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Enthusiasts of the Whittaker family have been left with numerous questions and worries after the mobile home of the reputedly most inbred family in America was destroyed by fire.
The Whittaker family claimed they now have to live in confined and cluttered conditions on their property in West Virginia, yet some are skeptical about their unfortunate story.
Mark Laita, a photographer who initially brought attention to the family through a documentary, posted a YouTube video in December discussing the incident with family members.
The filmmaker captured harrowing scenes of some family members speaking in grunts and with thick accents, as they’re said to suffer from mental and physical disabilities.
Laita spoke with BJ, who is the daughter of the patriarch Larry Whittaker, and she relived the moment she watched the mobile home burn.
She said in the video that she was in the kitchen cooking when she looked out the window and suddenly saw flames bursting from the RV.
A family member tried to open the door and stop the tragedy, but was blown back by the flames, BJ said.
The family’s sad update amassed 1.4 million views on YouTube, as invested fans flocked to ensure that the close-knit Odd, West Virginia, residents were OK.
However, the story was also met with raised eyebrows after some family members admitted to lying for donations in March of last year.
In a video posted around that time, Laita threatened to sever ties with the Whittakers after BJ admitted that she had lied about Larry dying so she could pocket cash given out for funeral costs.
She admitted to Laita that she made up the sick story to take his $1,000, turning some betrayed fans against the family.
Now, conspiracies are ringing out from some viewers who are apprehensive about contributing to Laita’s latest GoFundMe to bankroll a new mobile home.
“All that GoFundMe money better not even go to any family member,” one person commented on Laita’s video.
“Give it directly to a clean up crew and you purchase a new trailer for them.”
Another person said, “There is something shady about this fire,” and a different viewer commented that the funds were just “a band-aid on a bullet wound.”
Other viewers were struck by Ray’s strange behavior. Ray is Larry’s brother, and he’s nonverbal and only speaks in grunts.
Who are the Whittakers?
A PHOTOGRAPHER has claimed that he uncovered one of the most inbred families in America.
He said it all started when a pair of siblings, John and Gracie Whittaker, had 15 children.
The names of the kids include:
- Aileen Violet
- Emory Lee
- Barbra Ellen
- Nannie Lou
- Connie Jean
- Freddy Lee
- Lorene Sue
- Mary Madeline
- John Wade
- Betty Ann
- Danny Ray
- Larry Eugene
- Kenneth Waye
- Judy Kay
- Michael Steven
At one point during the video, when BJ was explaining how the mobile home burned down, Ray suddenly started making noises and pointing in the distance.
“If Ray could talk, he’d tell on them all,” wrote one fan.
“His pointing says a lot already.”
Another person said, “If Ray could talk, boy you can tell he’d be spilling all the beans.
“That man is always nearby, always listening. He knows everything!”
Laita didn’t appear bothered by the behavior, however, and walked over to tell Ray that he looked good.
According to Laita, 100% of the proceeds from his GoFundMe will go straight to companies that will “be clearing the debris and positioning the new mobile home, not the family.”
The photographer joked that any leftover funds would be “spent on a night at a nearby strip club for Ray and Timmy.”
The fundraiser was started in December and has amassed $7,750 of a $16,000 goal.
‘INBRED’ HISTORY
Through his conversations with various family members, Laita has uncovered the dark inbred history of the Whittakers.
He said it all began in 1897 when twin brothers Henry Whittaker and John Whittaker were born.
They got married and had children. John’s daughter Gracie then went on to marry Henry’s son John, and the pair had 15 children, according to the Daily Mail.
