KANAWHA COUNTY, W.Va. (WSAZ) – A Kanawha County couple convicted of human trafficking, child neglect, and forced labor has received the maximum prison sentence in a case that shocked West Virginia.
Jeanne Whitefeather was sentenced to 215 years, while her partner Donald Lantz received a 160-year sentence. Circuit Court Judge MaryClaire Akers delivered the harsh sentence with firm words:
“You brought these kids to West Virginia, a place I know as almost heaven, and put them in hell… May God have mercy on your souls, because this court will not.”
The case began in October 2023, when Kanawha County Sheriff’s deputies discovered several children living in horrifying conditions—locked in a sealed barn area in Sissonville. The children described years of mental and physical torture, including being isolated, abused, and forced to laugh at one another’s suffering.
Whitefeather was convicted on all 19 counts, including forced labor, civil rights violations, abuse, and gross neglect. Lantz was convicted of 16 counts, including human trafficking, though acquitted of four civil rights violations.
Each has been ordered to pay $280,000 in restitution to the victims.
Addressing the court through impact statements, the children referred to the couple as “monsters” and “abusers,” with one child declaring:
“I will be something amazing. I will be strong and beautiful. You will always be exactly what you are — horrible.”
Despite the convictions, both defendants offered statements expressing love for the children.
“I have never, ever, done anything to harm them intentionally,” said Whitefeather.
“Children, I do love you,” Lantz said.
Prosecutor Madison Tuck said the sentencing gave her hope:
“I felt happy that the system worked… It made me hopeful for the children and for West Virginia.”
Though Whitefeather will be eligible for parole in 49 years, and Lantz in 36, the court ensured their punishment matched the severity of the trauma inflicted.
Meanwhile, the children are now thriving in new homes, according to prosecutors, beginning to recover from the horrors they endured.
