The case of a North Carolina woman accused of murdering her two adopted children has raised disturbing questions about the failures in the child welfare system and the devastating consequences of abuse.
This heart-wrenching saga sheds light on the grim reality that even in the supposed safety of a home, some children face unimaginable horrors at the hands of those entrusted with their care.
Blake and London Deven were two young children whose lives were tragically cut short. According to the authorities, the siblings, who were adopted by Avantae Deven, a 63-year-old North Carolina woman, had not been seen for years.
Investigators have now concluded that both Blake and London are deceased, their deaths allegedly the result of the abuse and neglect they endured under Deven’s care.
Avantae Deven was arrested on Wednesday, facing an array of charges, including first-degree murder, concealment of death, kidnapping, and child abuse. The evidence gathered by the Fayetteville police department paints a grim picture, with allegations of the children being subjected to starvation and other forms of abuse.
The timeline of events surrounding the disappearance and presumed deaths of Blake and London Deven is deeply unsettling.
London was last seen in 2019, but Deven, her adoptive mother, never reported her missing. Blake, on the other hand, was last seen in 2022, and Deven only reported him missing earlier this year, long after his disappearance.
Read: Florida Father Charged With Murder After Admitting To Kneeing ‘Fussy’ 6-Week-Old Baby
Partial human remains found during this investigation were forensically tested and were determined to belong to two people.
A private accredited lab confirmed one set of remains belongs to London Deven. Testing on the second set of human remains, believed to belong to Blake Deven, is ongoing.
Avantae Deven is charged with two counts of 1st Degree Murder, two counts of Concealment of Death, one count of Kidnapping related to London Deven’s death, and two counts of Felony Child Abuse related to Blake Deven’s death. Avantae Deven is being held at the Cumberland County Detention Center with no bond.
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