The word inbreeding is enough to gross anyone out. But what if we told you that there is actually a family that practices it? They are named the Whittaker family. The Whittakers live in Odd, West Virginia, and are very popular in the region for their unusual way of living.
There is not a lot of information about this family because of the protection they receive from their neighbors and local officials. But let’s try and find out as much as we can about this family that actually is involved in inbreeding.
Related: How A Woman Solved Her Own Murder: The Extraordinary Story Of Teresita Basa
Who Are The Whitaker Family Members?
The Whitaker family is probably the most popular inbred family in the United States of America. They live in Odd, West Virginia where they live a pretty secluded life in a shack.
In 2004, the family came to the spotlight after a photographer named Mark Laita took their pictures for his book, ‘Created Equal’. In 2020, he again visited the family and video-recorded everything. The video quickly went viral on the internet. Titled ‘Inbred Family – The Whittakers’, the video was posted on YouTube where it garnered more than 30 million views. It showed them living in the Appalachian region of West Virginia. They lived with their dogs and clearly looked unusual; one of the members kept barking at Mark like a dog.
Reports state that they are of British descent and initially had members like Ray, Lorraine, Timmy, Freddie, and an unnamed sister who passed away due to cardiac arrest.
In case you missed: What Is The 2017 Delphi Murder Case?
The Inbreeding Horrors
The Whittakers have been practicing inbreeding for a while and a study revealed that their parents were cousins and not siblings. Most of them have visible physical and mental abnormalities as a result of inbreeding.
None of them can speak properly and some of them communicate through barks and grunts. Most of them have not had formal education. Neighbors and local officials protect them from people coming to photograph them.
“They are kind of protected by the neighbors and the relatives don’t like these people coming to ridicule them,” Laita said in an interview. The family has been struggling to make ends meet.
You might also like to read:
