A white couple in West Virginia has been sentenced to decades in prison for the horrific abuse and enslavement of their adopted Black children, whom they subjected to forced labor and inhumane conditions.
Donald Lantz, 62, received a 160-year prison sentence, while his wife, Jeanne Kay Whitefeather, 63, was sentenced to 215 years, after being convicted on multiple charges, including forced labor, human trafficking, child abuse, and neglect. Whitefeather was also found guilty of violating her children’s civil rights.
‘You Put Them in Hell’ – Judge Condemns Couple
During sentencing, Judge Maryclaire Akers of the Eighth Judicial Circuit Court delivered a scathing rebuke.
“You brought these children to West Virginia, a place that I know is ‘almost heaven,’ and you put them in hell,” she said. “This court will now put you in yours. And may God have mercy on your souls, because this court will not.”
The couple had adopted five Black children in 2018 and moved to Kanawha County in May 2023. Their crimes were exposed in October 2023 when a neighbor called Child Protective Services, reporting that two teenagers, aged 14 and 16, were locked inside a shed at the couple’s home in Sissonville.
Forced to Sleep in a Shed, Treated Like Slaves
Court documents revealed that the children were subjected to forced farm labor and were not allowed inside the house. When deputies arrived, they found two children locked in the shed with no running water and only a portable toilet. The children, wearing filthy clothes, told authorities they had been locked inside for 12 hours and forced to sleep on the floor. The oldest boy had sores on his feet from the harsh conditions.
A 16-count indictment against the couple detailed the extent of their crimes.
“It alleges human trafficking, human rights violations, and the use of forced labor,” Judge Akers stated in an earlier hearing. “These children were targeted because of their race and were used basically as slaves.”
Survivors Speak Out
During the trial, the oldest daughter testified that the children were regularly cursed at and forced to stand for hours with their hands on their heads as punishment.
Despite overwhelming evidence, Lantz’s attorney, John J. Balenovich, claimed his client “maintains his innocence.” However, the brutality and racial targeting of their crimes have drawn widespread condemnation, with prosecutors and human rights advocates describing the case as one of the most egregious examples of modern-day slavery.