Whittaker family communication shocked filmmaker Mark Laita with a disturbing display he described as the craziest thing he had ever witnessed. His decades of documentation of the inbred Whittaker clan from Odd, West Virginia, show a life marked by genetic struggles and turmoil.
First encounter and odd communication with the Whittaker family
Mark Laita first met the Whittaker family in Odd, West Virginia, in 2004. At that time, family members like Ray, Betty, Kenneth, Timmy, and Lorraine were strangers to him. He soon realized they did not speak in normal English. Instead, they grunt, bark, and use gestures to talk.
Their initial reaction to a newcomer was extreme. Locals armed with shotguns stood off to protect the family and warn outsiders. The hostility made it difficult for Laita to gain access.
Despite the barriers, he earned their trust and included them in his photography book, Created Equal. Over time, he painted a chilling portrait of their behavior.
The craziest thing he saw
During a conversation on the Koncrete KLIPS podcast, Laita shared the most chaotic moment he ever saw. He described dirt roads and broken-down trailers as the setting. Family members walked around the shack with eyes moving oddly, barking at visitors.
One man would freak out when spoken to. He screamed, dropped his pants, and bolted off, kicking a garbage can. Then he repeated the action again and again. Laita called it uncontrollable mayhem.
Laita compared the scene to a famous moment from Deliverance, but far more disturbing because it was real.
Mark cannot confirm the exact family tree, but he strongly suspects inbreeding. These traits appeared concentrated in siblings Lorraine, Ray, Freddie, and cousin Timmy. Their condition included significant mental and physical impairments.
He explains that in this region, such tight intermarriage is sometimes seen, and he believes it contributed to abnormal development among these relatives.
Life in Odd West Virginia documented
Odd is a tiny, secluded town near Charleston, West Virginia, with few residents. Starting in 2020, Laita began sharing videos publicly via his Soft White Underbelly project. Footage of their daily life, including basic tasks, shopping at Walmart, and personal grooming, went viral. Videos such as Breakfast With the Whittakers gained millions of views.
The home they lived in was in decay. Trash cluttered their porch, and furniture was ragged. Their bathroom was filthy, yet freezers remained full of food. Several family members had disabilities such as misaligned eyes, limited speech, or no speech at all.
Betty told Laita that their parents were double first cousins. That alone can accelerate genetic faults over generations. Larry Whittaker had died of a heart attack in 2024 at age 68. He was remembered kindly by Laita, who noted Larry had been steady and helpful in running the family affairs.
Laita launched two GoFundMe campaigns to help the family. He later learned that some members claimed they did not know where the money went. This deeply upset him since he had personally transferred funds and improved their lives at times.
A rumor circulated in 2024 that Larry had died. Laita gave $1 000 for funeral arrangements. Later, Larry turned up alive and unaware. His daughter, BJ, admitted to fabricating the death to collect money. She said she regretted it and blamed her drug addiction.
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After that, Laita gave $700 so Larry could take BJ to North Carolina to start anew. Instead, Larry reportedly kept the money without doing as promised. Laita said he felt betrayed and unsure how to proceed.
In a candid talk with Larry’s cousin, Laita admitted he might need to walk away from the family entirely because honesty was lacking.
Despite the turmoil, Laita later recontacted the family. Larry offered an apology, saying he was sorry for their actions toward Laita and wanted everyone to know he felt regret. Laita accepted the apology and said he believed in forgiveness. He added that both he and his audience missed the family.
Still, Laita now warns others to think twice before meeting the family. Their neighbors and relatives insist on privacy and may take action against ridicule or exploitation from outsiders.
In another frightening incident, Laita spoke of a time when a family member pulled a gun on a stranger inside their property. This came amid intense harassment from outsiders over time. Windows had been smashed, vehicles shot at, and people had thrown items at their home. This threat was meant to scare unwanted visitors away.
Generational family tree and inbreeding legacy of the Whittaker clan
The Whittaker inbreeding trace begins with identical twin brothers Henry and John. Their descendants often intermarried. John’s daughter Gracie married her double cousin John Emory. Together, they had fifteen children. Many of those descendants show mental and physical impairments consistent with the effects of long-term inbreeding.
Among those are Lorraine, Timmy Ray, and Freddie. Freddie died of a heart attack. Only Timmy completed high school. Many others never spoke fully or lived with visible disabilities.
Laita and others say that the family deserves respect, not further intrusion. Their story is filled with tragedy, scandal, and raw human struggle. Their experiences show how privacy is needed and how outsiders can fuel gossip or harm.
Pastor William Plumley acknowledged that while the documentary has helped some relatives, it has also drawn unwelcome attention from curious or cruel visitors.
Mark Laita’s documentation of the Whittaker family spans nearly two decades. He witnessed communication that defied norms, a shocking outburst involving pants falling and garbage cans being kicked, and a tight familial line stretching from twin grandparents. His efforts to assist financially led to betrayal and confusion. The story is heartbreaking. Despite reconciliation, the lesson is clear. Some families need space, not exposure.
