Daily Reports
West Virginia Couple Faces Severe Charges for Human Trafficking and Child Abuse
A West Virginia couple, Jeanne Whitefeather, 62, and Donald Lantz, 63, are facing severe charges including human trafficking, child abandonment, and forced labor. According to a 16-count indictment, they adopted five black children from a shelter and subjected them to forced labor and deplorable living conditions. The children, aged between 6 and 16, were allegedly targeted because of their race and used as slaves, as stated by Kanawha County Circuit Judge Maryclaire Akers.
Discovery of Inhumane Conditions
The Kanawha County Sheriff's Office discovered the children in October during a welfare check at the couple's home in Sissonville. Two children were found locked in a small room inside a barn, deprived of basic necessities like running water, sanitation facilities, and adequate food. They had been locked inside for about 12 hours and forced to sleep on a cement floor. Another child was found locked alone inside the main home. The children were reportedly forced to perform farm work and were not allowed into the main residence.
Legal Proceedings and Community Reactions
Whitefeather and Lantz have pleaded not guilty to the charges and are being held at the South Central Regional Jail on $500,000 bail each. The couple initially posted a combined $400,000 bail, which was later increased. Prosecutors believe the couple paid the initial bail with money earned from human trafficking activities. The community is shocked and outraged by the allegations, with neighbors reporting that the children were often seen working on the farm and were treated poorly. The couple is scheduled to appear in court again on September 9.
- The couple is accused of initially abusing the children at their 80-acre ranch in Washington state before moving to West Virginia to evade investigation. Authorities believe the properties were used as tools for smuggling and human trafficking.
- Neighbors reported that the children were forced to stand in a straight line and perform manual labor with their heads down. One neighbor, Stacy Miller, called social services after witnessing the children in these conditions.
- During a hearing, Whitefeather's attorney claimed that there was a key inside the shed where the teens were found, suggesting a misunderstanding about the situation. However, the prosecution maintains that the children were subjected to severe neglect and abuse.
