A 31-year-old man named Austin Hendrick has been arrested and charged with child abuse without injury after a 15-month-old baby in 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. Upon arrival at the scene, an officer found the child, who appeared to be in good health but had bites, a soiled diaper, and a rash. The child was then taken to a nearby hospital for evaluation.
Shortly after, another witness reported receiving a call from Hendrick claiming he was searching for the missing child he had been babysitting. Hendrick later told investigators that he believed someone had taken the child from his home, located about a mile and a half away from where she was found. He mentioned that he had briefly left to feed his dogs and returned to find the front door open and the child gone.
The incident took place on South Marian Road in rural Adams County, just outside Hastings, a city approximately 110 miles southwest of Lincoln, US. Authorities have not disclosed any information about the child’s identity for privacy reasons.
In a separate case, Jeanne Kay Whitefeather and her husband Donald Lantz were sentenced for subjecting their adopted children to severe abuse. The couple locked the children in their rooms, forced some to sleep on concrete floors, and made them stand for extended periods with their hands raised. Whitefeather received a prison term of up to 215 years, while Lantz was sentenced to up to 60 years after being found guilty of forced labor, human trafficking, and child abuse and neglect by a Kanawha County jury earlier in the year.
Moreover, Whitefeather was convicted of civil rights violations based on race. The judge, during sentencing, highlighted the couple’s lack of remorse and accountability for their actions, emphasizing the extreme nature of their abusive behavior towards the children. The judge concluded the sentencing by condemning the couple’s actions and expressing hope for justice to prevail.