West Virginia Couple Sentenced to Decades in Prison for Abusing Adopted Children: A System Under Scrutiny
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — In one of the most harrowing child abuse cases in recent West Virginia history, a Sissonville couple has been sentenced to decades behind bars after a jury convicted them of brutally mistreating the children they legally adopted. The case has sparked renewed debate about the vulnerabilities of children in foster care and adoption systems — and the tragic reality that some of the most vulnerable kids can still fall through the cracks.
Historic Convictions and Maximum Sentences
Jeanne Kay Whitefeather, 62, and her husband, Donald Ray Lantz, 63, were convicted in January by a Kanawha County jury on multiple charges, including forced labor, human trafficking of minors, child abuse and neglect. Whitefeather was also convicted of civil rights violations, with prosecutors asserting that the abuse was linked to racial exploitation; all the adopted children were Black.
In March 2025, Circuit Judge Maryclaire Akers imposed the maximum allowable sentences, ordering Whitefeather to spend up to 215 years in prison and Lantz up to 160 years behind bars — with parole eligibility only after decades of incarceration. “You brought these children to West Virginia, a place I know as ‘Almost Heaven,’ and you put them in hell,” the judge said at sentencing.
Discovered in “Unspeakable Conditions”
The abuse came to light in October 2023 after law enforcement responded to reports that two of the couple’s adopted children were found locked in a shed on the family’s property. Investigators subsequently uncovered disturbing evidence — including surveillance footage showing children forced to stand for hours, sleeping on floors without bedding, and performing hard labor beyond their ages and physical ability. The children were reportedly denied adequate food and water and forced to use portable toilets.
At trial, letters written by several of the children were entered as evidence, describing nightmares, ongoing trauma, and difficulty trusting adults. The oldest daughter, now 18, addressed the courtroom directly, saying: “I’ll never understand how you can sleep at night. I want you to know that you are a monster.”
Legal Legacy and Ongoing Civil Action
The severity of the case is underscored by multiple civil lawsuits filed by guardians on behalf of the victims. At least one of the adopted children has filed suit alleging “severe and outrageous” mistreatment that extends well beyond neglect into profound physical and emotional harm.
The state’s Supreme Court recently dismissed the couple’s appeal, leaving the convictions and lengthy sentences intact.
What This Case Reveals About Child Abuse Risks in Foster and Adoption Systems
While the West Virginia case involved adopted children — not children currently in state foster care — it starkly highlights a broader truth acknowledged by child welfare researchers: children removed from their birth homes due to abuse or neglect are often among the most vulnerable to further maltreatment if systems fail to protect them. Children in foster or residential care have been shown by multiple studies to be at higher risk of experiencing maltreatment compared to the general child population. In one study, foster children were 7 to 8 times more likely to require medical attention for abuse than children not in care.
This elevated risk is not due to inherent “bad actors” among caregivers, but often reflects systemic challenges — including placement instability, insufficient oversight, high caseloads, and trauma histories that complicate a child’s path to secure, healthy homes.
