A West Virginia couple was sentenced to decades in prison for abusing their adopted children, treating them like prisoners.
Jeanne Kay Whitefeather, 62, and Donald Lantz, 63, received the maximum sentences for their crimes against five adopted siblings.
Whitefeather will serve 215 years, eligible for parole after 40, while Lantz got 160 years, eligible after 30 years.
The judge also ordered them to pay $280,000 in restitution to the children, who suffered extreme neglect and forced labor.
The sentencing followed a jury’s guilty verdict on multiple counts of forced labor, trafficking, and child abuse.
Horrific Conditions
The couple locked the children in a shed, made them sleep on the floor, and use buckets instead of toilets.
Neighbors alerted authorities after seeing two children locked in a shed in unsanitary conditions in West Virginia.
A deputy had to break into the shed with a crowbar, rescuing the children from horrific circumstances.
Inside the home, a 9-year-old girl was found crying in a loft, alone and without safety measures.
The children were dirty, smelled of body odor, and had sores on their feet due to poor living conditions.
Judge’s Response
Judge Maryclaire Akers condemned the couple, saying they turned a place called “almost heaven” into a nightmare.
“This court will now put you in yours,” she told them before delivering the maximum sentences.
The judge denied their request for a new trial, emphasizing the severity of their crimes.
The couple’s oldest daughter testified, recalling years of mental and physical abuse at their hands.
She described watching her younger siblings suffer, feeling hopeless and filled with anger.
Children Speak Out
One child wrote in court, “Kids should be loved, not picked on by parents. They were mean to us.”
Another child, now an adult, told the couple, “You will always be exactly what you are—horrible.”
The children were fed peanut butter sandwiches at scheduled times, sometimes leftovers from previous meals.
They were forced to stand for hours with hands on their heads and perform difficult outdoor chores.
Some had to sleep on the floor, sharing a single bucket for the bathroom while holding up a sheet for privacy.
History of Abuse
The couple adopted the children in Minnesota, later moving to Washington state before settling in West Virginia.
After relocating, they continued their abusive behavior, isolating the children from neighbors and restricting their activities.
Neighbors noticed Lantz making the children do hard labor and standing in line under strict control.
When neighbors became suspicious, the couple kept the children indoors to avoid attention.
A forensic psychologist testified that their treatment worsened the children’s mental and emotional conditions.
Defense and Court Battle
Lantz claimed that chores were meant to teach the children responsibility, but the court rejected that defense.
His lawyer argued the couple was overwhelmed and lacked support in managing the children’s past trauma.
Prosecutors revealed the couple never sought proper medical care or mental health support for the children.
One of the boys is now receiving psychiatric care after years of suffering under Whitefeather and Lantz.
Despite their claims, the evidence overwhelmingly showed the couple intentionally inflicted suffering on the children.
Legal Aftermath
The oldest daughter has filed a lawsuit, seeking justice for the years of abuse she endured.
The prosecution emphasized that these were not just bad parenting decisions but intentional acts of cruelty.
Assistant Prosecutor Madison Tuck highlighted the lack of effort to get help for the children’s mental health needs.
The court’s ruling ensures the couple will remain behind bars for decades, unable to harm any more children.
Authorities continue working to support the children as they recover from their traumatic experiences.
