Man ‘haunted’ by one detail from ‘America’s most inbred family’ returned 22 years later
A filmmaker returned to visit ‘America’s most inbred family’ over two decades later, despite being 'haunted' by one specific aspect of his last trip.
Living in the rural community of Odd, West Virginia, are the Whittakers, who have often been dubbed the most 'inbred' family in the US. The family consisted of members Betty, Larry, Ray, Lorene and Timmy Whittaker, several of whom displayed intellectual and physical disabilities.
It's widely claimed the family's disabilities are the product of inbreeding dating back over a century, with identical twin brothers, Henry and John Whittaker, marrying their children to each other.
The family's existence first became known to the wider world when photographer and documentary maker Mark Laita photographed several members in 2002, later returning to document their lives for his Soft White Underbelly YouTube channel.
Advert
Originally filming the family in 2020, Laita has since visited the Whittakers a number of times over the years, with his most recent videos of the family taking place in 2024.
The family lived in poverty, residing in a rundown cabin where several members shared a single bed, with only one person claiming to have graduated from high school.
Laita has also revealed that it is hard to communicate with the family, who mostly express themselves through grunts and broken language. Despite difficulties in communication, Laita was able to ask the family some questions about their family, childhoods and where other surviving relatives live.
Since his initial video, interest in the Whittakers has exploded, with follow-ups seeing Laita take the family to visit a nearby supermarket, go to a state fair and get haircuts.
The filmmaker also started a GoFundMe to support the family, raising a total of $35,000 (£27,800), with funds used to fit a new kitchen, purchase a truck and get a coal heater for the winter.
Filmmaker 'haunted' by specific memory of visiting the Whittaker family
With his videos of the Whittakers going viral, Laita has given numerous interviews about his experience with the family, revealing one specific part of his first visit which will stick with him forever.
Comparing his first encounter with the family to a scene from 1972 film Deliverance, Laita told Koncrete Klips podcast that he'd experienced people 'barking' at him during the first encounter.
"We came around to this road, which turns into a country road, which turns into a dirt road," he recalled.
"Then we come to this trailer and then a little shack on the other side of the road. And there's these people walking around and their eyes are going in different directions and they are barking at us
"One guy, you would look him in the eye or say anything and he would just scream and go running away, and his pants would fall around his ankles, and he would go running off and go and kick a garbage can. And this would happen over and over. It was out of control - the craziest thing I have ever seen."
Viewers urged not to seek out the Whittaker family
While Laita's documentation of the Whittakers has naturally led to curiosity about the family, the filmmaker urges against people tracking them down.
In a disclaimer for his original video, which has since gained over 47 million views, Laita reveals that he was threatened by an 'angry' shotgun-wielding neighbour who insisted he leave the family alone.
"I strongly discourage anyone attempting to look for the Whittakers as their armed neighbours and the Raleigh County deputies both make it clear that curious visitors are not welcome," he added.
Brenna Cooper