A West Virginia couple, Jeanne Kay Whitefeather and Donald Lantz, received maximum prison sentences—215 and 160 years respectively—after being convicted of multiple counts of child abuse, trafficking, and forced labor. “You brought these children to West Virginia, a place that I know as ‘Almost Heaven,’ and you put them in hell,” said Circuit Judge Maryclaire Akers, who delivered a searing rebuke before sentencing. “This court will now put you in yours… and may God have mercy on your souls. Because this court will not.”
The couple adopted five Black siblings while living in Minnesota and eventually moved them to a rural West Virginia farm in 2023. Five months later, neighbors witnessed the eldest girl and her teenage brother being locked in a shed and alerted authorities. Inside the house, deputies found the children in unsanitary conditions—one child alone in a loft, another barefoot with sores, all wearing dirty clothes and smelling of body odor.
Victim impact statements, including direct letters read aloud in court, detailed the deep trauma suffered. “I’ll never understand how you can sleep at night,” the now 18-year-old eldest daughter told Whitefeather. “I want you to know that you are a monster.” The children shared they suffered nightmares, feared affection, and still struggle with trust.
Testimonies revealed that the children were forced to perform grueling labor—digging with bare hands, lifting heavy items, and standing for hours with hands on their heads. Whitefeather frequently used racial slurs and denied them basic needs, with some sleeping on concrete floors and sharing a bucket for a toilet. According to the eldest daughter, meals often consisted of old peanut butter sandwiches.
Whitefeather and Lantz denied responsibility. A presentencing report revealed they blamed their real estate agent “for not finding a place isolated enough.” Their attorneys claimed they were overwhelmed and cited failures by child welfare agencies. A prosecution psychologist countered, stating the couple’s treatment worsened the children's conditions. Assistant Prosecutor Madison Tuck emphasized they never sought adequate help despite having access to mental health care nearby.
Last month, the eldest daughter filed a civil lawsuit against the couple for permanent physical and emotional damage.
Link: MPRNews
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