Latest news with #EighthJudicialCircuitCourt
Yahoo
24-03-2025
- Yahoo
A White Couple Who Adopted Black Kids And Used Them As Slaves Was Sentenced To Hundreds Of Years In Prison
The fate of a white West Virginia couple, who were found guilty of abusing their five adopted Black children and forcing them to work as "slaves" on their farm, has been revealed. On Wednesday, Jeanne Kay Whitefeather, 63, was sentenced to 215 years in prison for forced labor, human trafficking, child abuse and neglect, and violating the children's civil rights, according to a video of the sentencing hearing from the Kanawha County Circuit Court trial that was posted online. Jeanne was found guilty of all 19 counts against her. Her husband, Donald Lantz, 62, who was found guilty of 12 out of the 16 counts against him, including human trafficking, child abuse, forced labor, and neglect, and was sentenced to 160 years in prison. This sentence comes after a Kanawha County jury found the pair guilty Jan. 29. 'You brought these children to West Virginia, a place that I know is 'almost heaven,' and you put them in hell,' Eighth Judicial Circuit Court Judge Maryclaire Akers said during sentencing, per WCHS. 'This court will now put you in yours. And may God have mercy on your souls, because this court will not.' The couple reportedly adopted the five children from a shelter for unhoused and at-risk youth in 2018. At the time, Jeanne and Donald were living in Minnesota and moved to Washington State, and then later to Kanawha County, West Virginia in 2023. In October 2023, they were arrested after a neighbor called Child Protective Services alleging that two teenagers, 14 and 16, were locked in a shed on the couple's property in Sissonville. Other neighbors claimed the children were 'forced to perform farm labor and were not permitted inside the residence,' according to court documents obtained by WCHS–TV. When police responded to the home, the two children (brother and sister) in the shed reportedly had no running water and a portable toilet, and had been "deprived of adequate hygienic care and food." The children said they slept on the concrete floor and were locked in there for 12 hours before being found. Another girl was also found in the home. Charleston's WCSH–TV reported that when Donald arrived home, he had another child with them and led deputies to a friend's home, where the fifth child was staying. A 16-count indictment was filed against the couple. 'It alleges human trafficking, human rights violations, the use of forced labor,' Judge Akers said, according to West Virginia Metro News. 'Human rights violations specific to the fact that these children were targeted because of their race and they were used basically as slaves from what the indictment alleges." The oldest child referred to the couple as "monsters" in an impact statement, while another child said, 'I will be something amazing. I will be strong and beautiful. You will always be exactly what you are — horrible.' The youngest child said they were "taught to laugh at" their siblings while witnessing the abuse. Both Jeanne and Donald were ordered to pay $280,000 in restitution apiece to the victims. You can find more information about this case here.
Buzz Feed
24-03-2025
- Buzz Feed
A White Couple Who Adopted Black Kids And Used Them As Slaves Was Sentenced To Hundreds Of Years In Prison
The fate of a white West Virginia couple, who were found guilty of abusing their five adopted Black children and forcing them to work as "slaves" on their farm, has been revealed. On Wednesday, Jeanne Kay Whitefeather, 63, was sentenced to 215 years in prison for forced labor, human trafficking, child abuse and neglect, and violating the children's civil rights, according to a video of the sentencing hearing from the Kanawha County Circuit Court trial that was posted online. Her husband, Donald Lantz, 62, who was found guilty of 12 out of the 16 counts against him, including human trafficking, child abuse, forced labor, and neglect, was sentenced to 160 years in prison. 'You brought these children to West Virginia, a place that I know is 'almost heaven,' and you put them in hell,' Eighth Judicial Circuit Court Judge Maryclaire Akers said during sentencing, per WCHS. 'This court will now put you in yours. And may God have mercy on your souls, because this court will not.' The couple reportedly adopted the five children from a shelter for unhoused and at-risk youth in 2018. At the time, Jeanne and Donald were living in Minnesota and moved to Washington State, and then later to Kanawha County, West Virginia in 2023. In October 2023, they were arrested after a neighbor called Child Protective Services alleging that two teenagers, 14 and 16, were locked in a shed on the couple's property in Sissonville. Other neighbors claimed the children were 'forced to perform farm labor and were not permitted inside the residence,' according to court documents obtained by WCHS–TV. When police responded to the home, the two children (brother and sister) in the shed reportedly had no running water and a portable toilet, and had been deprived of "deprived of adequate hygienic care and food." The children said they slept on the concrete floor and were locked in there for 12 hours before being found. Another girl was also found in the home. Charleston's WCSH–TV reported that when Donald arrived home, he had another child with them and led deputies to a friend's home, where the fifth child was staying. A 16-count indictment was filed against the couple. 'It alleges human trafficking, human rights violations, the use of forced labor,' Judge Maryclaire said, according to West Virginia Metro News. 'Human rights violations specific to the fact that these children were targeted because of their race and they were used basically as slaves from what the indictment alleges." Fox 11 / WCHS Eyewitness News The oldest child referred to the couple as "monsters" in an impact statement, while another child said, 'I will be something amazing. I will be strong and beautiful. You will always be exactly what you are — horrible.' The youngest child said they were "taught to laugh at" their siblings while witnessing the abuse.
Yahoo
22-03-2025
- Yahoo
White couple who forced their adopted Black kids to work as slaves sentenced to over 100 years
'May God have mercy on your souls because this court will not,' a judge told the white couple convicted for abusing adopted Black children. A white West Virginia couple has been sentenced to hundreds of years in prison after being found guilty of forcing their Black adopted children to work as slaves on their farm. Jeanne Kay Whitefeather, 63, and Donald Lantz, 62, adopted five children between the ages of 6 and 16 from a shelter for vulnerable and homeless youth. Prosecutors say the couple specifically targeted the children because of their race before subjecting them to years of horrific abuse. The children were forced to perform hard labor, deprived of basic needs, and treated like 'slaves.' The abuse came to light in October 2023 after a concerned neighbor called Child Protective Services. When deputies arrived at the couple's home in Sissonville, they found two of the children, ages 14 and 16, locked in a shed with a portable toilet and no running water. The children told authorities they had been locked inside for 12 hours and were forced to sleep on the cold floor. Court documents described the children as wearing dirty clothes, and the 14-year-old boy had sores on his feet. A 9-year-old child was found locked alone in the house, while Lantz later returned home with an 11-year-old boy and led deputies to a 6-year-old girl who was staying with family friends. A 16-count indictment accused Whitefeather and Lantz of human trafficking, forced labor, and violating the children's civil rights. Although the couple pleaded not guilty, they were convicted in January. 'You brought these children to West Virginia, a place that I know as 'almost heaven,' and you put them in hell,' Eighth Judicial Circuit Court Judge MaryClaire Akers said during sentencing, per WCHS. 'This court will now put you in yours. And may God have mercy on your souls because this court will not.' Lantz was sentenced to 160 years in prison after being found guilty of human trafficking, forced labor, child abuse, and neglect. Whitefeather received 215 years after being convicted of the same charges, with an additional conviction for violating the children's civil rights. The couple was also ordered to pay $280,000 in restitution to each victim. During the sentencing, Whitefeather reportedly apologized to the children, saying: 'I just want the court to know that I have made mistakes. I am very sorry for that, and I love my children. I have never, ever done anything to my … children to harm them intentionally. Children, I do love you,' per NBC News. The children, who now describe their former adoptive parents as 'monsters,' are looking ahead to a brighter future. 'I will be something amazing,' one of the children said, per the news outlet. 'I will be strong and beautiful. You will always be exactly what you are — horrible.' More must-reads: George Foreman, heavyweight boxing legend, dead at 76 A woman was killed by her husband during a conjugal visit at a California prison, according to officials In latest blow to Tesla, regulators recall nearly all Cybertrucks
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Yahoo
White Couple Who Adopted Black Children and Forced Them to Work 'as Slaves' Learns Fate
A white West Virginia couple was sentenced to decades in prison this week for abusing some of their adopted children, who are Black, including by forcing them to perform heavy labor like "slaves." Donald Lantz, 62, was sentenced to 160 years in prison after being found guilty of forced labor, human trafficking, child abuse and neglect, the New York Times reported. His wife Jeanne Kay Whitefeather, 63, who was convicted of the same charges plus violating her children's civil rights, was sentenced to 215 years behind bars. The couple was convicted in January, 'You brought these children to West Virginia, a place that I know is 'almost heaven,' and you put them in hell,' Eighth Judicial Circuit Court Judge Maryclaire Akers said during sentencing, per WCHS. 'This court will now put you in yours. And may God have mercy on your souls, because this court will not.' The couple adopted the five children in 2018 and eventually moved to Kanawha County in May 2023, prosecutors said, per the Times. Related: Indictment Accuses White Couple of Forcing Adopted Black Children to Work as 'Slaves,' Says Judge They were arrested in October 2023 after a neighbor called Child Protective Services, alleging that two teenagers, 14 and 16, were locked in a shed at the couple's home in Sissonville, according to court documents obtained by WCHS-TV. Other neighbors also claimed the children were 'forced to perform farm labor and were not permitted inside the residence,' per the documents. Deputies responded to the home and alleged two children were locked in the shed with a portable toilet and no running water, according to an indictment cited by West Virginia MetroNews. The children told authorities they were forced to sleep on the floor and had been locked in the shed for about 12 hours, per the children were wearing dirty clothes and the oldest boy had what appeared to be sores on his feet, per the Associated Press. A 16-count indictment was filed against the couple. 'It alleges human trafficking, human rights violations, the use of forced labor,' Akers said during a 2024 hearing about the indictment, according to West Virginia Metro News. 'Human rights violations specific to the fact that these children were targeted because of their race and they were used basically as slaves from what the indictment alleges." The oldest daughter testified during the trial that the children were regularly cursed at and some of them had to stand in their rooms for hours with their hands on their heads, per the AP. Lantz's attorney John J. Balenovich tells PEOPLE his client, who was not found guilty of a civil rights violation, 'maintains his innocence of all charges.' Whitefeather's attorney could not be reached for comment. Read the original article on People
