A 31-year-old man named Austin Hendrick has been charged with child abuse without injury after a 15-month-old baby under his care was discovered in a ditch with insect bites. The incident occurred on October 4, 2025, when a concerned citizen alerted the police about the child’s situation along a road. Upon arrival, law enforcement found the child being held by a truck driver, who reported that the baby appeared healthy but had insect bites, a full diaper, and a rash. The child was then taken to a nearby hospital for assessment.
Shortly after, another individual contacted the authorities to inform them that Hendrick had called them, claiming to be searching for a missing child he had been looking after. During questioning, Hendrick stated that he suspected someone had taken the child from his residence, located approximately a mile and a half away from where the baby was found. He mentioned leaving briefly to feed his dogs, returning to find the front door open and the child gone.
The incident transpired on South Marian Road in rural Adams County near Hastings, a city about 110 miles southwest of Lincoln, US. Authorities have refrained from disclosing any details about the child involved for privacy reasons.
In a separate case, Jeanne Kay Whitefeather and her husband Donald Lantz were sentenced for subjecting their adopted children to severe mistreatment, including making them stand for extended periods and sleep on concrete floors. Whitefeather received a prison term of up to 215 years, while Lantz was sentenced to a maximum of 60 years following a jury’s guilty verdict on charges of forced labor, human trafficking, and child abuse and neglect.
Whitefeather was also convicted of civil rights violations based on race. The couple blamed their real estate agent during sentencing, claiming they needed a more isolated location to continue their abusive behavior. The judge, Maryclaire Akers, condemned their actions, stating that they had turned West Virginia into a “hell” for the children. The judge pronounced a harsh sentence on the defendants, emphasizing that the court would not show them mercy.