A family known as the ‘most inbred’ in the United States has recently experienced a tragic turn of events after gaining viral recognition.
Residing in rural West Virginia, the Whittaker family became the focus of a YouTube documentary that explored their genetic history.
The family’s inbreeding history spans approximately a century, originating from a marriage between two sets of cousins, both of whom were descendants of identical twin brothers.
This union significantly concentrated the family’s genetics, resulting in many members experiencing disabilities.
Public interest in the family surged following a documentary series on the Soft White Underbelly YouTube channel. This series, created by Mark Laita, has amassed millions of views. Laita had been documenting the family’s lives since first encountering them in 2004, with the documentary being released in 2020.
However, the widespread attention has brought about unforeseen and unfortunate consequences for the Whittaker family.
The significant public scrutiny prompted intervention from state authorities.
In September, West Virginia’s adult protective services removed Ray Whittaker, 72; his sister Lorene, 79; and her son Timmy, 46, from their home in Odd, as reported by family members to the Daily Mail.
Unexpectedly, Ray and Lorene’s siblings Betty, 73, and Larry, 69, were left at home without any explanation.
Betty expressed, “They said they were helping them, and they couldn’t live here no more. I miss them a lot, I raised them.”
Larry mentioned that they were not informed of their relatives’ whereabouts.
“I’ve been staying at home, waiting on a phone call, but that’s all I know. They haven’t called or let me know nothing,” he explained.
“They won’t tell us where they at.”
Representatives from West Virginia’s Department of Human Services acknowledged their awareness of the situation but refrained from discussing specifics due to confidentiality regulations.
The family’s newfound fame attracted visitors to their home, located about 75 miles from Charleston, in attempts to capture photos and videos.
Larry speculated that the attention the family received might have influenced the decision by protective services to step in.
“People out there making money off them [the videos], and they don’t like it,” he noted, adding: “They told us don’t talk to nobody. They watching.”
This development follows Laita’s declaration that he had ended his involvement with the family after discovering they allegedly staged Larry Whittaker’s death.
A video clip captures Larry outside his home, discussing his purportedly faked death: “No, I just heard of it last night on a video.”
Laita revealed he had given Larry’s daughter BJ money to cover funeral costs, with BJ later admitting to the deception and expressing remorse.