Three members of America's 'most inbred family missing' as surviving members lash out at public
Three members of America's 'most inbred family' are reportedly no longer in the family home.
The Whittaker family shot to viral fame when a documentary about their life was posted on YouTube five years ago.
Photographer Mark Laita featured the West Virginia household on his channel, Soft White Underbelly, highlighting their intellectual and physical disabilities.
Their history of inbreeding is said to date back over a century to identical twin brothers, Henry and John Whittaker, whose children married each other, starting a cycle of close-relative marriages.
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Consanguineous marriage is known cause disabilities in some family members, as Laita called it 'one of the most disturbing interviews I’ve ever done'.
As reported by the Daily Mail, relatives revealed that state officials have removed Ray Whittaker, 72; his sister Lorene, 79; and her son Timmy, 46, from their Odd home.
Betty, 73, and Larry, 69, claimed to the outlet that they were removed without explanation.
“They said they were helping them, and they couldn’t live here no more,” Betty said.
“I miss them a lot, I raised them.”
Meanwhile, Larry said they were not told where the three were taken.
“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 said.
“They won’t tell us where they at.”
The West Virginia’s Department of Human Services told the Mail that although they were 'aware of the situation', they couldn't provide any extra information due to confidentiality laws.
They reportedly refused to comment due to the 'ongoing nature of the matter'.
Larry said their viral video is what led to state intervention.
“People out there making money off them [the videos], and they don’t like it,” he said.
“They told us don’t talk to nobody. They watching.”
The family appear to live in squalor conditions, as the Mail said when they visited their sparsely decorated home, it still had a March calendar while the TV was blaring out a film.
Outside, the rundown property was cluttered with trash, old household items and a broken chicken coop.
Halloween skeletons and ornaments like Christmas angels were also seen on the porch, where the family-of-five would often sit.
“They said they were helping them, and they couldn’t live here no more,” Betty added.
“I miss them a lot, I raised them.”
LADbible Group has contacted West Virginia’s Department of Human Services for comment.
Anish Vij