A teenager who was rescued from a locked shed on a farm in West Virginia testified about the years of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse she endured at the hands of her adoptive parents. The couple faces multiple felony charges.
A teenager who was found locked in a shed led to the arrest of her adoptive parents testified Friday about the years of abuse and neglect she and her siblings endured. The 18-year-old daughter, whose name is being withheld by the court, described a life marked by fear, hunger, and constant verbal and physical abuse.
She was the first of the five adopted siblings to take the stand in the trial of Jeanne Kay Whitefeather and Donald Ray Lantz, who are facing numerous felony charges including forced labor, civil rights violations, human trafficking, and gross child neglect. The teenager recounted a childhood filled with strict rules and punishments, including being forced to stand for hours in their rooms to prevent sleep, keeping their hands on their heads at all times, and being sprayed with pepper spray if they disobeyed. She described how the children were frequently cursed at, particularly by Whitefeather, who used racially charged language against them. The couple adopted the five Black children while living in Minnesota before moving to Washington state in 2018 and finally to West Virginia in 2023. The teenager detailed how they were provided with a meager diet of peanut butter sandwiches at scheduled mealtimes, often leftovers from previous meals. They were not allowed to eat between meals or drink water unless they had finished their food. The children were also subjected to harsh outdoor labor, including digging holes for trees, clearing land, and tending to the animals on their farm. The shed where the teenager and her brother slept was kept locked with a key required to open it from either side. She explained that the lock was meant to prevent the oldest boy from running away again and that she wouldn't have left the shed herself for fear of her siblings being punished. The family was also monitored by a video surveillance system installed by Whitefeather due to her mistrust of the children. The teenager's testimony painted a harrowing picture of a family trapped in a cycle of abuse and neglect. She described feeling like she would never escape the situation. The case has sparked outrage and concern about the welfare of foster children and the need for stronger oversight and accountability within the foster care system
Abuse Neglect Foster Care Child Welfare Trial Testimony
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