White couple accused of treating adopted Black kids as 'slaves' found guilty of forced labor, human trafficking
White couple accused of treating adopted Black kids as 'slaves' found guilty of forced labor, human trafficking
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Jeanne Whitefeather, 62, and Donald Ray Lantz, 61, were accused of mistreating their children — all of whom are Black. Jeanne Kay Whitefeather was convicted of all 19 counts against her, including forced labor, civil rights violations, human trafficking and child neglect. Her husband, Donald Ray Lantz, was found guilty on 12 counts out of 16. He was acquitted of four counts of civil rights violations.
![[Police found two children locked inside a barn in October 2023]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2024/06/25/23/Screenshot%202024-06-25%20at%206.30.29%E2%80%AFPM.png)
They adopted the five siblings while living in Minnesota, moved to a farm in Washington state in 2018, and then brought the family to West Virginia in May 2023, when the children ranged in age from 5 to 16. The couple was arrested in October 2023 after neighbors saw Lantz lock the oldest girl and her teenage brother in a shed and leave the property. A deputy used a crowbar to get them out.
![[Lantz and Whitefeather walk into the courtroom with Kanawha County Sheriff Deputy Matthew Dingess for the first day of trial on January 14]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/01/14/23/Children_Home_Alone_West_Virginia_36166.jpg)
Inside the main home, a 9-year-old girl was found alone crying in a loft with no protection from falling, according to a criminal complaint. A fourth child was with Lantz when he eventually returned. Deputies were later led to the couple’s youngest daughter.
The children were found in dirty clothes and smelling of body odor, deputies said, and the eldest boy was found barefoot with what appeared to be sores on his feet. All five were turned over to Child Protective Services after the couple's arrest. During the trial, neighbors testified they never saw the children play and witnessed Lantz make them stand in line or perform difficult chores around the yard, including lifting heavy items. After Lantz noticed the curious neighbors, the children mostly stayed indoors.
