West Virginia Couple Convicted of Child Neglect and Forced Labour

A West Virginia couple, Jeanne Kay Whitefeather and Donald Ray Lantz, have been convicted of child neglect and forced labour. Accusations included mistreatment of their adopted Black children, locking them in a shed, and forced labour. The trial exposed a control-driven environment veiled as discipline.

A West Virginia jury has found Jeanne Kay Whitefeather and Donald Ray Lantz guilty of severe child neglect and forced labour involving their adopted Black children. The verdict came after eight hours of deliberation, culminating in a conviction on multiple felony charges, including civil rights violations and child neglect.

The trial, which began in mid-January, detailed harrowing accounts of mistreatment, including forcing the children to sleep on the floor, use buckets as toilets, and subjecting them to rigorous outdoor chores. The couple initially adopted the five siblings in Minnesota before relocating to Washington state and then West Virginia.

Assistant Prosecutor Chris Krivonyak argued that the treatment was less about responsibility and more about exerting control, with evidence of racial bias presented during proceedings. Despite the couple’s defense citing an overwhelmed attempt to care for the children, the court found the actions indefensible, resulting in the conviction.