Guilty verdict in Sissonville abuse case reveals systemic problems, especially for Black children

A photo of the structure in the Lantz and Whitefeather’s backyard. The two oldest children were confined to the room behind the red door. Credit: Rafael Barker/WV Watch

A Kanawha County Circuit Court jury found Donald Ray Lantz and Jeanne Kay Whitefeather guilty on 31 of 35 counts concerning their treatment of four of their five adopted Black children. 

The verdict was delivered January 29 after an 8 hours of jury deliberation, concluding a trial that spanned twelve days. 

Whitefeather was convicted of all 19 counts filed against her, including four counts each of trafficking a minor to engage in forced labor, civil rights violations, and gross child neglect. Lantz was convicted on 12 of 16 counts. 

Whitefeather (62) and Lantz (61), who are white, adopted five biological siblings in Minnesota in 2017. The family moved from rural Washington to Sissonville, W.Va. in May of 2023. On October 2 of that year, the children were removed from the custody of their adoptive parents by Kanawha County deputies due to what were described as “deplorable” conditions. 

The two oldest children, a girl and a boy, spent their days standing up inside a small shed-like structure with a concrete floor and plywood walls. Video footage showed the boy standing with his hands held behind his head for hours at a time. At night, they slept in the shed on makeshift beds or the floor. 

Neighbors made several calls to CPS in the six months prior to the law enforcement intervention, testifying that the children performed work they believed inappropriate for their ages, including mowing and carrying propane tanks. They also observed the four oldest children standing in a line for extended periods of time outside.

Neighbors said they never saw the kids play. 

“Keeping Black children – any children – in what are essentially antebellum slavery conditions in West VIrginia or anywhere else is unacceptable,” said Del. Hollis Lewis (D-Kanawha), who represents West Virginia’s 57th district. 

Lewis said that while he is relieved that Lantz and Whitefeather will be punished for their crimes, policymakers should work to address systemic gaps in the CPS system.

Lantz and Whitefeather had been under investigation from Child Protective Services (CPS) in Washington state before moving to Sissonville. Lewis said that investigation should have been on the radar of officials in West Virginia. 

“We don’t want West Virginia to be a haven for people fleeing CPS charges in other states,” he said. 

Lewis also believes there should be a better system in place to provide Black children support from other family members if they are removed from their parent’s custody by CPS.  

As previous Black By God reporting shows, 53% of Black children are investigated by Child Protective Services (CPS) over the course of their childhood, due in part to systemic racism that puts Black children at increased risk of separation from their families. 

Additionally, a 2022 study showed that about 10% of Black children wind up in the foster care system, double the rate of white children. 

Courage of children’s testimony made a difference

In his closing argument, assistant prosecuting attorney Chris Krivonyak said the testimony of three of Lantz and Whitefeather’s adoptive children were vital to the prosecution’s case. 

“The courage they showed in standing up for themselves was a big deal in this trial,” he said. 

Among the children who testified was the oldest, a girl adopted by Lantz and Whitefeather who turned 18 in December 2024.

During her two hours on the witness stand, the girl described horrifying conditions, including that she and her siblings were not able to bathe or change clothes for weeks at a time. They were also served rancid and spoiled food, including peanut butter sandwiches with bugs and household debris mixed in with the peanut butter, she said.

She also testified that she had no access to menstrual supplies, making do with paper towels and toilet paper she stuffed into her bra during highway rest stop visits. 

When asked on the witness stand about her testimony, the girl said that she was not afraid to speak up “because I know I don’t have to go back to that.” 

While the courage and grace of these children show their resilience, the child welfare system needs to do better, said Del. Lewis. “There should be a process that ensures children aren’t ever put in these conditions,” he said.