CA - Hannah,16,Devonte,15,&Ciera Hart,12 (fnd deceased),Mendocino Cty,26 Mar 2018 #5

[beatrixpotter]

The never completed the proper paperwork to home school the children in WA or OR. None of then would have been able to get a diploma. As far as I can see the children had no interactions with other children their age, sports, scouts, church. Just their family and the festivals/rallys they would go to

Where I live registering to say you homeschool has absolutely no bearing on graduating. It's just a notification thing. You don't need that to graduate or not. And lack of registering would have no bearing on school work completion or college acceptance etc.

It's legally required where I live to register and to agree to do certain things. But I have never once heard of anyone from the school system checking up on that either fwiw. Maybe it's different there.

 

[digitaldevolution]

Just a thought:

They were driving through the Pacific NW at the height of salmon-fishing season, so IMO there's no way anyone could have dumped a body in (or even near) a body of water along most of their route. Weekends are pretty much packed at the rivers and along the coast... boats in the water and fishermen on the banks. I wonder if this had anything to do with that slight detour to the north, then south again.

I also wondered if she thought she would be able to contact people that she may have known who had communes/off-grid-communities. It wouldn't surprise me to learn that she knew of someone in the Fort Bragg area, tried to contact them and failed. Strictly speculation here: if she tried to contact all of her off-grid friends and failed, and she had no other fallback plan, she would have felt hopeless and panicky.

I also think she dosed everyone at the house. The 3am text from Sarah might indicate that she was feeling the effects of being dosed with something - or it also might have been Jen trying to cover her tracks. "Don't look for me for a couple of days, nothing to see here!"

And I don't know if anyone has already discussed this, but: they left their little chicks at home under a heat lamp. Not a good practice to leave baby chicks unattended for a whole weekend... I never thought this was a spontaneous "camping trip," but this adds weight to that. IMO.

 

[PearlClutcher]

As painful as it might be for us parents during that time, when we see that our kids would rather take their advice from their peers about fashion and relationships, and would rather spend their free time chillin with their friends than us....

Absolutely! We just have to remember that we did it to our parents too. Mark it as a rite of passage.

 

[beatrixpotter]

Why would it matter what product, IMO all that matters is that Diphenhydramine was found in their systems.....obviously given to sedate them all.

Because the kids were teens and not just young and gullible little children! Because if they knew what product they were taking it would affect how they viewed the situation and what was being done to them. Because one product can be hidden in food or drink and another can't. Not knowing they were taking something that would knock them out vs knowing gives insight into what they were experiencing leading up to the drive over the cliff.

 

[human]

A picture of Hannah from September 2011, before she lost her front teeth, showing a very bright smile.

View attachment 132911

What is the deal with Markisis’s arm?

 

[katydid23]

Absolutely! We just have to remember that we did it to our parents too. Mark it as a rite of passage.

Exactly.

 

[gcharlie]

Yep, those kids were now teenagers and probably wanted to spread their wings. Wanted to experience other things perhaps. Oftentimes, kids start to rebel a bit as teenagers because they want to experience independence and want to make their own choices. Lack of freedom can really feel like abuse too.

It's possible that Jen and Sarah could have perceived this as being ungrateful instead of typical teenage behavior. So the kids going to neighbors and CPS getting involved just could not be tolerated. MOO

BBM

IMO, that kind of isolation doesn't just feel like abuse, it is abuse.

Think of it this way- once kids get past the time out phase as effective discipline, parents start using being grounded as a form of discipline. But these kids were in essence perpetually grounded.

My son was severely ADHD growing up and socialization was so important to me for him. I had to be extra judicious with the use of grounding him, because as an only child, he needed that time with others, especially his peers. It took him a long time to recognize social cues and proper interactions with others. And he did not naturally have an interest in the same things as his peers, so I had to make a concerted effort to cultivate those interests. For example, popular music. And football- I don't like football, but come middle school, we would watch the Super Bowl so that he knew what was going on when the kids would talk about the game the next day in school.

 

[Breamworthy]

What is the deal with Markisis’s arm?

Sharp eye! It looks like he's pulled his arm out of the sleeve and inside the torso of his clothing? Could just have been because he was cold, or it could have been in a sling or cast.

 

[PearlClutcher]

Exactly.

So sad that Jen and Sarah probably didn't take into consideration that they also rebelled in their teenage years. I am sure that they valued their freedom during those years especially having the freedom to choose whom they wanted to love. These kids couldn't even experience teenage puppy love. Jen and Sarah denied their children the basic freedoms for which they themselves protested.

 

[SarahW]

Wow, the lumps on Markis face are huge in this photo. Also curious why a few of the kids are wearing sunglasses. Most kids dont like them


Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

.

My impression, and it would have been before seeing any story about this family, is of children who are underfed.

 

[NicoleH]

Abigail was the next oldest. Her birthday was in December, so she would have hit 18 in December 2019.

Devonte was next. Born October 2002.

Jeremiah born March 2004.

Wait. I thought Hannah was 16 (but the smallest sized) and Abigail was 14? Isn't Hannah the second oldest of the six?

 

[gcharlie]

Wait. I thought Hannah was 16 (but the smallest sized) and Abigail was 14? Isn't Hannah the second oldest of the six?

Sorry- I mixed it up. I will go back and edit my post..

Too late- I can't edit it now.

My apologies. I did find something that Abigail's birthday is in December.

I initially thought the smallest one was Abigail and I haven't completely straightened that out in my mind yet.

 

[Sleuth99]

What is the deal with Markisis’s arm?

I think he is malnourished and underweight same for Sierra on the right

And the big clothes and extra layers may have been used to hide their tiny frames... crazy hats too. So messed up.

MOO*

 

[CassieM]

A picture of Hannah from September 2011, before she lost her front teeth, showing a very bright smile.

View attachment 132911

She had big beautiful teeth like the other kids! Wow, so sad!

Markis looks really bad here, poor thing. Those lumps are shocking and his teeth look so buck that they seem like they may have hindered normal function and caused pain. If they did not have him in treatment for that, then we can add one more charge of abuse IMO.

 

[Spellbound]

I like having easy access to some info, this links to the press releases from Mendocino Police between March 26 through April 12

https://www.facebook.com/MendocinoSheriff/posts/10155422253852967

 

[SarahW]

One possibility for Markis's facial swelling I haven't seen brought up, pardon if it has, is cherubism. https://goo.gl/images/kKARWN. One point in favor of that explanation is the swelling is bilateral.

There's no mention of them ever having sought an explanation. I begin to think the kids never got a lot of medical care.

 

[fridaybaker]

What is the deal with Markisis’s arm?

A couple of notes: They all look very, very thin to me in this 2011 photo. Someone here has previously mentioned that the children always seem to be dressed in baggy clothes and hats, almost like costumes. I'm also beginning to see this as I look at various photos, and I think it's evident in this one. Sans quite baggy clothing, I think they would look alarmingly thin here.

And, slightly off topic here, but related, perhaps: There is a photo frequently seen of Jenn and Sarah, I think published by the Seattle Times, which clearly shows, to my eyes, Jenn with a left black eye. In the photo, there is some darkness around the eyes of both of them due to lighting, but I can't see it accounting for the darkness under her eye. It seems very similar in pattern and color to a black eye. Interesting.

 

[Satchie]

Yeah, we really have no idea what the Benedryl was used for. My kids use it for allergies as well, although they also take it for car rides because they're prone to motion sickness. Until they release how much was in their systems, we don't know if it was a basic therapeutic level or not.

I frequently take benadryl to help me sleep on flights and car/bus trips, or someplace noisy. It has no side effects, it's very safe, I can wake up and do things, ie I'm not drugged, just makes it easier to fall asleep.

 

[rosesfromangels]

I will never forget this case as long as I live, or the faces of these children.

I am one of "those people" that sticks their nose in to situations, and I know how to insure vigilance and action from authorities. (BTW, it's not the fault of the authorities, they are just so under resourced).

Any time in the future I feel myself hesitating to act, I will think of these beautiful, beautiful souls.
I feel heartbroken, but determined to honor them with action.

 

[catastrophe_]

Sharp eye! It looks like he's pulled his arm out of the sleeve and inside the torso of his clothing? Could just have been because he was cold, or it could have been in a sling or cast.

IMO, since he's just so skinny and the shirt is probably a size or two too large for him, making the sleeve hang past his hand.