A West Virginia couple is back in media headlines after a judge revoked their bond on charges of human trafficking. Indictment documents reportedly accuse Donald Ray Lantz and Jeanne Kay Whitefeather, both Caucasian, of enslaving at least five adopted Black children, per MetroNews.
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Details On The Initial Arrest Of The West Virginia Couple
According to the outlet, the update occurred nearly two weeks ago, on June 11. Local law enforcement first arrested Donald, 63, and Jeanne, 62, in October 2023. At the time, a wellness check at their West Virginia home revealed that the couple had two of their adopted teenagers locked inside a shed on their property.
Neither Donald nor Jeanne were at home when deputies first arrived. Deputies found a third Black child, aged 9, inside the West Virginia couple’s main home. Three hours into their wellness check, Donald Ray Lantz arrived home with an 11-year-old Black boy. An hour after him, Jeanne pulled up to the house and led deputies to the last child, a 6-year-old Black girl who was with acquaintances from the couple’s church.
The 16-year-old girl reportedly told deputies the couple had her and the 14-year-old boy locked in the shed for 12 hours with no food. Additionally, the 14-year-old boy had “open sores on his bare feet,” per court docs that MetroNews cited. The teens’ physical condition included body odor and an unclean look.
Jeanne Kay Whitefeather previously told the court the shed was a “teenage clubhouse” that was not locked. However, reports from deputies painted a different picture. The shed reportedly had no running water and only an RV porta-potty. Additionally, the teens revealed that they were forced to sleep on the concrete floor with no padding or mattress.
The indictment reportedly cited neighbors who claimed that “the children were forced to perform farm labor and were not permitted inside the residence.” It’s unclear who called local authorities for the wellness check.
Judge Revokes Couple’s Bond For THIS Reason
Donald and Jeanne face multiple charges related to human trafficking of a minor child, use of a minor child in forced labor, and child neglect with risk of bodily injury or death. Despite evidence and eyewitness accounts, the West Virginia couple pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Authorities kept them locked up at the South Central Regional Jail. Their original bond was set at $200,000 each. They paid it in February after the sale of an 80-acre ranch in Washington for $725,000.
However, Kanawha County prosecutors argued in court that the money for their cash bonds was “contraband directly or indirectly used or intended for use” of violating human trafficking laws.
Earlier this month, Kanawha County Circuit Judge Maryclaire Akers found merit in the prosecutors’ arguments. Akers revoked their bond, calling it insufficient, and raised it to $500,000 each.
Meanwhile, the Kanawha County Circuit Court Clerk’s office is holding on to the money the West Virginia couple paid in February. Judge Akers believes the money should be placed in a trust for the minor victims in the case.
“[The indictment] alleges human trafficking, human rights violations, the use of forced labor,” Judge Akers said. “Human rights violations specific to the fact that these children were targeted because of their race and they were used basically as slaves from what the indictment alleges.”
The West Virginia couple are due back in court on September 9 for their trial.
