Genie Wiley

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<center><table border=3><tr><td>[http://www.countyhistorian.com/cecilweb/index.php/Amazon_Editors_pick_the_Best_Books_of_March_2009 Amazon Editors pick the Best Books of March 2009.  Click here!]</td></tr></table></center>
 
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<table border=2><tr><td>'''Susan Wiley''', (b 18 Apr 1957), daughter of Clark Wiley and his wife Irene, the famous case of the "feral child" called "Genie" by a few scientists, who was raised under severe conditions until she was 13 years old.  She was kept isolated in a back bedroom, locked in a bed surrounded by chicken-wire at night and strapped to a potty chair by day.  She couldn't walk normally, couldn't speak and had abnormal reactions, such as the inability to chew food, compulsive silence and inappropriate sexually behaviour.</td><td>[http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=NDZnOfq6fRs&offerid=145147.10000009&type=3&subid=0 Find your family history in the World's Largest Newspaper Archive! Find News, Births and Deaths]</td></tr></table>
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<table border=2><tr><td>'''Susan Wiley''', (b 18 Apr 1957), daughter of Clark Wiley and his wife Irene, the famous case of the "feral child" called "Genie" by a few scientists, who was raised under severe conditions until she was 13 years old.  She was kept isolated in a back bedroom, locked in a bed surrounded by chicken-wire at night and strapped to a potty chair by day.  She couldn't walk normally, couldn't speak and had abnormal reactions, such as the inability to chew food, compulsive silence and inappropriate sexual behaviour.</td><td>[http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=NDZnOfq6fRs&offerid=145147.10000009&type=3&subid=0 Find your family history in the World's Largest Newspaper Archive! Find News, Births and Deaths]</td></tr></table>
  
 
This article should be cited as:<blockquote>"Genie Wiley", by Will Johnson, professional genealogist [mailto:wjhonson@aol.com wjhonson@aol.com], at http://www.countyhistorian.com/cecilweb/index.php/Genie_Wiley, copyright 2007-8, all rights reserved.</blockquote>
 
This article should be cited as:<blockquote>"Genie Wiley", by Will Johnson, professional genealogist [mailto:wjhonson@aol.com wjhonson@aol.com], at http://www.countyhistorian.com/cecilweb/index.php/Genie_Wiley, copyright 2007-8, all rights reserved.</blockquote>
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==Susan Wiley==
 
==Susan Wiley==
 
===Why this article?===
 
===Why this article?===
I had writen on the David Pelzer article and from a mention there, I became curious to do an article about "Genie the Wild Child".  Here is what I found out quickly and what you probably knew before you arrived here, which I summarize as:
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I had written on the David Pelzer article and from a mention there, I became curious to do an article about "Genie the Wild Child".  Here is what I found out quickly and what you probably knew before you arrived here, which I summarize as:
  
 
<blockquote>"Genie" was a child who was kept virtually a prisoner, almost her entire life, by her parents somewhere in the Los Angeles area.  Her parents isolated her, penned her up at night and tied her sometimes during the day, malnourished her stunting her growth, and never spoke to her.  She never attended school, only being allowed outside rarely.  She never learned to speak.  She was found in 1970 age 13, her parents were charged, her father committed suicide.  She was studied and helped to learn some language skills, her case was remarkable and exciting, as it could finally answer unanswered questions about language development.  After four years the funding and the studies ended.  She briefly went back under her mother's care, but then was placed in a series of foster homes, and is still living somewhere in Los Angeles in an assisted living home.</blockquote>
 
<blockquote>"Genie" was a child who was kept virtually a prisoner, almost her entire life, by her parents somewhere in the Los Angeles area.  Her parents isolated her, penned her up at night and tied her sometimes during the day, malnourished her stunting her growth, and never spoke to her.  She never attended school, only being allowed outside rarely.  She never learned to speak.  She was found in 1970 age 13, her parents were charged, her father committed suicide.  She was studied and helped to learn some language skills, her case was remarkable and exciting, as it could finally answer unanswered questions about language development.  After four years the funding and the studies ended.  She briefly went back under her mother's care, but then was placed in a series of foster homes, and is still living somewhere in Los Angeles in an assisted living home.</blockquote>
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<table><tr><td>http://www.homeworking.ws/children/genie-wiley.jpg<br>Susan aged about 14?<br>Credit:www.homeworking.ws</td><td>"Genie's" situation was discovered in 1970.  Susan's mother Irene had recently left her abusive husband and, taking her daughter Susan with her, was living with her own mother in Monterey Park, California.  John Wiley, Susan's brother, was living with their father Clark in the family home in Temple City, California.
 
<table><tr><td>http://www.homeworking.ws/children/genie-wiley.jpg<br>Susan aged about 14?<br>Credit:www.homeworking.ws</td><td>"Genie's" situation was discovered in 1970.  Susan's mother Irene had recently left her abusive husband and, taking her daughter Susan with her, was living with her own mother in Monterey Park, California.  John Wiley, Susan's brother, was living with their father Clark in the family home in Temple City, California.
  
About a month after she left Clark, Irene being nearly blind, went to seek public assistance for the blind, bringing Susan along with her.  One version states that an alert social worker spotted the oddly walking and behaving child, alerted her own supervisor who called the police.  A second version states that Susan's abnormal background was not discovered until a social services home visit on Nov 4, 1970.  Shortly after the real reason for Susan's unusualness was discovered, both Clark and Irene were arrested and charged with Felony Child Abuse.</td></tr></table>
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About a month after she left Clark, Irene being nearly blind, went to seek public assistance for the blind, bringing Susan along with her.  One version states that an alert social worker spotted the oddly walking and behaving child, alerted her own supervisor who called the police.  A second version states that Susan's abnormal background was not discovered until a social services home visit on Nov 4, 1970.  Shortly after the real reason for Susan's unnaturalness was discovered, both Clark and Irene were arrested and charged with Felony Child Abuse.</td></tr></table>
  
 
A 17 Dec 1970 article "Felony Charge Dismissed in Wiley Child Abuse Case" on page 23C of the ''Valley News'' of Van Nuys, California ([http://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_xclick&amp;business=wjhonson@aol.com&amp;amount=2.00&amp;item_name=Valley_News_(newspaper)_17Dec1970_page23C_Wiley Buy it for $2.00]) gives her name as "Susan".  It repeats her parents names as above and adds that she had a brother or half-brother named John Wiley, calling him "Clark's son".  In this same article, Irene is called "of Alhambra, California", although their home is described as being "in Arcadia".  In 1970, in the Los Angeles suburb of Arcadia. Susan "Genie" was taken into protective custody.
 
A 17 Dec 1970 article "Felony Charge Dismissed in Wiley Child Abuse Case" on page 23C of the ''Valley News'' of Van Nuys, California ([http://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_xclick&amp;business=wjhonson@aol.com&amp;amount=2.00&amp;item_name=Valley_News_(newspaper)_17Dec1970_page23C_Wiley Buy it for $2.00]) gives her name as "Susan".  It repeats her parents names as above and adds that she had a brother or half-brother named John Wiley, calling him "Clark's son".  In this same article, Irene is called "of Alhambra, California", although their home is described as being "in Arcadia".  In 1970, in the Los Angeles suburb of Arcadia. Susan "Genie" was taken into protective custody.
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The teen-aged driver who killed Pearl was never charged in the incident, which apparently sent Clark even further off the deep end.  He blamed his son John for the death of his "beloved mother Pearl"</td></tr></table>
 
The teen-aged driver who killed Pearl was never charged in the incident, which apparently sent Clark even further off the deep end.  He blamed his son John for the death of his "beloved mother Pearl"</td></tr></table>
  
At this time, the family moved into Clark's deceased mother Pearl's old house on Golden West Avenue in Temple City, California.  Although the house had two-bedrooms, Clark did not allow anyone to sleep in his mother's old room, instead the family had makeshift sleeping arrangements in other parts of the house.  Clark had been told something along the lines that Susan was perhaps slighty retarded and might develop slowly and developed a strange compulsion that she must be "protected" from the outside world.  Clark's idea of protection was to keep Susan shut in her bedroom most or all of every day, and tied into a straitjacket at night.  She was also sometimes or often tied to a potty-chair and left that way for hours, all day, or even perhaps overnight at times.
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At this time, the family moved into Clark's deceased mother Pearl's old house on Golden West Avenue in Temple City, California.  Although the house had two-bedrooms, Clark did not allow anyone to sleep in his mother's old room, instead the family had makeshift sleeping arrangements in other parts of the house.  Clark had been told something along the lines that Susan was perhaps slightly retarded and might develop slowly and developed a strange compulsion that she must be "protected" from the outside world.  Clark's idea of protection was to keep Susan shut in her bedroom most or all of every day, and tied into a straitjacket at night.  She was also sometimes or often tied to a potty-chair and left that way for hours, all day, or even perhaps overnight at times.
  
 
Susan still wore diapers, couldn't talk, and was fed a substandard diet which stunted her growth. Her unusual diet consisted of "warm cereal, honey, milk and an occassional egg". (so reports the 18 Nov 1970 ''Arcadia Tribune'' [http://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_xclick&amp;business=wjhonson@aol.com&amp;amount=2.00&amp;item_name=Arcadia_Tribune_(newspaper)_18Nov1970_Wiley Buy it for $2.00])  It has been reported that when found she weighed 59 pounds and was the size of a 7 to 8 year old. From years of confinement, her muscles had not developed normally, which caused her to walk in a peculiar way. "Susan is only now learning that there are other people in the world."
 
Susan still wore diapers, couldn't talk, and was fed a substandard diet which stunted her growth. Her unusual diet consisted of "warm cereal, honey, milk and an occassional egg". (so reports the 18 Nov 1970 ''Arcadia Tribune'' [http://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_xclick&amp;business=wjhonson@aol.com&amp;amount=2.00&amp;item_name=Arcadia_Tribune_(newspaper)_18Nov1970_Wiley Buy it for $2.00])  It has been reported that when found she weighed 59 pounds and was the size of a 7 to 8 year old. From years of confinement, her muscles had not developed normally, which caused her to walk in a peculiar way. "Susan is only now learning that there are other people in the world."
  
The family were described as "strange people who kept to themselves."  "They never went anywhere, and never took the children anywhere."  "They never talked to anybody.  Sometimes I saw the child sitting on the porch, I always understood that she was mentally retarded."  Both Irene and John have stated at various times that they were terrified of Clark and his bizarre behaviour.  John has reported that Clark often sat with a gun in his lap.
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The family were described as "strange people who kept to themselves."  "They never went anywhere, and never took the children anywhere."  "They never talked to anybody.  Sometimes I saw the child sitting on the porch, I always understood that she was mentally retarded."  Both Irene and John have stated at various times that they were terrified of Clark and his bizarre behavior.  John has reported that Clark often sat with a gun in his lap.
  
Around October of 1970,  Irene estraged herself from her husband and taking Susan, went to live with her own mother, Mrs Beatrice Oglesby, in Monterey Park. (So reports page 6 of the 22 Nov 1970 ''Arcadia Tribune'', [http://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_xclick&amp;business=wjhonson@aol.com&amp;amount=2.00&amp;item_name=Arcadia_Tribune_(newspaper)_22Nov1970_page6_Wiley Buy it for $2.00])  She went seeking assistance for the blind but ended up at a Social Services office where an alert worker, seeing this very odd looking and behaving child with Irene, notified her superior who alerted the police.  Clark and Irene were arrested in November, 1970 and charged with Felony Child Abuse for keeping Susan virtually a prisoner, almost her entire life.
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Around October of 1970,  Irene estranged herself from her husband and taking Susan, went to live with her own mother, Mrs Beatrice Oglesby, in Monterey Park. (So reports page 6 of the 22 Nov 1970 ''Arcadia Tribune'', [http://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_xclick&amp;business=wjhonson@aol.com&amp;amount=2.00&amp;item_name=Arcadia_Tribune_(newspaper)_22Nov1970_page6_Wiley Buy it for $2.00])  She went seeking assistance for the blind but ended up at a Social Services office where an alert worker, seeing this very odd looking and behaving child with Irene, notified her superior who alerted the police.  Clark and Irene were arrested in November, 1970 and charged with Felony Child Abuse for keeping Susan virtually a prisoner, almost her entire life.
  
 
John Wiley, had been allowed to go to school and he appears in the Temple City High School year book for one year, but after the story broke, he declined to have a picture taken.  
 
John Wiley, had been allowed to go to school and he appears in the Temple City High School year book for one year, but after the story broke, he declined to have a picture taken.  
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"Just before he was due in court to be arraigned for child abuse, [Clark] shot and killed himself", as the Valley News reports, adding that he was 70 years old, and killed himself on Nov 20.  The article also states that Mrs Wiley is 50 years old.  The trial against Irene continued until 15 Dec 1970 when Judge Peter S Smith in Alhambra Municipal Court dismissed the charges against her.  "Smith, in refusing to send the case to Superior Court for trial said there was 'no question of what has happened to this child,' but 'I can't see the Superior Court judge or jury, convicting this woman.'" (so reports the 16 Dec 1970 ''Arcadia Tribune'' [http://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_xclick&amp;business=wjhonson@aol.com&amp;amount=2.00&amp;item_name=Arcadia_Tribune_(newspaper)_16Dec1970_Wiley Buy it for $2.00])  
 
"Just before he was due in court to be arraigned for child abuse, [Clark] shot and killed himself", as the Valley News reports, adding that he was 70 years old, and killed himself on Nov 20.  The article also states that Mrs Wiley is 50 years old.  The trial against Irene continued until 15 Dec 1970 when Judge Peter S Smith in Alhambra Municipal Court dismissed the charges against her.  "Smith, in refusing to send the case to Superior Court for trial said there was 'no question of what has happened to this child,' but 'I can't see the Superior Court judge or jury, convicting this woman.'" (so reports the 16 Dec 1970 ''Arcadia Tribune'' [http://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_xclick&amp;business=wjhonson@aol.com&amp;amount=2.00&amp;item_name=Arcadia_Tribune_(newspaper)_16Dec1970_Wiley Buy it for $2.00])  
  
Susan "Genie" lived first at the Children's Hospital, but scientist Jean Butler stating that she had exposed her to German measles, took her to her own home in quarentine.  Genie lived there while other investigators like Susan Curtiss, were denied access to her, and Jean applied to be her foster parent.  Her application was denied.  Susan Curtiss has stated that Jean made-up the idea that she had german measles because she wanted Susan all to herself.</td><td>http://www.homeworking.ws/children/genie-wiley.jpg</td></tr></table>
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Susan "Genie" lived first at the Children's Hospital, but scientist Jean Butler stating that she had exposed her to German measles, took her to her own home in quarantine.  Genie lived there while other investigators like Susan Curtiss, were denied access to her, and Jean applied to be her foster parent.  Her application was denied.  Susan Curtiss has stated that Jean made-up the idea that she had German measles because she wanted Susan all to herself.</td><td>http://www.homeworking.ws/children/genie-wiley.jpg</td></tr></table>
  
 
Shortly afterward, Susan "Genie" was placed as a foster child with David and Marilyn Rigler, in 1971.  David was a psychologist at Children's Hospital, and Marilyn was a graduate student in human development, who would become Genie's first teacher.  Meanwhile, Victoria Fromkin (1923-2000), a professor of linguistics at the University of California at Los Angeles, was working on a linguistics program for the child with two associates, Susan Curtiss and Stephen Krashen.  
 
Shortly afterward, Susan "Genie" was placed as a foster child with David and Marilyn Rigler, in 1971.  David was a psychologist at Children's Hospital, and Marilyn was a graduate student in human development, who would become Genie's first teacher.  Meanwhile, Victoria Fromkin (1923-2000), a professor of linguistics at the University of California at Los Angeles, was working on a linguistics program for the child with two associates, Susan Curtiss and Stephen Krashen.  

Revision as of 22:31, 27 March 2009

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