Missouri Foster Mom Enters Plea After Allegedly Trading Child For a Monkey
Prosecutor Mike Wood told Oxygen.com that while Brenda Deutsch allegedly gave her monkeys “five-star resort style lodgings” there had been more than 200 calls to a hotline alleging abuse and neglect to the children in her care.
A Missouri foster mom allegedly traded a teen in her care for a monkey.
Brenda Deutsch, 70, pleaded guilty June 15 to one count of endangering the welfare of a child after the girl was abandoned in Texas.
Lincoln County Prosecuting attorney Mike Wood told Oxygen.com that under the terms of the plea two additional counts of child abuse and neglect were dropped.
“I’m very pleased,” Wood said, “that we were able to get some justice.”
Brenda Deutsch Allegedly Sent Child to Texas in Exchange for a Monkey
The case began Feb. 6, 2025 after a Lincoln County school resource officer Deputy Davenport noticed the victim had been missing from school, according to a probable cause statement obtained by Oxygen.com.
“While investigating the information provided by the school,” the document read, “Deputy Davenport was told of a rumor the Victim was traded for an exotic animal to Witness One in the state of Texas.”
The witness—who was a friend of Deutsch’s and fellow exotic pet owner—told authorities that she agreed to help Deutsch with the teen because Deutsch and the victim “were not getting along,” per the court documents.
Wood told Oxygen.com that witnesses interviewed told authorities the child was allegedly traded for a monkey, but authorities were never able to find evidence to warrant a trafficking charge in the case.
As he added,“The monkey did get brought back to Missouri after the child was taken down there.”
The witness caring for the girl in Texas allegedly told law enforcement officers, according to the probable cause statement, that she didn’t wish to keep the child, but Deutsch would not pay for a plane ticket for the girl to return to Missouri.
Allegations of Abuse Against Foster Mom Brenda Deutsch
While in middle school and under Deutsch’s care, the victim told investigators that Deutsch allegedly “hit her with a lot of different things,” including a paddle, wood trim and shoes, according to the court records. In one incident described in the documents, Deutsch allegedly forced the child to stand in the corner. When she sat down because her legs hurt, Deutsch told her to stand back up, then “smacked” the victim in the nose, causing it to bleed, authorities said.
In another incident, the teen told authorities Deutsch instructed another family member in the home to hold her down, putting her face first on the floor, as they pulled her pants down and spanked her with a paddle, according to the court records.
“The Victim advised she was screaming at the Suspect to stop,” authorities wrote in the probable cause statement. “The Victim stated the hitting stopped when she stopped moving and was just quiet. The Victim said she just stayed still so the hitting would stop.”
The teen also described another time when she was hit on the arms with the paddle, causing bruising. When she grabbed the paddle from Deutsch and threw it across the room, Deutsch allegedly grabbed a “monkey bottle” at threw it at her before hitting her with the paddle again, authorities said.
According to allegations made by the victim, Deutsch also threatened to kill her if she “did not shut up,” called her “annoying and rude,” and gave away the teen’s clothing as punishment, per the court records.
After being sent to Texas, the teen told investigators that she was often tasked with caring for the witness’ exotic animals “for a few days at a time” while the woman was out of town, per the court records.
Wood told Oxygen.com that Deutsch had been a foster mom for years.
“What we later learned is that these allegations of abuse and neglect stem back 20 years,” he said. “It was alleged that there were more than 200 hotline calls regarding abuse and neglect that had never been either turned over to law enforcement or had never been investigated.”
He added that the sentiment from many of her foster care children was that she cared more for her monkeys.
“After we had talked to a lot of these kids,” Wood said, “she had these monkeys that were living in five-star resort style lodgings and the kids were all crammed into just like one closet room.”
According to Wood, there had been “so much wrongdoing,” over the years, that prosecutors were pleased they finally had enough evidence to charge Deutsch.
“There had just never been any level of accountability,” he said. “And so we finally, finally, finally got to the point where we were able to achieve some level of justice and so that felt really good for us.”
Oxygen.com reached out to Deutsch’s attorney, but did not receive an immediate response.
The Tory leader lashed out today amid reports that female MPs are demanding the de-facto new prime minister introduce a 50:50 gender split 'quota' in his government.
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister also complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts.
But in a scathing article in the Times today Mrs Badenoch told them to 'stop moaning' and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'.
'There are many, many reasons why you shouldn't have any Milibands in the cabinet,' she said.
'But complaining that the boys haven't given them the right jobs or that the boys are taking all the jobs, just shows that Labour's women still don't get it.'
The idea of quotas was also attacked by Baroness Jacqui Smith, Labour's Skills Minister.
Asked by Times Radio if Mr Burnham should reserve jobs for women, she said: 'No, I think what Andy Burnham should be doing is building the very best team around him to change this country.'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband (above, right, in 2010) is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts
But Mrs Badenoch told them to pipe down and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party and seen by the BBC has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs after he succeeds Sir Keir Starmer.
'We are asking you to demonstrate this change from day one and address the toxicity and misogyny within our own party and government,' it said.
Labour has never had a female leader, while the Conservatives have had three, and Mrs Badenoch urged the government to follow its meritocratic example.
'If you run a meritocracy, then you do not have to worry about jobs for the boys,' she wrote.
'Every woman who is a Conservative MP, every woman who has ever won the leadership, has had to fight to get where she is.
'By contrast, Labour women are demanding guarantees from Burnham. But the truth is he doesn't have to give any guarantees.
'If none of Labour's women are prepared to get their hands dirty and challenge him for the leadership, their demands are toothless.'
'In fact, it's quite revealing that the women's parliamentary Labour Party has written to Burnham asking him to commit himself to at least 50 per cent female ministers.
'This has nothing to do with meritocracy. It is yet more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country.'
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