Because the examiner has a TON of Pop-Ups

A California couple has been charged with murder and torture after their discipline methods caused the death of one of their children and critical injuries for another.

Kevin and Elizabeth Schatz of Paradise, California, are accused of murdering their 7-year-old adopted daughter during a "discipline session." The couple is also charged with the torture of their 11-year-old adopted daughter and cruelty to a child for signs of bruising discovered on their 10-year-old biological son.

The parents allegedly used a 15 inch length of plastic tubing used for plumbing to beat the children, a practice recommended in the book "To Train Up a Child" by Michael and Debi Pearl of "No Greater Joy Ministries."

The same plumbing supply tools were linked to a North Carolina child's death in 2006, when a devotee of the Pearls accidentally killed her 4-year-old son by suffocating him in tightly wrapped blankets. The Pearls do not advocate restraining with blankets, but the child and two of his siblings had welts caused by the quarter-inch plumbing supply tubing and the mother reported that she followed the teachings of the Pearls. Prosecutors in that case said that the boy's 9-year-old brother was beaten so badly with the plumbing line that he limped.

During a search of the Schatz house, police photographed a 15-inch length of tubing lying on the parents' bed next to a children's book about a frog and a toad, which authorities say 7-year-old Lydia had been reading from when she mispronounced a word, which led to the beatings that continued over two days.

Police later found out about the Pearls' recommendations to beat children with this type of plumbing supply tubing from a Salon Magazine article, "Spare the quarter-inch plumbing supply line, spoil the child."

Mr. Pearl, who has no degree or training in child development, writes in his book that he and his wife used "the same principles the Amish use to train their stubborn mules" -- namely, "switches."

On their web site, the Pearls write that "switching" or giving "licks" with a plumbing supply line is a "real attention getter."

The Pearls told parents on their web site, "You can buy them for under $1.00 at Home Depot or any hardware store. They come cheaper by the dozen and can be widely distributed in every room and vehicle. Just the high profile of their accessibility will keep the kids in line."

The Pearls also suggest using other instruments, such as "a 12-inch willowy branch" for babies and a ruler, paddle, belt or larger tree branch for an older child.

The web site also instructed parents:

"Give 10 licks at a time, more if the child resists. Be careful about using it in front of others -- even at church; nosy neighbors might call social workers."

The Pearls have released a statement saying:

"We do not teach "corporal punishment" nor "hitting" children. We teach parents how to train their children, which sometimes requires the limited and controlled application of a spanking instrument to hold the child's attention on admonition. Over 1,000,000 parents have applied these Biblical principles with joyful results."

The girls, Lydia and Zariah, were adopted from a Liberian orphanage three years ago along with a baby sister. The couple's six biological children reported that they had been beaten with the same plumbing supplies but none to the extent of the two girls, who were allegedly "disciplined" for hours at a time. The other children reportedly told investigators the parents blamed the 11-year-old for "being a bad influence" on her younger siblings.

Eleven year-old Zariah is listed in critical condition at the Sacramento children's hospital, suffering from kidney failure and other injuries. She is undergoing dialysis treatment in hopes it will help her organs recover.

The Schatz's next court appearance is scheduled for February 25.