A 15-year-old girl was imprisoned, tortured, and starved by her father, Kevin M. Boon (pictured left), and her stepmother Felicia Boon (pictured right). The Boons also enlisted the girl’s step-siblings, ages 15, 14, and 12, in the torture. Four additional younger children were not reported to be abused. The girl was homeschooled.
The girl was pulled from school in November 2017 to be homeschooled, but “she said the lessons mostly consisted of Felicia Boon making her copy passages from the Bible.” The abuse escalated dramatically. The girl was deprived of food and water for days. She was only allowed one set of clothes, and Felicia Boon made her shower in them while spraying her with bleach. The girl was prevented from showering for weeks at a time. “After Felicia Boon was tired of dealing with” the girl, she placed the girl’s 15-year-old step-sibling in charge of torturing her. In August 2018, the girl was confined to her room, where she had no mattress, blankets, or pillows, and Kevin Boon installed an alarm on the door and held it closed with zip-ties, forcing her to use an ice cream container as a toilet. The girl’s step-siblings also tied her to her bed with zip-ties and beat her with a metal pole and belt. In November 2018, with the consent of Kevin Boon, the girl’s step-siblings began scalding her by throwing hot water on her, telling her “this is how hell feels.” When she was rescued, the girl had “bruising to her right eye and upper lip, and lacerations on her face and head.”
The abuse came to light when the girl obtained a cell phone and called her aunt, who called the police. The Boons were charged with abuse, neglect, and false imprisonment. The girl’s step-siblings were charged in juvenile court.
Date: December 5, 2018
Location: Cudahy, Wisconsin Read More
Last Updated: January 9, 2019 by clmccracken Leave a Comment
2 Children of Christopher and Kathryn Williams
A girl, L., b. 2005, and a boy, M.*, b. 2007, were medically abused by their parents, Christopher J. Williams and Kathryn A. Williams. The children were homeschooled.
The medical abuse of the children began at least as early as 2007 when M. was born. The Williamses had both of the children’s intestines unnecessarily removed, causing them to rely on oleostomy bags. They gave L. unnecessary medication that permanently stunted her growth. M. was not permitted to walk and was forced to use a wheelchair, resulting in permanent damage to his tendons. The Williamses used the children’s “alleged conditions for benefits, including to an all-expense paid trip to Disney and a dog from the Make-A-Wish Foundation.” The children were also nominated for the Steven R. Stiles Courage Award from the Healing Dreams Foundation in October 2017 and were featured in the news.
The abuse came to light in August 2018, when the Williamses requested hospice care for one of the children and a report was made to child services that the Williamses were providing unnecessary care. The Williamses were charged with 24 counts including “attempted murder, aggravated battery to a child, aggravated domestic battery, reckless conduct, causing a child to be injured and theft by deception.” Since the children’s removal from the home, “both children’s health has greatly improved” and they do not require hospice care.
*Not their real initials.
Date: December 13, 2018
Location: Winnebago, Illinois Read More
Posted: January 9, 2019 by clmccracken Leave a Comment
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 in November 2017. In early 2018 Caden was living with Elisha Pankey and her sister. According to their landlord, Elisha Pankey had recently “changed from a really outgoing person [to a] hermit that just wanted to stay in her house”. The family was evicted in early 2018. During the 2017-2018 school year, Caden attended Ellis Elementary School; his school principal “described Caden as a hard worker who did well academically and who was always positive, caring and lived the Ellis core value of Integrity.” Caden last attended school on May 24, 2018, even though the school year did not end until May 31. Police say that he died around this time and his body was then concealed in a storage unit. In August 2018, Pankey notified Caden’s school that he would be homeschooled that year in order to hide the fact that he was already dead.
It is unclear how Caden’s death came to light, except that the Denver police received a tip from the Aurora police department. Leland Pankey was arrested Dec. 21, 2018 on a warrant from the 2017 assault. Elisha Pankey was arrested the same day on a drug charge, released after Caden’s body was found, and later formally charged with child abuse resulting in Caden’s death. She turned herself in to the police again shortly afterwards.
Date: May 24, 2018
Location: Denver, Colorado Read More
Last Updated: December 23, 2018 by clmccracken Leave a Comment
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, who was the child of Elwyn Crocker, Sr., with another woman, was not reported to be abused.
Elwyn Jr. and Mary were enrolled in Effingham County public schools for most of their lives. Several reports were made about the family to child services. In January 2014, Elwyn Jr. was withdrawn from school to be homeschooled. He was last seen in November 2016 at age 14. Mary continued to attend school until May 2018. She was withdrawn from school to be homeschooled in August 2018. She was last seen in October 2018 at age 14.
The children’s deaths came to light when a tipster called in a wellness check, reporting concerns Mary might be dead. The family at first told authorities Mary had gone to live with her homeless mother in South Carolina. Then authorities discovered the children’s bodies buried on the property. The Crockers, Wright, and Prater were charged with child cruelty and concealing a death. Further charges may be filed pending autopsies.
Date: December 20, 2018
Location: Effingham County, Georgia Read More
Last Updated: December 22, 2018 by clmccracken Leave a Comment
Daughter of Kevin and Felicia Boon
A 15-year-old girl was imprisoned, tortured, and starved by her father, Kevin M. Boon (pictured left), and her stepmother Felicia Boon (pictured right). The Boons also enlisted the girl’s step-siblings, ages 15, 14, and 12, in the torture. Four additional younger children were not reported to be abused. The girl was homeschooled.
The girl was pulled from school in November 2017 to be homeschooled, but “she said the lessons mostly consisted of Felicia Boon making her copy passages from the Bible.” The abuse escalated dramatically. The girl was deprived of food and water for days. She was only allowed one set of clothes, and Felicia Boon made her shower in them while spraying her with bleach. The girl was prevented from showering for weeks at a time. “After Felicia Boon was tired of dealing with” the girl, she placed the girl’s 15-year-old step-sibling in charge of torturing her. In August 2018, the girl was confined to her room, where she had no mattress, blankets, or pillows, and Kevin Boon installed an alarm on the door and held it closed with zip-ties, forcing her to use an ice cream container as a toilet. The girl’s step-siblings also tied her to her bed with zip-ties and beat her with a metal pole and belt. In November 2018, with the consent of Kevin Boon, the girl’s step-siblings began scalding her by throwing hot water on her, telling her “this is how hell feels.” When she was rescued, the girl had “bruising to her right eye and upper lip, and lacerations on her face and head.”
The abuse came to light when the girl obtained a cell phone and called her aunt, who called the police. The Boons were charged with abuse, neglect, and false imprisonment. The girl’s step-siblings were charged in juvenile court.
Date: December 5, 2018
Location: Cudahy, Wisconsin Read More
Last Updated: December 22, 2018 by clmccracken Leave a Comment
Nevaeh Miller
Nevaeh Miller, b. 1992 (pictured), was sexually abused by her stepfather, Jason Thomas Rogers (a.k.a. Larry Lemon). Nevaeh was homeschooled.
Nevaeh, identified as E.C. in court documents, was removed from her mother’s care as a child due to abuse and neglect. She was returned to her mother at age 7 when her mother married Rogers. Rogers immediately began sexually abusing Nevaeh, often several times a week. He starved her, denied her bathroom privileges, and beat her mother and siblings if she refused to comply with the abuse. Nevaeh’s mother, who had several disabilities, knew about Nevaeh’s abuse but did nothing to stop it. In 2004, Rogers took Nevaeh to a doctor to obtain birth control. In July 2006, Rogers forced Nevaeh to bring her friend home for him to sexually abuse. Shortly afterwards, on Nevaeh’s 14th birthday, Rogers gave her a ring, proposed marriage, and sexually abused her. While Nevaeh had attended school up until this time, “in high school, Rogers began homeschooling her, letting her out of the house only to work.” Rogers often monitored Nevaeh during her shift at the grocery store. After her coworkers noticed Rogers groping and kissing Nevaeh, they notified child services, but Nevaeh was too scared to report the abuse. On Nevaeh’s 16th birthday in 2008, Rogers again threatened to marry her and sexually abused her.
The abuse came to light in 2009 when Nevaeh’s grandmother loaned her a car. Nevaeh ran away from home and Rogers reported the car stolen. When police stopped Nevaeh, they observed her fear of Rogers and threats of self-harm and sent her to a mental health facility, where she reported the abuse to a caseworker in June 2009. Rogers was arrested in August and later convicted of multiple counts of sexual abuse. Nevaeh was adopted by a former therapist.
Date: August 3, 2009
Location: Anchorage, Alaska Read More
Last Updated: December 19, 2018 by clmccracken Leave a Comment
Charlie, and 1 sibling
Charlie*, age 12, was neglected by his mother. Charlie was homeschooled.
Charlie was born in 2003 to a white mother and a First Nations father. Charlie began showing signs of autism around age three, shortly before his parents separated, although he was not diagnosed until age six. Charlie and his older brother stayed with their mother after the separation. Child services came to the home several times and Charlie was hospitalized twice, where he showed signs of neglect. In school, Charlie “thrived, working with a one-on-one aide and following an Individual Education Plan (IEP).” However, after enrolling, he “missed more than 100 days of school over two school years before he was withdrawn for homeschooling in 2011.” When he was rescued in 2016, he weighed 65 pounds, had tooth decay, and was “naked and filthy, unable to walk and living in a bedroom covered in garbage and feces.”
The abuse came to light when police responded to Charlie’s home after reports of screaming. Charlie and his brother were removed from their mother’s custody. Charlie subsequently flourished in foster care; in 2018 reports stated he was “back in school, well nourished and healthy. He is described by those who know him best as affectionate, clever and observant.”
*Charlie is a pseudonym
Date: January 2016
Location: Lower Mainland, British Columbia, Canada Read More
Last Updated: November 5, 2018 by clmccracken Leave a Comment
Children by Jeremy Costley
An unknown number of children were sexually abused by Jeremy Costley (pictured). Some of the children were homeschooled.
Costley was a “sovereign citizen” and “self-proclaimed common-law marshal” who lived with his family—a woman and several children—in a remote off-the-grid “ramshackle shack” in the San Luis Valley in southern Colorado. Reports indicate that the abuse may have come to light when Costley was arrested after he refused to cooperate during a traffic stop, prompting authorities to investigate the circumstances of his family, who were present during the traffic stop. Costley was charged with sexual assault of a child, aggravated incest, and child abuse.
Date: May 2, 2017
Location: Costilla County, Colorado Read More
Posted: October 27, 2018 by clmccracken Leave a Comment
Children of Thomas and Denise Atkocaitis
A 15-year-old girl, O., was imprisoned by her adoptive parents, Thomas and Denise Atkocaitis (pictured). O. was homeschooled.
The police had contact with the Atkocaitises twice before: in 2010, when Denise Atkocaitis was accused of abusing one child, and in 2017 when she was arrested for assaulting a different child. Around early July 2018, the Atkocaitises imprisoned O. in an 8-foot by 8-foot room in their basement with no light. The room was alarmed and the window was covered with wire mesh. O. was only allowed to leave the room for an hour each day to get food and use the bathroom.
The abuse came to light when O. escaped and the Atkocaitises reported her missing. When authorities found her, she reported the abuse. The Atkocaitises were charged with criminal restraint, kidnapping, and child endangerment.
Date: September 5, 2018
Location: New Boston, New Hampshire Read More
Last Updated: October 27, 2018 by clmccracken Leave a Comment
3 Children of Arthur and Jenny Peterman
Three children—a 19-year-old girl, A.; a 9-year-old girl, B.; and a 7-year-old boy, C.*—were physically and sexually abused by their parents, Arthur and Jenny Peterman. The two youngest children were homeschooled.
Arthur Peterman began sexually abusing A. daily when she was four years old. He also regularly sexually abused B., who told police “it happened because he thought she was his wife.” The sexual abuse of B. occurred in front of C. and in front of Jenny Peterman, who did nothing to stop it. Peterman also watched pornography in front of his children. Both parents physically abused all three children, and when C. was rescued he had cuts and burns on his body. Arthur Peterman bragged about burning C. with his methamphetamine pipe. B. tested positive for methamphetamines when she was rescued. The children reported being starved as punishment. Though the children attended school at some point, “police said both children were regularly kept home from school, and a witness said the children had not completed a full year of school yet”; Jenny Peterman claimed to be homeschooling the children, but “couldn’t show police any books because they were “put up.”” A family member reported regularly delivering food because the Petermans did not have food or hot water in their home. The children were instructed not to tell anyone about the abuse.
The abuse came to light in April 2018 when someone requested a wellness check on the children and authorities discovered them in filthy condition. The children were removed from the home and later revealed the extent of the abuse in interviews. Arthur Peterman was charged with statutory rape, child molestation, child abuse, and child endangerment, among other charges. Jenny Peterman was charged with child abuse and child endangerment.
*Pseudonymous initials used for clarity.
Date: April 2018
Location: Kansas City, Missouri Read More
Posted: October 26, 2018 by clmccracken Leave a Comment
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 involved parent.” In 2017, Vincent was pulled from school to be homeschooled. In May 2018, Vincent’s parents were in the process of divorcing and their relationship had become so acrimonious that they had to exchange custody of Vincent at the police station. Adams’ murder of Vincent took place shortly after a judge denied her permission to bring him with her on a trip to Europe.
The murder came to light when workers found Vincent’s and Adams’s bodies. Both had fallen multiple stories from a high-rise hotel.
Date: May 18, 2018
Location: New York, New York Read More
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