A West Virginia judge delivered the maximum sentences to a couple convicted of using their five adopted Black children as forced laborers, subjecting them to harsh conditions and locking them inside a shed without basic necessities. The judge condemned their actions, emphasizing that they had turned a place known for its beauty into a nightmare for the children in their care.
The couple, Jeanne Kay Whitefeather and Donald Lantz, received lengthy prison terms for multiple counts of child neglect and forced labor. Whitefeather, convicted on 19 counts, was sentenced to up to 215 years and will be eligible for parole after 40 years. Lantz, convicted on 12 of 16 counts, was sentenced to a maximum of 160 years, with the possibility of parole after 30 years. Both were also ordered to pay $280,000 each in restitution.
During the sentencing hearing, victim impact statements were read aloud, with the eldest child directly addressing Whitefeather, calling her a monster and questioning how she could sleep at night.
The case came to light in October 2023, when authorities responded to a 911 call about children being trapped in an outdoor shed on the couple’s property. Upon arrival, law enforcement officers forced their way into the 20-by-14-foot shed and discovered a 14-year-old boy and a 16-year-old girl inside. The conditions were deplorable, with no lights, running water, bedding, or mattresses. The floor was made of hard concrete, and the children had been using a makeshift toilet fashioned from an old RV seat. The boy had open sores on his feet, and both children appeared unbathed and malnourished.
Inside the house, authorities found a 9-year-old girl alone, crying near a loft railing 15 feet above the ground. Officers remained at the property for several hours before Lantz arrived with an 11-year-old boy. Whitefeather arrived later and led them to the location of a 6-year-old girl who was with another couple from their local church.
A neighbor testified in court that she had observed the children performing strenuous labor, carrying heavy objects such as propane tanks and buckets of water. She recorded footage of one child struggling to walk due to apparent foot pain while carrying a propane tank, with Lantz standing by without offering assistance.
Whitefeather attempted to justify their actions in court, claiming that the shed was a “teenage clubhouse” and that the children “liked it.” However, prosecutors argued that the couple deliberately targeted the children for exploitation, seeking them out from a shelter and transporting them across state lines from a property they previously owned.
The judge overseeing the case made it clear that the court would not show leniency, ensuring that the couple would spend decades behind bars for the cruelty inflicted upon the children.
