Homeschooling’s 

Invisible Children

Sarah Dubois-Gilbeau

Sarah Dubois-Gilbeau, age 5, was beaten to death by her father, Brandon Reynolds. Sarah was homeschooled. Sarah liked fishing at Tingley Beach and once won a fishing contest. Her favorite colors were pink, purple, and blue. Reynolds had sole custody of Sarah due to her mother’s drug use. Neighbors described him as “very strict” and […]

Sanaa Cunningham

Sanaa Cunningham (pictured right with her siblings), age 7, died as a result of abuse and neglect by her father, Germayne Cunningham, and her stepmother Lisa Cunningham. Sanaa was homeschooled. Sanaa’s biological parents, Germayne Cunningham and Sylvia Norwood, married in 2007. Cunningham was a police detective. Their first daughter X. was born in 2007 and […]

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 […]

Mason Jordan

Mason Jordan, age 7, was murdered by his mother, Tashina Jordan. Mason was homeschooled. Mason had multiple disabilities, including cerebral palsy and hydrocephalus. He used a wheelchair and a feeding tube and was partially blind and nonverbal. Mason was homeschooled after Jordan decided “that public elementary school wasn’t right for him and came up with […]

Caden McWilliams

Caden McWilliams, age 7, died as a result of abuse by his mother, Elisha Pankey. Pankey claimed to be homeschooling Caden in order to cover up his death. Caden’s sibling, who lived in the home, was not reported to be abused. Caden’s mother married his stepfather, Leland Pankey, in 2014. Leland Pankey assaulted Elisha Pankey […]

Elwyn and Mary Crocker

The bodies of Elwyn Crocker, Jr., b. 2002, and Mary Crocker, b. 2004, were discovered in December 2018. The children’s father, Elwyn Crocker, Sr., his wife Candice Crocker, Candice Crocker’s mother Kim Wright, and Wright’s boyfriend Roy Anthony Prater, were arrested in connection with the children’s deaths. The children were homeschooled. The children’s disabled half-brother, […]

Vincent Nicolai

Vincent Salem Nicolai, age 7, was killed by his mother, Stephanie Adams, in a murder-suicide. Vincent was homeschooled. Adams and her husband, Dr. Charles Nicolai, married in 2009 and filed at least ten domestic incident reports over the course of their marriage. Until 2017, Vincent attended local public schools, where Adams was a “present and […]

4 Children of Cynthia Collier

Four children—Kaileigh Lin Collier (age 17), Lia Lin Collier (age 15), Meigan Lin Collier (age 14), and Bo Li Collier (age 14) were killed by their adoptive mother, Cynthia Collier, in a murder-suicide. The children were homeschooled. Cynthia and Randall Collier, Sr. were married in Virginia in 1982 and had three biological children, two boys […]

Jordan Burling, and 1 sibling

Jordan Burling, age 18, died of bronchopneumonia as a result of medical neglect by his mother, Dawn Cranston, his sister Abigail Burling, and his grandmother Denise Cranston. Jordan was homeschooled. The body of Jordan’s infant brother was also found concealed in the home. When he attended the local elementary school, Jordan had head lice, dental […]

Matthew Tirado

Matthew Tirado, age 17, was starved to death by his mother, Katiria Tirado. Matthew’s 9-year-old sister was also physically abused. Both children were homeschooled. Matthew was born in 1999 when Tirado was just 16; Matthew’s father, Pedro Gomez, was 34 years older than Tirado and did not live with the family. Matthew was autistic and […]