Wealthy white couple forced their adopted black children into slavery

West Virginia couple allegedly enslaved their adopted black children, subjecting them to forced labour.

A wealthy couple from West Virginia is facing severe charges after allegedly subjecting their adopted black children to forced labour and inhumane living conditions. 

Donald Ray Lantz, 63, and Jeanne Kay Whitefeather, 62, pleaded not guilty to over a dozen new charges on Tuesday. This development follows the discovery of two teenagers locked in a deteriorating shed on the couple's property, as reported by MetroNews.

The couple was initially arrested in October after a wellness check revealed their five adopted children, aged 6, 9, 11, 14, and 16, living in squalor on their Sissonville property. Kanawha County Circuit Judge Maryclaire Akers, who described the indictment as one of the worst she has seen, stated, "It alleges human trafficking, human rights violations, the use of forced labour."

The charges include human trafficking of a minor, use of a minor in forced labour, and child neglect causing substantial risk of serious bodily injury or death. According to WCHS, the arrests were triggered by a neighbour's report claiming that two teenagers were being locked in a shed.

Upon investigation, police found a 14-year-old boy and a 16-year-old girl locked in the shed, with minimal amenities and no running water. The teenagers reported being forced to sleep on a concrete floor without mattresses and being locked in the barn for 12 hours after their last meal.

Further investigations revealed a 9-year-old girl inside the main residence, and an 11-year-old boy and a 6-year-old girl were brought home later by Lantz and Whitefeather. Whitefeather claimed the teens "liked" the shed, calling it a "clubhouse."

The children recounted ongoing abuses, which reportedly continued at the couple's other residence in Washington state. Prosecutors presented evidence suggesting that Lantz and Whitefeather moved from Washington to avoid an abuse and neglect investigation.

Kanawha County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Christopher Krivonyak revealed that the couple sold an 80-acre ranch in Washington for $725,000 and used the proceeds to pay a $400,000 bond for their release from jail in February. The prosecution argued that the bond money, whether legitimate or not, was intended for human trafficking and forced labour.

As a result, the couple's bonds were increased to $500,000 each, and they were taken back into custody. Prosecutors are seeking to transfer the bond money to a trust fund for the children.