- The origin of the lineage stretches back to identical twins
Laita explains the family tree begins with twin brothers Henry Whittaker and John Isom Whittaker, born around the late 1800s, whose children inter-married (first cousins marrying first cousins) and then their offspring likewise married within the same small family network. (Wikipedia) “Double cousins on top of it.” — as one relative told Laita. (Newsner English) - Behaviour and appearance that stunned Laita on his first visit
On his first direct encounter (2004 visit to their home in Odd, West Virginia), Laita recounts: “These people walking around and their eyes are going in different directions and they are barking at us. And … one guy … he’d scream and go running away, and his pants would fall around his ankles.” (UNILAD)
This shocking behaviour, and the seemingly unusual conditions, were among the reasons the story garnered huge online attention. - Neighbors wielding a shotgun; secrecy and hostility toward outsiders
Laita was greeted with resistance. He says: “The first time I approached them … I was met by ‘protective’ neighbours wielding a shotgun.” (LBC)
The family has a history of mistrust for outsiders, partly because of media attention and partly due to feared exploitation. - Communication largely through grunts, non-verbal behaviour
Many family members don’t speak conventional English in the videos; Laita says they often grunt, or communicate non-verbally. One relative told him: “They understand what you’re talking about. If they don’t like it, they start yelling — let you know they don’t like that idea.” (LBC)
This detail adds to how the family’s day-to-day life is portrayed as outside mainstream norms. - Physical and intellectual impairments potentially linked to inbreeding
Laita raises the possibility that the long history of consanguineous marriages in the Whittaker lineage contributed to the health and developmental issues seen in later generations. (LBC)
One quote: “I believe the inbreeding may have been ‘partly responsible for the abnormalities.’” (The Sun) - Fundraising, lies and distrust: the family’s dynamic with help
Laita set up a GoFundMe campaign to help the family, but later discovered troubling behaviour:- A claimed death (of Larry Whittaker) which turned out to be false. (Newsner English)
- Laita’s donation of $1,000 for funeral costs diverted. (UNILAD)
Because of these events, Laita publicly severed ties with some members of the family. (Newsner English)
- Media backlash, ethical questions and “poverty porn” concerns
The story raises big questions about ethics in documentary-style media. Laita’s work made the family globally known, but critics ask: is it exploitation? Laita himself has warned people not to go visit the family uninvited. (UNILAD)
One commentator wrote: “It feels like a modern-day freak show.” (Reddit)
