“Missouri Woman Investigated for Allegedly Trading Foster Child for Monkey”
A 70-year-old woman from Lincoln County, Brenda Ruth Deutsch, is facing investigation over accusations of trading her foster child for an exotic monkey. Deutsch has been arrested on three felony charges of neglect, child abuse, and endangering a child after a missing child case led authorities to locate the child in Texas, according to Lincoln County Prosecutor Mike Wood.
Wood mentioned that Deutsch, who has fostered over 200 children in her lifetime, is also under scrutiny for allegedly exchanging the child for a monkey. A witness reported that they were asked to take the child to Texas and bring back a monkey in return. Further investigations are ongoing to verify the credibility of this claim.
Deutsch is accused of physically assaulting the child between September 2022 and January, resulting in injuries. The court documents reveal that Deutsch used various objects and methods to abuse the teenager, including giving away her clothes as punishment. The teenager was reportedly placed in an unsanitary house in Texas without proper supervision, leading child protective services to remove her from the home.
Authorities are collaborating with Texas officials to investigate potential child trafficking allegations linked to Deutsch. Wood stated that the investigation will likely span over a decade due to numerous abuse allegations. He anticipates more charges to follow as the investigation progresses and encourages anyone with information to come forward.
Deutsch’s bond has been set at $250,000 as the investigation continues.
