Meet the Whittakers - the most inbred family in the United States
The Whittakers are arguably one of America's most inbred families. They came into the spotlight after the American photographer Mark Laita shared about them in his book, Created Equal, and YouTube documentaries. This article explains how the life of the Whittaker family has transformed ever since their story went public.
Source: UGC
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Key takeaways
- What is the story behind the Whittaker family?
- How many Whittakers are there?
- Where does the Whittaker family reside?
- What condition does the Whittaker family have?
- The Whittaker's inbred family tree
- How are all the Whittakers related?
- The Whittaker GoFundMe campaign
- How much money was raised for the Whittaker family?
- The Whittakers: the most inbred family movie
- Where is the Whittaker family now?
- Is the Whittaker family still inbreeding?
- Who is the most isolated family in the United States?
Key takeaways
- Mark Laita's documentaries about the Whittaker family from West Virginia have drawn the world's attention to their unique circumstances.
- The surviving Whittaker family members are siblings Betty, Lorraine, Ray, and their cousin Timmy.
- The Whittaker family members, who only communicate via grunts and squawks, suffer from non-verbal, level-three autism.
What is the story behind the Whittaker family?
Mark Laita visited the Whittaker family in West Virginia for the first time in 2004. He was researching poverty levels in the area for his book Created Equal, which he published in 2009. So who are the Whittakers, the most inbred non-royal family, and where are they now?
How many Whittakers are there?
The surviving Whittaker family members are siblings Betty, Lorraine, Ray, and their cousin Timmy. The four are close to Larry and Kenneth, who are part of their extended family.
In some of Mark Laita's documentaries, Betty, Larry, and Kenneth say the entire Whittaker family comprises 15 siblings whose grandparents were not closely related.
Where does the Whittaker family reside?
The family reside in the rural mountain town of Odd, West Virginia.
Source: UGC
Residents in the Whittaker neighborhood rejected Laita's initial visit in 2004 because they didn't like people visiting the area to mock the family. One even threatened the production team with a shotgun if they didn't leave.
As a result, the photographer had to be escorted by a police officer to meet the family. Mark Laita and the Whittakers spent extensive time together after he won the trust of the neighbors.
Eventually, the Whittaker family's neighbors allowed him to take photos and videos. Mark shared his first Whittakers' documentary, Inbred Family - The Whittakers, on his YouTube channel.
At the beginning of his documentary about the Whittaker family's inbred story, Laita put a disclaimer to caution people not to visit the family's neighborhood uninvited. The photographer said;
I first photographed the Whittaker family for my first book, "Created Equal," in 2004. That visit was interrupted by an angry neighbor with a short gun who threatened to use it if I didn't leave the Whittaker alone. After explaining what I was doing, he calmed down and allowed me to photograph the Whittaker family… I strongly discourage anyone attempting to look for the Whittakers, as their armed neighbors and the Raleigh County deputies both make it clear that curious visitors are not welcome.
Source: UGC
It is evident from Laita's videos and photos that Whittakers have different mental, physical, and communication anomalies. For instance, their eyes do not face forward.
What condition does the Whittaker family have?
The Whittaker family members, who only communicate via grunts and squawks, suffer from non-verbal, level-three autism. They understand what someone is talking about and start yelling if they don't like it.
Mark Laita noted that the family has a long and complicated inbreeding history. In his first YouTube video with the Whittakers, he can be heard saying,
There is no way I would be able to confirm that the Whittaker parents were related, but given that this does happen in this part of the country and the Whittakers are the most extreme case I’ve seen so far… I would bet that inbreeding was at least partly responsible for the mental and physical abnormalities seen in Lorraine, Freddie, Ray, and Timmy.
The Whittaker's inbred family tree
The secretive nature of this Appalachian family makes it hard for people to dig deep into their lineage. All the public knows is that the parents of the four siblings (Betty, Lorraine, Freddie (late), and Ray) are dead.
Their father, John Whittaker, was a coal miner, while their mother, Gracie, was a homemaker. Freddie and John died of a heart attack, and Gracie succumbed to cancer.
Source: UGC
How are all the Whittakers related?
In Laita's follow-up YouTube video, Betty confirmed that she and her siblings are double first cousins with Timmy — meaning they share both sets of grandparents.
Their two other brothers, Kenneth and Larry, are well-spoken and live nearby. Moreover, Larry has a daughter named after her aunt, Betty, and Timmy is among the few members of the Whittaker family tree who graduated from high school.
Several Appalachian commentators have different views regarding the Whittaker family tree and the possible causes of their physical challenges and abnormalities.
Mark Laita offered the Whittakers food and money during his initial visit. The photographer has kept in touch and visited them ever since. Mark Laita and the Whittakers had an impromptu reunion in 2022.
Source: UGC
The Whittaker GoFundMe campaign
The American photographer set up a GoFundMe in 2021 to help the Whittaker clan with living expenses and home improvements.
They lived in deplorable conditions, and there was a high probability of earning a low to average income yearly in southwestern West Virginia. In addition, some cannot work due to physical and mental impairments.
How much money was raised for the Whittaker family?
Although the fundraising targeted $75,000, they raised around $50,000. The family used part of the money on medical expenses for Lorraine and Timmy's heart attacks in 2020 and 2021.
More recently, Laita reported that the family had, he believed, been scamming him: They had been receiving payments from the state, and money Laita had personally donated didn't seem to have been spent for agreed-upon purposes.
Most shocking of all, Laita alleged that the Whittakers had faked the death of one of their members, nonverbal brother Larry to raise funds for a funeral. Larry was later filmed alive and well after his alleged death. Allegedly, the scam was the work of Larry's daughter, BJ, who apologized to Laita and acknowledged issues with drug use.
The Whittakers: the most inbred family movie
Mark Laita's latest documentary, The Whittakers-Spring 2022, is available on his YouTube channel. The video reveals how GoFundMe has enabled them to own a car, refrigerator, bed, and other home amenities.
Ray is seen taking Laita on a tour around their newly renovated home in the Whittakers’ documentary. He even showed the photographer a dent in their new truck that a deer had caused.
The Whittakers: the most inbred family Netflix documentary
The Whittaker family doesn't have a Netflix documentary based on them.
Where is the Whittaker family now?
The family resides in Odd Town in rural West Virginia, USA.
Source: UGC
Is the Whittaker family still inbreeding?
It's unlikely the family's history of inbreeding continues with the direct line that gained public attention, as the parents of siblings Lorraine and Ray, Gracie and John, were first cousins. However, no confirmed reports state that the siblings are still inbreeding.
Who is the most isolated family in the United States?
The Whittaker family is widely regarded as one of the most isolated families in the United States due to generations of extreme poverty, lack of basic amenities like running water and electricity, and geographical isolation.
The Whittakers are surrounded by caring neighbors and local authorities who protect them from outsiders who want to bully and exploit them. Anyone who desires to interview them must seek approval from the local government and the Whittakers' neighbors.
Legit.ng recently published an interesting piece about short celebrities. While Hollywood has always been associated with tall male actors, height is no longer a factor in the industry. However, popular culture has emphasised the importance of being tall, naming many tall celebrities among the most attractive in the world.
Regardless, being short has not stopped these short celebrities from achieving greatness. Some of the big names in the industry are short and have not let height stop them from achieving success in the scene. They prove that what matters in life is how well you utilise your talents and how hard you are willing to work to achieve greater heights.
Source: Legit.ng
Brian Oroo (Lifestyle writer) Brian has worked as a writer at Legit.ng since 2021. He specialises in lifestyle, celebrity, and news content. He won the Writer of the Year Award at Legit in both 2023 and 2024. Brian holds a BSc in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), earned in 2021. He completed the AFP course on Digital Investigation Techniques in 2023 and the Google News Initiative course in 2024. His email is brianoroo533@gmail.com
Peris Walubengo (Lifestyle writer) Peris Walubengo has vast experience in search engine optimization through digital content generation, research, editing, and proofreading. She joined Legit.ng in April 2022 and completed the AFP course on Digital Investigation Techniques. You can email her at perisrodah254@gmail.com.
