Homeschooling’s 

Invisible Children

Austin and Edward Bryant

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.

Bryant 1

In 2000, Edward and Linda Bryant adopted two foster children, Austin and Edward Bryant. Both children were classified as special needs and the Bryants received government subsidies for their care. Over the years, the Bryants took additional foster children and adopted seven other children. In 2011, a young man who had know the Bryant children as neighbors as a kid notified authorities that Austin and Edward, who were biological brothers, hadn’t been seen for years. Officials found that there was no trace of either boy after 2003, when Austin was withdrawn from his Christian school to be homeschooled. The Bryants first dissembled and then claimed that the brothers had run away. Edward (the adoptive father) said that Edward had run away in 2001 (at age 9) and Austin in 2003 (at age 7) while Linda said both had run away in 2003 (at age 11 and 7). The couple never reported that the boys were missing, and continued to receive government subsidies for the boys until their absence came to light in 2011. It was also alleged that at least one of the boys had been abused, being denied food, beaten, locked in a trunk, and possibly even tased. No trace of either boy has been found, and while the case is still open it seems likely that the boys are deceased.

Date: 2001, 2003
Location: Monument, Colorado

Documents: Date:
Bryant: Affidavit for Arrest Warrant 2011-02-24
Couple Arrested; 2 Children Missing For Years 2011-03-09
Allegations of Abuse in Decade-Old Missing Children’s Case 2011-03-10
Witness: Couple used Taser on one of two missing boys 2011-03-10
Agencies don’t interfere after exhaustive adoption process 2011-03-11
Records: Texas couple collected thousands for missing boys 2011-03-11
Affidavit reveals alleged abuse of one of two missing children 2011-03-11
Childhood friend reports missing boy endured electric shocks, starvation, beatings 2011-03-11
Colo. parents Edward and Linda Bryant abused one of their missing adopted boys, according to another brother 2011-03-11
City employee in jail 2011-03-12
Adoptive mom of missing boys gets 42 years for welfare fraud 2012-03-23
Dad of missing adopted boys reaches plea deal 2012-04-21