A West Virginia couple is facing sentencing after being found guilty of mistreating their adopted children, including forced labor, human trafficking, and child abuse. Jeanne Kay Whitefeather and Donald Lantz adopted five Black siblings and were arrested after neighbors witnessed them locking two of the children in a shed. Authorities discovered the children living in poor conditions, dirty and smelling of body odor, with inadequate protection and care. The couple now faces lengthy prison sentences.
During the trial, witnesses testified to seeing the children performing difficult chores and receiving harsh treatment from the couple. The eldest daughter detailed severe physical and emotional abuse, claiming that the children were cursed at and subjected to racism from Whitefeather. The children were allegedly fed a steady diet of peanut butter sandwiches, forced to stand for hours, and deprived of basic necessities.
The defense argued that the couple was overwhelmed and trying to address the children’s mental health issues and trauma, blaming the state’s child welfare agency for not providing adequate support. A forensic psychologist testified that the couple’s treatment of the children worsened their conditions. Despite the defense’s claims, prosecutors argued that the couple neglected to seek help for the children’s well-being, leaving the oldest boy in need of full-time care in a psychiatric facility.
While the couple’s attorneys maintained that the mistreatment was due to poor parenting decisions and not motivated by race or forced labor, the jury convicted them on multiple charges. The sentencing will determine the couple’s punishment for their crimes against the adopted children.
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