A West Virginia couple, Jeanne Whitefeather, 62, and Donald Lantz, 63, are facing a spate of new charges for the severe abuse of their adopted Black children. Allegations against the couple include keeping their children in a barn and forcing them into forced labor, a situation that has outraged the community and raised serious concerns about child care and human rights issues.
Background of the case
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Officials first arrested the couple in October 2023 after finding two of their adopted children, a 16-year-old girl and a 14-year-old boy, trapped in a padlocked barn without electricity or running water. Investigators discovered a third child, a 9-year-old girl, alone in a loft within the house, separated from her parents and siblings. According to reports, the couple adopted a total of five children.
New charges and allegations
Whitefeather and Lantz have pled not guilty to new charges, including multiple counts of child abuse with bodily injury. Whitefeather faces accusations of using bear spray and repellent on her children, while Lantz faces allegations of physically hitting one of them. These new allegations are in addition to their current charges of human trafficking, civil rights crimes based on race, and child maltreatment.
Living conditions of the children
The living conditions of the children have been considered appalling. Rescuers found the youngsters in appalling conditions, forced to sleep on a bare concrete floor without any bedding. The 16-year-old girl described being held in the barn for almost 12 hours, and investigators observed an overwhelming odor and suffocating heat inside due to a lack of ventilation.
Allegedly, the children received a small toilet seat from an RV for their bathroom needs. Witnesses, including neighbors, reported that they forbade the youngsters from entering the main residence and forced them to perform farm labor. Rescuers described the children as filthy and savage, with one boy suffering from open sores on his feet.
Legal proceedings and community response
Due to the seriousness of the charges, a court revoked Whitefeather and Lantz’s bond, imprisoning them without bail since their first arrest. The pair had previously posted bond in February 2023 but were detained again after a grand jury indicted them on more than a dozen more offenses. Maryclaire Akers, the judge hearing the case, described the circumstances as unusual, emphasizing the human trafficking and human rights breaches involved.
Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Debra Rusnak expressed dismay at the event. “You heard in the testimony about what these children were going through, and it’s horrifying and despicable,” she said, according to Metro News Television. The community has united to support the children, highlighting the importance of justice and accountability in cases of child abuse.
The case of Whitefeather and Lantz provides a sharp reminder of the persistent problems of child abuse and human trafficking, especially in vulnerable communities. As the judicial processes go, the emphasis remains on the children’s well-being and the necessity for institutional improvements to safeguard vulnerable people from such horrible acts. The charges against the marriage underscore not just the children’s particular traumas but also raise bigger considerations about race, adoption, and caregiver obligations.
The community and authorities must remain vigilant as this case develops to guarantee the administration of justice and the preservation of all children’s rights.