Foster Mother in Missouri Hit With Severe Abuse Allegations

A 70-year-old Missouri foster mother who has cared for over 200 children faces serious abuse charges, with authorities investigating allegations that she traded a girl for an exotic monkey.

Key Takeaways

Brenda Ruth Deutsch from Winfield, Missouri is facing charges of child abuse, neglect, and endangerment.
The teenager reported severe physical abuse including beatings with paddles and wooden trim, along with deprivation of food and clothing, but she says initially she was ignored when she spoke up about the abuse.
Authorities discovered the case after investigating excessive school absences, finding the girl living in unsanitary conditions in Texas where she was left alone to care for exotic animals.
Police are also investigating claims that the teen girl was traded for an exotic monkey.
Despite over 200 hotline calls regarding foster children in Deutsch’s home over the years, no police reports were forwarded to prosecutors, raising concerns about potential systemic failures in child protective services.

Charges Against Foster Mother

Brenda Ruth Deutsch, a 70-year-old foster mother from Winfield, Missouri, is being held on a $250,000 cash-only bond following her arrest on charges of child abuse, neglect, and endangerment. The shocking case emerged after a missing teenager was located in Texas, where she was allegedly sent to live with minimal supervision in January. Authorities began investigating after the Winfield School District reported concerning absences in February.

The investigation revealed that despite fostering over 200 children during a 15-20 year period, Deutsch’s home had been the subject of approximately 200 hotline calls regarding foster children. Yet, it’s reported that no police reports were ever forwarded to the prosecuting attorney’s office, raising serious questions about oversight within the child welfare system.

A Missouri foster mother, who had fostered children for decades, is facing child abuse charges after someone reported that she had traded an adopted daughter to someone in Texas for a monkey. https://t.co/rNinAi9xtA

— FOX4 News Kansas City (@fox4kc) April 10, 2025

Disturbing Allegations of Abuse and Neglect

Court records reveal that the teenage girl reported extensive physical abuse, including being beaten with a paddle, wooden trim, and shoes. She also reported being deprived of clothes and food as punishment. The child said she attempted to speak up about her situation previously, but no one believed her. When authorities eventually located her in Texas, they found she was living in unsanitary conditions without proper supervision and was being forced to care for exotic animals.

Investigators discovered that Deutsch and the Texas resident knew each other through a shared interest in exotic animals. Allegations have also surfaced that Deutsch traded the teen for an exotic monkey, and authorities are currently investigating the claims. According to witnesses, after Deutsch asked her Texas friend to take the child, the friend suggested sending a monkey in exchange. Authorities have confirmed finding several monkeys at Deutsch’s Missouri home, and at least two witnesses claimed a monkey was transported back to Missouri after the child was delivered to Texas.

“This has to be the potential to be an egregious human trafficking case, Or, at bare minimum, it certainly is a very disheartening and disturbing abuse and neglect case,” Lincoln County Prosecutor Mike Wood said of the case.

Broader Investigation Underway

Lincoln County prosecutors are investigating whether this case constitutes human trafficking. Texas Child Protective Services has since removed the teenager from the Texas home, and she has been returned to Missouri. Additionally, a teenage boy who was also in Deutsch’s care has been taken into protective custody. Authorities are now looking into Deutsch’s history with other foster children over the past decade, as more individuals with similar allegations have begun coming forward.

The Missouri Department of Social Services has emphasized that information related to child abuse investigations is confidential under state law, but they encourage anyone with information about suspected abuse to report it. Prosecutor Mike Wood has also urged victims and witnesses to contact his office or investigators as the case unfolds. The investigation is expected to be lengthy, with additional charges anticipated as authorities examine the full extent of the alleged abuse and the potential systemic failures that allowed it to continue for so long.