White couple, Jeanne Kay Whitefeather and Donald Lantz, actually thought it was a good idea to adopt black kids as slaves! Yes, you heard that right – slaves in this day and age. That’s extreme!
Now, we don’t want to get too heavy here, but let’s just say, these two got what they deserved. They ended up in jail for their disgusting actions. And thank goodness for that! We won’t stand for any sort of racism or discrimination in our society, and it’s good to see that justice was served in this case.
The sentence comes after Jeanne Kay Whitefeather and her husband Donald Lantz, who are both white, were convicted January 29 on most of the 30+ charges against them in relation to the allegations of child abuse, including forced labor, human trafficking, and neglect, per The Associated Press.
Whitefeather, 63, was convicted on all 19 charges brought against her and was ordered to serve up to 215 years; she will be eligible for parole after 40. Lantz, 62, was convicted on 12 of 16 charges, sentenced to a maximum of 160 years; parole eligible after 30.
They were each also ordered to pay $280,000 in restitution.
Kanawha County Circuit Judge Maryclaire Akers on Wednesday, per WV Metro News, argued she saw no reason to show them mercy considering the “vile mistreatment” forced on their children.
She said the defendants showed no remorse and “put on one of the most reprehensible and narcissistic defenses that I have ever seen in my years of trial work.”
“You brought these children to West Virginia, a place that I know as ‘Almost Heaven,’ and you put them in hell,” she told the defendants. “This court will now put you in yours. And may God have mercy on your souls, because this court will not.”
After the sentencing, prosecutor Debra Rusnak said, “We are all grateful that the court handed down the sentence that we had all hoped for. It nearly ensures that neither of these defendants will ever breathe free air again.”
The defendants also spoke, with Lantz saying, “Children, I do love you.”
Whitefeather said, “I just want the court to know that I have made mistakes I am very sorry for that and I love my children and I have never, ever, done anything to my … children to harm them intentionally.”
She had denied the charges during the trial, insisting the kids were not locked inside the shed, calling it a “teenage hangout.” She said, “They had a key. They could come and go as they pleased.”
A detective previously testified the key was found on top of a cabinet in the shed, out of sight. The children said they were unaware it was there.
Whitefeather’s attorney Mark Plants said that this is a case of poor parenting decisions and misunderstanding. “These are farm people that do farm chores,” Plants said. “It wasn’t about race. It wasn’t about forced labor.”
In court, four of the adopted children read victim impact statements read aloud by victim advocates as most of them are under the age of 18. In some cases, the children stood by the advocate’s side as they read of “unspeakable trauma,” “difficulty trusting anyone,” “nightmares,” and questioning and fearing affection, per The AP.
The eldest, who is 18, read hers aloud herself, though.
“I’ll never understand how you can sleep at night,” she read to Whitefeather, per Law & Crime. “I want you to know that you are a monster.”
NBC affiliate WSAZ reported another statement that read, “I will be something amazing. I will be strong and beautiful. You will always be exactly what you are — horrible.”
It just goes to show that people need to have some common sense and treat everyone with respect and dignity. We’ve come a long way as a society, and it’s important to keep pushing for equality and justice for all. Let’s hope that stories like this become a thing of the past and that we can continue making progress towards a more inclusive and accepting world.
