‘She told us to lie’: Social media showed a loving mom — police found a monster behind closed doors

Elizabeth Conlin, 42, was arrested in July after an extensive criminal history. But police in Utah were shocked when that arrest finally made Conlin’s children confident enough to come forward with their own story of abuse under their mother.

Social media posturing can be very deceiving. You can never truly know what is going on behind closed doors. You’ll find an influencer who’s always showing off their latest shopping spree, but behind closed doors, they’re actually shoplifting. Or a vacation pic that’s actually from three years ago. It’s almost impossible to know if the picture being portrayed on the outside reflects what’s going on inside — and things weren’t all that different for Conlin.

A quick glance at Conlin’s Instagram page will show a woman who is deeply reverential about the gift of parenthood, always praising her children. But according to those children, she’s been abusing them for years. She has an 11-year-old son and a 9-year-old son, and according to Cafe Mom, they told police that Conlin and an ex-boyfriend of hers, Kalon Ray Colvin, used to beat them with a red belt.

The son told investigators that Conlin also used wooden spoons on their faces, backs, and all over their bodies. He said she would go further with her punishment methods and even have a child run “hundreds of laps.” But she would ensure the kids didn’t tell anyone about how they got their scars. “She told us to lie,” her son said to investigators. He also told them that whenever someone saw their bruises, she would encourage them to make up a lie.

Conlin’s troubles don’t end with her using Saw tactics to discipline her children, however. According to prosecutors, Conlin also has an extensive criminal history that includes aggravated assault, stalking, domestic violence, and violating protective orders. And from Oct. 17, she can add child abuse to her long list of charges in her ever-growing criminal file.

She’s currently being held at Salt Lake County Jail and has been denied bail. There are people who’ve been accused of manslaughter and child endangerment but have still gotten bail — so you can tell exactly what the judge thinks about this particular suspect.

Children need to be disciplined. That goes without question, and it’s a touchy topic about how a parent ensures their child learns good behavior and the consequences that come when they forgo that. But abuse is abuse. There is a line. And once a 9-year-old child is asked to run “hundreds of laps” and learn how to lie about the scars on their body — something has gone completely wrong.

This could be a real wake-up call for Conlin. Because as she floods her social media with pictures of her kids and how much they make her life better, she should also consider how to make their lives better. Children should never be pushed to a wall where they believe the only way they could be saved from violence is if their own parent — normally a protective role — is locked away. Conlin only has herself to blame.