Rich West Virginia White Couple Who Adopted Black Children To Keep as Slaves Charged

A rich white couple from West Virginia shocked the nation as it was discovered that they kept several black children that they adopted as slaves. The couple allegedly confined them to a shed with no running water and forced them to do manual labor.

Donald Ray Lantz, 63, and Jeanne Kay Whitefeather, 62, allegedly adopted five black children 6, 9, 11, 14, and 16. They were allegedly forced to work on the couple's farm and were treated much like the African slaves were back in the Civil War, living in squalid conditions and not even allowed to go to school.

When police arrived, they discovered two of the teens locked inside a filthy shed, with both of them wearing dirty clothes and smelled of body odor. According to MSN, both minors also had open sores on their bare feet.

Inside the shed, police found that it only had a small RV porta-potty but no lights or running water. It also showed no beds and that the children were forced to sleep on the concrete floor. Despite this, the white West Virginia couple, who were noted for their wealth by their neighbors, denied any wrongdoing.

As for the other children, the 9-year-old girl was found by the police in the main residence, while the two others were found with Lantz and a church acquaintance. It is alleged that the couple chose to adopt black children to keep as slaves because of their race, as noted by Kanawha County Circuit Judge Maryclaire Akers.

"The adopted children were exploited as slaves due to their race," said the judge, who set a trial date for the wealthy West Virginia couple on September 9, 2024. "It is one of the worst I've ever seen."

West Virginia Couple Faces Child Neglect, Human Trafficking Charges

Initially, Lantz and Whitefeather were released by Judge Akers on a bail bond of $200,000 each. They were able to pay and were subsequently released from jail back in February. However, with this newly released evidence, the judge more than doubled the bond, raising it to $500,000 each, with prosecutors alleging that "this money was made from (the children's) forced labor."

In her newly-released filing, the couple denied any child abuse accusations and claimed that "the children loved being in the barn, which they called a 'clubhouse.'"

According to Rolling Out, the charges the West Virginia couple faces include human trafficking of a minor child, use of a minor child in forced labor, and child neglect creating a substantial risk of serious bodily injury or death.

What Neighbors Have Reported Regarding the West Virginia Slavery Case

Meanwhile, the neighbors have reported that the five children "endured severe mistreatment at the hands of the couple," noting that "they were compelled to work and were not permitted inside the home. Instead, they were allegedly forced to sleep on concrete floors without mattresses, endured inadequate food supplies, faced inhumane bathroom conditions, and suffered injuries."

As for the children right now, Kanawha County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Christopher Krivonyak proposed that a trust fund be set up for them.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: EXPOSED: W Virginia Couple Adopted Black Kids & Used Them As SLAVES | The Kyle Kulinski Show - Secular Talk