West Virginia White Couple Who Abused and Enslaved Adopted Black Children Convicted of Human Trafficking and Child Abuse

Jeanne Kay Whitefeather and Donald Lantz

A West Virginia couple has been found guilty of confining their adopted Black children in a barn and forcing them to work under conditions described as slavery. Jeanne Kay Whitefeather and Donald Lantz face a maximum sentence of up to 290 years in prison following their conviction on multiple charges, including human trafficking.

After eight hours of deliberation, a jury convicted Whitefeather on 19 counts, including forced labor, severe child negligence, and child abuse. Lantz, while also found guilty, was cleared of four counts related to civil rights violations.

The trial revealed more instances of abuse; the children were regularly subjected to racial slurs, dressed in filthy clothes, and survived solely on peanut butter sandwiches

Eighth Judicial Circuit Court Judge Maryclaire Akers, during sentencing, condemned their actions, stating, "You brought these children to West Virginia, a place that I know is 'almost heaven,' and you put them in hell. This court will now put you in yours. And may God have mercy on your souls because this court will not."

According to the indictment, the couple adopted five children from a homeless shelter and exploited them based on their race. In 2018, they moved to a farm in Washington before settling in Sissonville, West Virginia, in 2023.

The children, aged between five and 16 at the time, endured years of abuse. The couple was arrested in October 2023 after neighbors reported that the eldest adopted daughter and her teenage brother had been confined in a barn and abandoned. Upon arrival, police used a crowbar to free them and also found a nine-year-old girl crying alone inside the house.

Donald Lantz, left, and Jeanne Whitefeather, during their trial in Charleston, W.Va., in January. They were sentenced on Wednesday to dozens of years in prison for abusing their adopted children

In June 2024, eight months after their arrest, the couple faced formal charges, including human trafficking of a minor, forced child labor, and child neglect with the potential to cause severe harm or death.

During the trial, the eldest daughter, now 18, provided a harrowing account of their suffering. She testified about being forced to stand for hours without sleep and being sprayed with pepper spray for failing to keep her hands on her head. She also recounted how Lantz struck one of the boys with a pipe as punishment for disobedience.

Further testimony revealed that the children were regularly subjected to racial slurs, forced to wear dirty clothes, and given only peanut butter sandwiches for sustenance. The trial exposed the extent of their abuse, painting a grim picture of the conditions they endured before their rescue.