What Happened to Timmy Whittaker? APS Removal, Case, and Whereabouts

Timmy Whittaker, a 46-year-old member of the Whittaker family of Odd, West Virginia, was removed from the family property in September 2025 by West Virginia’s Adult Protective Services and placed into state care along with his mother Lorene and his uncle Ray. As of mid-2026, the three remain at an undisclosed location, and the state has refused to tell their relatives where they are, citing confidentiality laws.¹

Who Timmy Is

Timmy was born in 1979 to Lorene Whittaker. According to The Mirror, he was the product of sexual abuse by an unidentified man; no criminal case from the assault has been publicly reported. He is the only member of the Whittaker family to have graduated from high school.²

He lived on the family’s homestead in Odd, a Raleigh County community of roughly 779 people. The property consisted of a four-room dwelling with a metal extension, three trailers, and an outhouse.³ The family became widely known after photographer Mark Laita featured them in his YouTube series “Soft White Underbelly,” and the viral exposure drew a steady stream of curiosity seekers and content creators to the property.⁴

The September 2025 Removal

West Virginia’s Department of Human Services, acting through Adult Protective Services, removed Timmy, Lorene, and Ray from the Odd property in September 2025 and moved them into alternative housing. The agency confirmed to reporters that it was “aware of the situation” but declined to share specifics, citing mandatory confidentiality laws.¹

Betty and Larry Whittaker, who remain on the family property, said authorities told them the three were being “helped” and “couldn’t live here no more.” Larry said APS instructed the family not to discuss the matter publicly and never told them where their relatives had been taken. “They haven’t called or let me know nothing,” he told reporters. “They won’t tell us where they at.”³

Why the State Stepped In

The removal followed months of alleged exploitation. In June 2025, two men — John “Patrick” Roark, 47, of Odd, and Lawrence “Eric” Carroll, 41, of Georgia — created what they described as “official” Whittaker social media pages. They set up subscription tiers of up to $9.99 per month, listed the family on the celebrity video platform Cameo at $50 per fan request and $400 per business request, and collected donations through Roark’s personal Venmo, Cash App, and PayPal accounts.⁵

The family said more than $100,000 in cash donations intended for them never arrived. “They didn’t do it, they took the goddamn money and left,” Larry Whittaker told the New York Post.⁵ West Virginia State Police opened a formal investigation in September 2025, the same month Timmy was removed, at the request of Raleigh County Prosecuting Attorney Tom Truman.⁶

The Criminal Case Tied to Timmy

On January 16, 2026, Roark was arrested and charged with eleven felony counts: five counts of financial exploitation of an incapacitated person, five counts of fraudulent schemes, and one count of fraudulent use of an access device. The criminal complaint alleged that between May and September 2025, Roark collected donations exceeding $10,000 intended for the Whittakers and kept the funds. Investigators noted that Timmy and Ray are nonverbal and have disabilities that would have prevented them from consenting to being recorded.⁷ Phone records cited in the complaint reportedly captured Roark saying he “only wanted to make money” from the videos.⁶

Roark was held at the Southern Regional Jail on $150,000 bond. He denied wrongdoing, called the investigation a “witch hunt,” and said he never received YouTube donation money, alleging the funds sat in accounts controlled by Carroll. Carroll denied soliciting donations, said he was cooperating with police, and claimed he was holding revenue until a formal trust could be set up for the family, while alleging that much of the money had flowed to Roark.⁵ Carroll had not been charged as of the most recent reporting.⁸ Mark Laita was not named as a suspect.⁹

Why Timmy’s Family Can’t Find Him

Timmy, Ray, and Lorene were placed under state guardianship after the removal, according to the New York Post.⁵ Under West Virginia’s Guardianship and Conservatorship Act, a circuit court can appoint a guardian for an adult who, because of mental impairment, cannot meet essential requirements for their own health, care, or safety. The process requires a petition, a medical evaluation of the person’s incapacity, and a hearing at which they are represented by a court-appointed guardian ad litem. When no eligible family member or private party is available, Adult Protective Services can be appointed as guardian.¹⁰ Once the state holds that role, confidentiality rules restrict what APS can share, which is why Betty and Larry have not been told where Timmy is.

Where Timmy Is Now

As of the most recent reporting in 2026, Timmy remains in state care at an undisclosed location with his mother and uncle. Betty and Larry, still on the Odd property, say they have had no contact with the three since September 2025, and the West Virginia Department of Human Services has not disclosed their whereabouts or the details of their care.¹

1
New York Post. From YouTube to State Custody: Viral Fame Destroys America’s Most Inbred Family
2
The Mirror. Who Are the Whittaker Inbred Family
3
NewsNation. Whittaker Family Inbred West Virginia
4
New York Post. Meet the Whittakers: Inside America’s Most Inbred Family
5
New York Post. YouTubers Accused of Taking Inbred Whittaker Family Donations
6
WAVY. Man Arrested in Relation to Whittaker Family Exploitation
7
WV MetroNews. Man Arrested After Allegedly Exploiting Raleigh County’s Whittaker Family
8
WCHS-TV. Arrest Made in Fraud Investigation Surrounding Raleigh County’s Whittaker Family
9
WV News. Man Charged in Alleged Social Media Donation Scheme Involving Whittaker Family in Raleigh County
10
Legal Aid of West Virginia. Adult Guardianship and Conservatorship: What Do I Need to Know