“May God have mercy on your souls, because this court will not”: slaveowners sentenced to centuries
A (white) married couple in West Virginia have been found guilty of forcing five black children, who they legally adopted, to work as slaves on their farm.
Jeanne Kay Whitefeather, 63, has been sentenced to 215 years in prison.
Her husband, Donald Lantz, 64, has been sentenced to 160 years.
“The court will now put you in yours. May God have mercy on your souls, because this court will not”, said Judge Maryclaire Akers.
The couple adopted the children from a shelter for homeless and vulnerable youths in Minnesota. They then moved from Minnesota to Washington, and from Washington to West Virginia.
On a welfare check in 2023, deputies saw Lantz lock up two children in a shed with no running water, bathroom, hygienic conditions, or food.
The girl later said they slept on the concrete floor. One child had open sores on his bare feet.
“I just want the court to know that I have made mistakes I am very sorry for that and I love my children and I have never, ever, done anything to my…children to harm them intentionally”, said Whitefeather during the sentencing.
But the oldest child retorted in an impact statement that the two are “monsters”.
The couple were charged with human trafficking, child neglect, forced labor, and other crimes. They will also pay $280,000 in restitution to each of the five children they victimized.
