In a packed West Virginia courtroom this week, testimony began detailing the grim conditions two teenagers endured while locked in a barn by their adoptive parents. The case has shed light on severe neglect, forced labor, and alleged human trafficking involving five Black siblings adopted by Jeanne Whitefeather, 62, and Donald Lantz, 61. Prosecutors say the couple, who are white, subjected the children to unimaginable treatment, using them as laborers and locking them in squalid conditions on their Sissonville property.
Deputies responding to a welfare check in October 2023 discovered the barn where the two oldest children, a 16-year-old girl and a 14-year-old boy, were confined. The windowless structure had no running water or proper ventilation, and the teens slept on a concrete floor with little to no bedding. Inside, authorities found only a broken air conditioner, a camper toilet, and minimal food. Detectives testified that video surveillance from the barn showed the teens wearing the same clothes for days and rarely leaving the enclosure.
Neighbor Joyce Bailey became emotional as she recounted witnessing the children’s grueling labor on the property. She described seeing them struggle to carry heavy fencing, propane tanks, and water buckets under the watchful eye of Lantz, who offered no assistance. Bailey testified that the children rarely spoke to one another, were only seen working, and never appeared to play or interact socially. Disturbed by what she observed, Bailey recorded video evidence of the children’s treatment, ultimately prompting police intervention.
The defense painted a starkly different picture of the family, arguing that the couple was overwhelmed by the children’s behavioral challenges stemming from prior trauma. Whitefeather’s attorney, Mark Plants, described the barn as a “teenage clubhouse” and said the children’s confinement was a safety measure after one child attempted to run away. Plants claimed the family celebrated holidays, took vacations, and shared meals, insisting their actions were efforts to manage the children’s severe mental health needs.
Prosecutors, however, highlighted text messages between Lantz and Whitefeather discussing the use of punishment and control to subdue the children. The trial underscores not only the alleged abuse but also broader issues within the foster and adoption systems, particularly in cases involving racial and socioeconomic disparities. All five siblings are now in state care, and the trial is expected to bring more revelations about the treatment they endured.
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