A Ukrainian orphan who was accused by her former adoptive household of “masquerading” as a toddler desires to share her aspect of the story.
Natalia Grace was the topic of Investigation Discovery’s (ID) docuseries “The Curious Case of Natalia Grace,” which premiered in Could of this 12 months. Now she is coming ahead in a brand new six-part docuseries, “The Curious Case of Natalia Grace: Natalia Speaks,” the place she’ll try to clear her identify.
“In each lie is a hidden reality, however you’ve gotta dig sufficient to have the ability to see it,” Natalia stated within the sequence. “They’re not going to get away with this. That is my aspect of the story.”
“Do I appear to be a monster to you?” she added.
Ken Maxwell, the previous FBI agent who investigated Natalia’s case, advised Fox Information Digital that he isn’t shocked Natalia is talking out now.
“Natalia didn’t have a possibility to inform her total story, even on the witness stand,” Maxwell defined. “And naturally, she had the gag order looming over her from the start… It’s a pure evolution of occasions. The trial is over, and the gag order was lifted. That allowed her to have a platform. We have been very anxious, clearly, and really excited to listen to her aspect of the story.”
Michael Barnett and his then-wife, Kristine Barnett, adopted Natalia in April 2010. On the time, she was listed as 6 years previous. Six months later, the dad and mom allegedly started witnessing violent conduct and referred to as into query whether or not Natalia was a toddler or an grownup lady scamming the household. Natalia has a type of dwarfism referred to as spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia congenita.
In keeping with the docuseries, the couple alleged that Natalia hoarded knives in her room and positioned clear thumbtacks on the steps going through up in order that they’d step on them. Natalia was additionally accused of making an attempt to poison Kristine’s espresso with a cleansing resolution and dragging her towards an electrical fence.
“From the start, it was very weird,” Maxwell defined. “You will have this orphan from Ukraine who involves america, is adopted by a household after which accused of all types of weird conduct… After which this case acquired an incredible quantity of media consideration on a world scale… So proper from the start, we wished to probe additional.”
QUESTIONS FACE FAMILY THAT CLAIMED THEY ADOPTED ADULT ‘MASQUERADING’ AS 6-YEAR-OLD: LAWYER
Maxwell took a deep dive into Natalia’s past in Ukraine.
“There’s a file of a delivery, there are information from the orphanage, which we have been in a position to receive,” he stated. “However there have been nonetheless some unanswered questions when it comes to her whereabouts after she was born, which was allegedly in 2003, based on her Ukrainian delivery certificates. There was a plumbing or sewer accident on the hospital the place she was born that destroyed some information… Whether or not it was a coincidence or not, her file was lacking.”
“… You’re additionally coping with adoptions in Jap Europe,” he continued. “If you happen to simply Google adoption anomalies or fraud in Jap Europe, you’re most likely going to get a bit of bleary-eyed studying the previous incidences. I’m not saying all adoptions, I’m simply saying that it’s on file that there have been sure improprieties in adoptions from Jap Europe prior to now.”
Maxwell stated he and his group spoke to Natalia. She claimed she suffered trauma in Ukraine as a toddler, which impacted her reminiscence. She recalled an unknown man placing one thing over her face, inflicting her to move out.
The docuseries claimed that, following Natalia’s alleged conduct behind closed doorways, the Barnetts petitioned a court docket in 2012 to legally change her delivery 12 months from 2003 to 1989, which was granted. That modified her age from 8 years previous to 22. The household then moved to Canada with their organic youngsters. In keeping with stories, the couple’s eldest son was slated to start out school there.
DAD WHO CLAIMS HE ADOPTED VIOLENT ADULT ‘MASQUERADING’ AS 6-YEAR-OLD BREAKS DOWN OVER ‘ABUSE’
The Barnetts landed in sizzling water in 2013 when it was found that Natalia was residing alone in an apartment in Lafayette, Indiana, resulting in an investigation and their arrests. In 2019, the couple, who’ve since divorced, have been charged with neglect of a dependent.
Michael was in the end discovered not responsible by a jury in 2022, and Kristine had all of her fees dismissed this 12 months. Each dad and mom had beforehand claimed the costs have been bogus, saying Natalia was an grownup and never a uncared for baby.
The docuseries confirmed Natalia’s dental information from 2011. It appeared to point that she had 12 child enamel remaining, which might have made her between 6 and 9 years previous on the time. Her former dentist stated the outcomes have been “indeniable.”
The sequence additionally confirmed Natalia getting examined by TruDiagnostic, a lab that gives an at-home epigenetic take a look at to find out how previous somebody is “from a organic standpoint, on a mobile stage.” The docuseries confirmed that in August of this 12 months, Natalia was knowledgeable that she was “nearer to 22.”
Maxwell stated Natalia was first positioned in an condominium in the summertime of 2012 after her age was modified. Natalia stated she was deserted in a second-story condominium during which she was unable to navigate the steps. Natalia additionally claimed she was with out a walker or a wheelchair.
In court docket, Natalia testified that she discovered almost every thing about her life from a household that took her in. Whereas prosecutors stated she was “fully dependent” on the Barnetts, protection attorneys argued “she wished nothing to do with the Barnetts. She had moved on.”
The protection confirmed jurors movies of Natalia working throughout a avenue, strolling by a grocery retailer and clinging to the sting of a pool. They argued she was an able-bodied grownup who was now not inquisitive about being part of the household.
“The condominium supervisor I interviewed would’ve by no means issued a lease to a minor,” Maxwell stated.
In keeping with the particular, there have been some neighbors in Natalia’s condominium complicated who questioned her conduct.
Prosecutors couldn’t charge the Barnetts with neglect of a kid due to Natalia’s court-ordered age change, Folks journal reported.
The docuseries options sit-down conversations between Michael and Natalia. Kristine didn’t take part within the particular. In response to Fox Information Digital’s request for remark, Kristine forwarded a Fb publish from the Legislation Workplace of Mark Nicholson.
“… The reality is, typically persons are falsely accused of crimes, as on this case,” it learn partially. “Our shopper was harmless of the crimes charged. Sadly, some persons are upset as a result of we gained. The folks upset have watched a TV present, The Curious Case of Natalia Grace, and naively assume they know every thing there may be to know in regards to the case. They’ve had no half within the case… As a result of we cared in regards to the reality, we proved the information to the courts and the prosecutors, and the information pressured them to dismiss the prison fees and, finally, your entire case.”
One factor is definite for Maxwell – issues went unsuitable for Natalia proper from the beginning.
“She’s born as a bit of one who’s severely handicapped,” he stated. “Her delivery mom instantly signed custody to the social service authorities in Ukraine. She’s deserted on the hospital, proper after delivery. That’s traumatic sufficient for any baby, whether or not they have disabilities or not… Natalia remembers residing in a minimum of three or 4 totally different locations, though she will’t keep in mind all of the specifics. She believes she was residing with foster-type dad and mom for a bit, however then positioned again within the orphanage. She will get adopted by the primary household who introduced her over to america again in 2008. And so they had her for lower than a 12 months. They then start their efforts to have her readopted by a corporation [for little people].”
“After three attainable makes an attempt there to put Natalia with households of little folks, that fell by,” Maxwell continued. “After which finally the Barnetts took custody and adopted Natalia in 2010. So she wasn’t in anyone place for a protracted interval… And then you definately solely had one aspect of the story being set forth, that this was a monster, a homicidal monster… We all know from historical past and previous instances that in trauma-related adoptions, there are oftentimes incidents of adoptees appearing out, having all types of emotional or psychological challenges… It’s not unusual.”
Maxwell stated that whether or not Natalia acted out “in a weird style or not,” there was no query that she was “a really troubled younger one who had skilled great trauma.”
“It could not be uncommon in any respect for somebody like her to behave out in a fashion that, let’s assume, doesn’t conform with society’s greatest expectations,” Maxwell stated. “… I’m not making an attempt to overly defend Natalia. I’m simply saying you’ve received to think about all the probabilities right here.”
Natalia has vehemently denied the allegations made by the Barnetts.
Natalia has since been adopted by her new father, pastor Antwon Mans. They reside in Crawfordsville, Indiana. In 2019, the Mans household advised Dr. Phil that Natalia by no means exhibited any type of violent conduct towards them.
Maxwell admitted that Natalia’s case nonetheless has unanswered questions.
“Folks ought to think about the previous cliché of placing your self in another person’s sneakers,” Maxwell stated. “Let’s discuss sneakers. Natalia didn’t even have the suitable sneakers to stroll in. Think about the bodily struggling she went by and the medical requirements she wanted. She nonetheless must endure corrective surgical procedure. No matter whether or not you assume Natalia was some evil baby or not, she was nonetheless a toddler at one time.”
Unique article supply: Adopted girl accused of ‘masquerading’ as 6-year-old speaks out in new doc: ‘Do I look like a monster to you?’
At this time Information High Newsmaac
