Timothy and Barbara Krause. The children were homeschooled, although according to investigators they were at least two years behind in their studies. The abuse began in 2011. The children were all forced to sleep […]

2 Children of Joseph Myhre

Two children, a 13-year-old boy and an 11-year-old girl, were tortured, beaten, and imprisoned by their father, Joseph Myhre. The children were homeschooled. The abuse began in 2011. Myhre shocked them with electric dog collars, beat them with PVC pipes, “strangled them until they passed out,” and smashed their fingers with pliers. Myhre also forced […]