‘You Put Them in Hell’

The sentence comes after Jeanne Kay Whitefeather and her husband Donald Lantz, who’re each white, had been convicted January 29 on a lot of the 30+ fees towards them in relation to the allegations of kid abuse, together with compelled labor, human trafficking, and neglect, per The Related Press.

Whitefeather, 63, was convicted on all 19 fees introduced towards her and was ordered to serve as much as 215 years; she might be eligible for parole after 40. Lantz, 62, was convicted on 12 of 16 fees, sentenced to a most of 160 years; parole eligible after 30.

They had been every additionally ordered to pay $280,000 in restitution.

Kanawha County Circuit Choose Maryclaire Akers on Wednesday, per WV Metro Information, argued she noticed no motive to indicate them mercy contemplating the “vile mistreatment” compelled on their kids.

She mentioned the defendants confirmed no regret and “placed on one of the vital reprehensible and narcissistic defenses that I’ve ever seen in my years of trial work.”

“You introduced these kids to West Virginia, a spot that I do know as ‘Virtually Heaven,’ and you set them in hell,” she instructed the defendants. “This courtroom will now put you in yours. And should God have mercy in your souls, as a result of this courtroom is not going to.”

After the sentencing, prosecutor Debra Rusnak mentioned, “We’re all grateful that the courtroom handed down the sentence that we had all hoped for. It almost ensures that neither of those defendants will ever breathe free air once more.”

The defendants additionally spoke, with Lantz saying, “Kids, I do love you.”

Whitefeather mentioned, “I simply need the courtroom to know that I’ve made errors I’m very sorry for that and I like my kids and I’ve by no means, ever, performed something to my … kids to hurt them deliberately.”

She had denied the fees through the trial, insisting the youngsters weren’t locked contained in the shed, calling it a “teenage hangout.” She mentioned, “That they had a key. They may come and go as they happy.”

A detective beforehand testified the important thing was discovered on prime of a cupboard within the shed, out of sight. The youngsters mentioned they had been unaware it was there.

Whitefeather’s lawyer Mark Crops mentioned that this can be a case of poor parenting choices and misunderstanding. “These are farm folks that do farm chores,” Crops mentioned. “It wasn’t about race. It wasn’t about compelled labor.”

In courtroom, 4 of the adopted kids learn sufferer impression statements learn aloud by sufferer advocates as most of them are beneath the age of 18. In some circumstances, the kids stood by the advocate’s facet as they learn of “unspeakable trauma,” “problem trusting anybody,” “nightmares,” and questioning and fearing affection, per The AP.

The eldest, who is eighteen, learn hers aloud herself, although.

“I’ll by no means perceive how one can sleep at night time,” she learn to Whitefeather, per Regulation & Crime. “I would like you to know that you’re a monster.”

NBC affiliate WSAZ reported one other assertion that learn, “I might be one thing superb. I might be robust and delightful. You’ll at all times be precisely what you might be — horrible.”

The youngest sufferer’s letter acknowledged, “I used to be taught to snigger at my siblings, and instructed they had been unhealthy, I used to be saved from them — watched so much the stuff occur. Now, at my new residence, I see that all the things was not proper with Jeanne and Donald.”

The 18-year-old, who was 16 on the time of her dad and mom’ arrests, was one of many two kids discovered by authorities within the shed that led to the arrests of her adopted dad and mom.

She claimed, per the AP, the youngsters got a weight loss plan of peanut butter sandwiches, which got here at scheduled occasions, and weren’t allowed to eat between feedings. She additionally reportedly mentioned they weren’t given water until they completed their meals, needed to sleep on the ground, and went months with out showering or brushing their enamel.

The teenager mentioned they had been compelled to backyard, dig holes with their palms, clear land and handle animals on the farm. She additionally testified that Lantz hit one of many kids with a PVC pipe, and claimed they had been made to face of their room for hours — saying they might have pepper spray used on them in the event that they did not preserve their palms on their heads.

She additionally mentioned the shed the place she and her then-14-year-old brother slept required a key to open it from both facet. The teenager claimed she and her brother shared the identical bucket to make use of as a toilet and mentioned that, at one level, all the kids needed to sleep in tents outdoors as a result of Whitefeather mentioned “we had been soiled and that we stunk.”

Lantz and Whitefeather, who’re each white, had been accused of adopting Black kids aged 6-16 and subjecting them to guide labor. The investigation into the pair started in October 2023, after somebody referred to as authorities involved in regards to the welfare of the kids

“[The indictment] alleges human trafficking, human rights violations, using compelled labor,” Kanawha County Circuit Choose Maryclaire Akers mentioned throughout a June arraignment. “Human rights violations particular to the truth that these kids had been focused due to their race they usually had been used principally as slaves from what the indictment alleges.”

Per the legal criticism, a deputy knocked on the door of a shed on the property earlier than a 16-year-old woman inside mentioned she could not open it. Authorities then compelled themselves into the 20 toes x 14 toes construction and located each the woman and a 14-year-old boy, her brother, inside.

The woman allegedly mentioned they’d been locked within the shed — which had no working water, lights or toilet — for about 12 hours with none contact from their adoptive dad and mom, who introduced them meals earlier within the morning.

She reportedly claimed the 2 had been “locked within the shed for lengthy durations of time day by day” and “had been being punished,” with Regulation&Crime reporting that one of many kids instructed authorities they made and shared a makeshift bathroom crafted from a bathroom seat taken from an RV. Authorities additionally famous the boy appeared to have “open sores” on his toes, whereas each kids allegedly smelled of physique odor and had been in soiled clothes.

Additionally they discovered a 9-year-old woman in an unprotected loft 15-feet off from the bottom, crying alone, contained in the couple’s principal residence. Police ready on the property say Lantz finally confirmed up with one other youngster three hours later.

Per the submitting, through West Virginia Metro Information, “Neighbors additionally reported that the kids had been compelled to carry out farm labor and weren’t permitted contained in the residence.”