Three members of a West Virginia family that became known online through a viral documentary have been removed from their home. The relatives left behind say nobody has told them where their loved ones were taken.
The three are Ray Whittaker, 72, his sister Lorene, 79, and her son Timmy, 46. They lived in Odd, a community about 77 miles south of Charleston. The family has long attracted attention online. Many of its members live with serious disabilities and health problems, and some can communicate only in grunts.
Taken without explanation
Betty, 73, and Larry, 69, relatives who also live in the family home, told the Daily Mail they were bewildered when the three were taken. "They said they were helping them, and they couldn’t live here no more," Betty said. "I miss them a lot, I raised them."
Larry said no one has told them where Ray, Lorene and Timmy are now. "I’ve been staying at home, waiting on a phone call, but that’s all I know," he said. "They won’t tell us where they at."
West Virginia’s Department of Human Services confirmed it knew about the situation but would not give details, citing confidentiality rules and the "ongoing nature of the matter."
How the family became known
The Whittakers became widely recognised about five years ago, when a documentary about their lives took off on YouTube. It was made by Mark Laita for his channel, Soft White Underbelly. According to the account, the family’s history of close intermarriage began when the children of identical twin brothers Henry and John married and had children of their own. Over generations, many of those children developed serious disabilities.
Laita has said it was hard to communicate with the family when he first met them. It took him 16 years to earn their trust, because neighbours fiercely protect the family. The result was the 2020 film Inbred Family – The Whittakers.
A family under pressure
Larry said adult protective services warned him against sharing too much information. He also said the attention has worn the family down. "It’s a lot going on, people calling round, we just got tired of it. That’s why I don’t go out, I don’t talk to nobody," he said.
Betty said the removal came shortly after a protective order she had filed against Larry’s daughter, Betty Jo "BJ" Whittaker Rocha, 47, was dropped. In a video posted to the family’s YouTube channel on August 27, Betty claimed BJ was "always being on drugs" and had attacked her, Larry and Timmy. The case was dismissed on September 4.
Several weeks later, court documents show, BJ was charged with a felony over fraudulent schemes, accused of selling stolen copper wire to a local recycling facility.
Where things stand
For now, Betty and Larry are waiting at home for news. Officials have said little beyond confirming they are aware of the case, and the whereabouts of Ray, Lorene and Timmy have not been shared with the relatives who raised them.
Image credit: Youtube
Source: Daily Express US
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