North Carolina mother charged with murder of 2 adopted children

A North Carolina woman has been arrested and charged with the murder of her two adopted children, who had not been seen for years. Disturbing new details reveal that they were kept in isolation, beaten and starved.

Avantae Deven, 63, faces multiple charges, including murder, in connection with the disappearance and deaths of Blake and London Deven, Fayetteville Police Chief Kemberle Braden said at a news conference Wednesday.

The horrifying details released by authorities this week revealed that the siblings, along with three other adopted children, lived in cruel conditions while in Deven’s care.

“Our evidence indicates that both Blake and London are deceased,” Chief Braden said, adding that investigators believe Deven abused and ultimately killed them.

Blake Deven was last seen in 2017, when he was 10 years old, investigators said. Investigators say evidence suggests he died of starvation and abuse, and his body was burned. During the investigation into Blake’s disappearance, police discovered the death of London Deven, who was last seen in 2019.

On April 10, Fayetteville police found a metal burning barrel containing partial human skeletal remains of two children. One set has been confirmed as London Deven, according to the North Carolina Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. The second set of remains, believed to be a boy between 7 and 10 years old, has not yet been identified and is still being examined.

Avantae Deven appeared in court Thursday and was charged with two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of concealment of death, one count of kidnapping in connection with London’s death and two counts of child abuse in connection with Blake’s death. She is being held in the Cumberland County Jail without bail.

Missing since 2017 but not reported until 2024

According to WRAL, the investigation began in November 2023 when officers responded to a mental health call at Deven’s home in Fayetteville. The caller claimed to be Blake Deven’s brother and that he had not seen him for at least five years and that his arm was broken at the time.

Lead investigator Sgt. Jeff Locklear told reporters Wednesday that investigators were able to confirm that Blake had been missing since 2017.

However, Avantae Deven did not report him missing until January 2024. Deven told police that she last saw her son in 2022, when he allegedly left for a Buddhist retreat.

“She initially told us the story that Blake was probably on a Buddhist retreat in the mountains,” said Sgt. Locklear.

But he added that investigators believe Blake was abused and starved at the family’s former home on Eichelberger Drive “until his body could no longer handle the inhumane treatment.”

“Avantae then devised a plan to hide Blake’s remains and had another person in the household participate in it,” he added. “They dismembered him and burned his remains.”

Sergeant Locklear did not provide the name of the second person.

He said “biological evidence” found in the house corroborated “evidence of isolation, torture and starvation.”

Meanwhile, Deve never reported London missing.

“The last independently confirmed sighting of London was reported in 2019,” Sergeant Locklear said.

“Even though London was an adult, she had special needs and was dependent on Avantae for care.”

The investigation revealed that Deven had five adopted children, including Blake and London. The three boys were related, but the two girls were not related to each other or the boys.

Police and the Department of Social Services (DSS) interviewed the remaining three children, who gave graphic accounts of the cruel treatment they allegedly suffered, including malnutrition and physical abuse while being held in a small, dark room.

“Numerous interviews revealed the appalling conditions children grew up in,” said Sergeant Locklear.

“Deven kept them sometimes in small rooms, in total darkness. They were given little or no food, and could obtain their food by doing ‘paperwork’. This meant they had to write hundreds of paragraphs to apologise for their misbehaviour. It is alleged that some of the children were also beaten to the point of requiring medical attention, but were given only natural remedies such as honey.”

At a news conference, Sgt Locklear said there was evidence to support claims that isolation, torture and starvation led to Blake’s death, and that he was dismembered and his remains burned.

“We believe he was mentally abused and starved,” Locklear said. “His body could not withstand the inhumane treatment. Avantae then devised a plan to hide Blake’s remains. She forced another person in the household to participate.”

London Deven is believed to have died “in the same painful way that Blake died: from starvation and neglect,” Locklear said.

“She would just pull your hair and hit you”

One of the adopted children was Bryanna Morrow, according to WRAL. At that time, her name was Cherish Deven.

She spoke to the news portal about her life under Deven’s care and the alleged mistreatment she experienced, including being locked in solitary confinement.

“From one day to the next,” she said. “It was very awful. There were days when we didn’t use the showers. The only time we could turn on the bathroom or the sink was to fill up with water.

“Being locked in the bathroom,” Morrow added. “If we weren’t locked in the bathroom and had to use buckets as toilets. There were a lot of beatings because we were stealing food to survive. She would just pull your hair and beat you.

When children misbehaved, Morrow said they had to write letters of apology.

“The older you get, the more paragraphs you have to write,” she said. “So by the time I was 15, I was working from top to bottom. Imagine one page (to) 2,000 pages.”

Who is Blake’s biological mother?

Felicia Chandler, Blake Deven’s biological mother, spoke to WRAL following news of Deven’s arrest.

“I really feel like there are more questions and I’m waiting for more answers,” Chandler said.

“I just want to see my other two boys. I want to know if the remains will be sent home where they belong, to their biological families.”

Authorities did not respond to questions or provide further details about Deven’s three other adopted children.