A West Virginia couple has been sentenced to decades in prison for abusing and enslaving their Black adopted children, forcing them to perform heavy labor and endure inhumane conditions.
Donald Lantz, 62, was sentenced to 160 years after being convicted of forced labor, human trafficking, child abuse, and neglect. His wife, Jeanne Kay Whitefeather, 63, received 215 years after being found guilty of the same charges, plus civil rights violations against the children.
“You brought these children to West Virginia, a place that I know is ‘almost heaven,’ and you put them in hell,” Judge Maryclaire Akers said during sentencing. “This court will now put you in yours.”
The couple adopted five Black children in 2018 and later moved to Kanawha County in 2023. Their crimes were exposed in October 2023 when a neighbor called Child Protective Services, reporting that two teenagers were locked in a shed at the couple’s home in Sissonville. Authorities found the children without water, forced to sleep on the floor, wearing filthy clothes, and suffering from untreated sores.
According to prosecutors, the children were forced to perform farm labor, denied access to the home, and subjected to cruel punishments. The oldest daughter testified that they were regularly cursed at and made to stand for hours with their hands on their heads.
The case led to a 16-count indictment that included human trafficking and civil rights violations. Prosecutors emphasized that the couple specifically targeted the children because of their race.
Lantz maintains his innocence, according to his attorney. Whitefeather’s attorney has not commented.
