West Virginia: Five Black Adopted Children Subjected to Slave‑Like Abuse

The case of Jeanne Kay Whitefeather and Donald Ray Lantz stands as one of the most harrowing child abuse and human trafficking prosecutions in recent West Virginia history. What began as an adoption ended in a devastating pattern of exploitation and cruelty, leaving deep, lasting impacts on the lives of five young siblings and raising questions about systemic safeguards meant to protect children in foster and adoptive care.

Prosecutors also pointed to racist text messages and comments by the defendants that suggested motivations rooted in racial bias.