West Virginia Couple Charged with Human Trafficking and Child Neglect

A West Virginia couple faces a 17-count indictment, including charges of human trafficking and child neglect, after allegedly adopting five Black children and subjecting them to forced labor.

Kanawha County, WV — Jeanne Whitefeather, 62, and Donald Lantz, 63, were charged with gross neglect of a child and now face additional counts, including human trafficking of a minor and use of forced labor. The couple appeared in court on June 11, with bond set at $500,000 each, and a trial date set for September 9.

“It alleges human trafficking, human rights violations, the use of forced labor...Human rights violations specific to the fact that these children were targeted because of their race and they were used basically as slaves.”
Kanawha County Circuit Judge Maryclaire Akers

According to the Kanawha County Sheriff's Department, on October 2, 2023, deputies found two children locked in a barn, with "no means to exit, no running water, no bathroom facilities, and were obviously deprived of adequate hygienic care and food." Three children in total were found locked away, with the third discovered in an unprotected loft 15 feet high in the couple's home.

Neighbors and local media reported that the children were forced to perform farm labor, and the teens locked in the barn were told to sleep on bare concrete for 12 hours, resulting in hygiene issues and open sores.

Whitefeather's attorney, Mark Plants, called the barn a "teenage clubhouse" and claimed the incident was a "misunderstanding."

WSAZ reported that before their arrests, the couple had no criminal history and homeschooled all five children, aged 6, 9, 11, 14, and 16. The Sheriff's Office also confirmed that there had been two prior complaints about the couple in 2023.

The couple now faces justice for their heinous crimes.

Sources:

• West Virginia MetroNews
• Kanawha County Sheriff's Department Facebook
• WSAZ