West Virginia couple convicted for slave labor of adopted children
- Jeanne Kay Whitefeather and Donald Lantz were found guilty of child abuse after attempting to manage the care of their adopted Black children.
- The couple faced extensive legal penalties, receiving prison sentences amounting to hundreds of years for their actions.
- The court's decision emphasized how the couple's actions caused profound harm to the children, making a strong statement about accountability in such cases.
In Charleston, West Virginia, a couple faced serious legal consequences after being convicted of severely abusing their five adopted children. Jeanne Kay Whitefeather, 63, and Donald Lantz, 64, were found guilty of multiple counts of forced labor, human trafficking, and child abuse. The couple had adopted the siblings while living in Minnesota, later moving to a farm in Washington State in 2018, and finally relocating to West Virginia in May 2023. Following reports from neighbors observing heinous acts, law enforcement intervened five months later to rescue the children from deplorable conditions, where they experienced neglect, inadequate hygiene, and were occasionally confined to a shed for extended periods. During the legal proceedings, testimonies revealed the couple's racist attitudes, with children alleging favoritism towards one child who was not subjected to the same abuse, further exacerbating the trauma experienced by the siblings. Despite arguments from their defense claiming overwhelmed parenting decisions, the evidence presented depicted a disturbing refusal to seek appropriate care for their children, with one child currently in a psychiatric facility for treatment. Ultimately, they were sentenced to lengthy prison terms, with the judge denouncing the couple for their actions that transformed their new home into a nightmarish environment for the children.