A West Virginia mother, Jeanne Kay Whitefeather, has denied allegations that she forced two of her adopted children to stay in a shed behind a locked door. She testified in court that the children had a key and could come and go as they pleased, despite an 18-year-old daughter testifying last week that she was unaware of access to a key.
Detectives found a key on top of a cabinet in the shed, contradicting Whitefeather’s claims. The 18-year-old daughter also alleged that the children were given peanut butter sandwiches at scheduled times and were not allowed to eat outside of those times, regardless of their hunger. Whitefeather countered that the children were allowed to use the refrigerator and that she cooked every night.
The couple, along with her husband Donald Ray Lantz, have been on trial for child neglect, including forced labor, civil rights violations, human trafficking, and gross child neglect. The couple adopted five black children, ranging in age from five to 16, while living in Minnesota, and later moved to a farm in Washington state and then West Virginia in 2023.
The oldest boy is currently receiving full-time care in a psychiatric facility. The couple was arrested in October 2023 after a neighbor reported seeing Lantz lock two teenagers in the shed and leave the property. Whitefeather claimed the shed was a “teenager hangout,” but authorities found the children behind a locked door. The five children are now in the care of Child Protective Services.
