Homeschooling’s 

Invisible Children

Children by John McCollum and associates

At least 16 children, but probably many more, were subjected to slavery, educational neglect, and threats of physical violence and starvation by members of a new religious movement known as the McCollum Ranch group, run by minister John C. McCollum. The group claimed to be homeschooling the children, though no education was actually provided. McCollum […]

13 Children of David and Louise Turpin

Thirteen children–ten girls and three boys, ages 2 to 29–were starved and imprisoned by their parents, David Allen Turpin and Louise Anna Turpin. The children were homeschooled. The Turpins moved from Texas to California around 2010 and registered their homeschool as Sandcastle Day School in 2011. Neighbors did not know how many children lived there […]

Son of Brandy and Russell Jaynes

A 12-year-old boy was starved, imprisoned, and tortured by his mother, Brandy Kay Jaynes (pictured). The boy’s father, Russell Orin Jaynes, allegedly did not know about the abuse because he was not often at home and was barred by his wife from seeing the boy. The boy’s twin sister and a younger sibling attended school […]

Daughter of Alan and Aimee Friz

A 14-year-old girl was imprisoned, starved, and sexually abused by her adoptive parents, Alan and Aimee Friz (pictured). The girl and her siblings were homeschooled. The girl and one of her siblings were adopted from the Ukraine; the Frizes later had eight additional biological children and Aimee Friz was pregnant when she was arrested. Alan […]

6 Children of Sara Anne and Jonathan Woody

Two boys (b. 2004 and 2008) were starved and physically abused by their stepmother, Sara Anne Woody. Their father, Jonathan Woody, knew about the abuse but did nothing to stop it. The boys’ siblings–a younger girl and boy who were Sara Anne’s children from a previous relationship, and two younger children who were both the […]

Peter Kema, Jr., and 3 siblings

Peter J. Kema, Jr., age 6, often called Peter Boy, was abused and murdered by his parents, Peter Kema, Sr. and Jaylin Kema. Peter Boy was homeschooled. His older half-siblings, Chauntelle and Allan Acol, and younger sister Devalynn ‘Lina’ Acol, were also abused. In August 1991, when Peter Boy was only a few months old, […]

Girl by Hyacinth Poouahi

A.C., a 10-year-old girl, was starved and tortured with the knowledge of her caregiver, Hyacinth Poouahi (pictured left). A.C. was homeschooled. A.C., then age 9, was dropped off at Poouahi’s home in November 2004 by her biological mother, Crystal McGrath, who was a friend of Poouahi. Three education professionals at A.C.’s school, Keonepoko Elementary School, […]

Alysha Quate, and 2 siblings

Alysha Rose Quate (b. 2007) reportedly choked to death after a beating by her father, Jason Scott Quate. Her mother, Elizabeth Odell-Quate, helped conceal Alysha’s body out of fear the Quates would lose custody of Alysha’s two sisters (b. 2004 and 2005), who were also reported to be abused. The children were homeschooled. Alysha attended […]

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 […]

3 Children of Ryan Rechtzigel and Angela Stewart

A 5-year-old girl was imprisoned, starved, and physically abused by her parents, Ryan Rechtzigel and Angela Stewart. The girl was homeschooled. The girl’s siblings, ages 2 and 7 months, were not reported to be abused. The girl had been removed from her parents’ home when she was 6 months old due to their methamphetamine use. […]