‘Trapped in Hell’: family Accused of preserving Autistic woman in Cage, Making Her devour mom’s Ashes

while the mother of a Louisiana woman with autism died in 2015, relatives took the 22-12 months-vintage in. however in preference to being concerned for her, the family held her captive and subjected the young female to months of horrific abuse, including forcing her to stay in an outside cage and eat her deceased mom’s ashes, a federal indictment alleges.



On Thursday, five members of the Knope circle of relatives were charged in a federal court in New Orleans for their roles within the “forced hard work” conspiracy. The clan allegedly abused the woman, who is best identified in court docket papers as D.P., for 10 months, threatening to kill her if she tried to get away their Amite assets, in step with the Justice branch.

4 family members—42-12 months-antique Raylaine Knope, forty five-year-old Terry Knope II, 23-12 months-old Jody Lambert, and 20-year-old Taylor Knope—face up to lifestyles in jail if located guilty of forced exertions. additionally, 21-year-antique Bridget Lambert, Raylaine Knope’s daughter, changed into charged “for conspiring to attain the forced labor of D.P.,” in step with the DOJ.

Federal prosecutors also charged the father, Terry Knope II, with authorities robbery and a hate crime: He allegedly embezzled over $eight,000 in Social security benefits from D.P., and as soon as shot her with a BB gun because of her incapacity, courtroom data allege. He and Raylaine Knope have been charged with attempted intercourse trafficking, as well.

“This woman changed into trapped in hell,” Rocky Stewart, a neighbor who become ignorant of the alleged abuse, instructed The times-Picayune in June 2016, whilst the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s workplace raided the rural property after receiving a tip.

“A real tragedy become going on proper right here,” Parish Sheriff Daniel Edwards advised the newspaper.


many of the host of belly-turning acts the own family is accused of, the Knopes allegedly demanded D.P. to strip naked and “make sexual advances” to numerous male visitors, the indictment says.

From August 2015 to June 2016, family members made the autistic woman smooth their trailer—every so often with a toothbrush, every so often with her bare palms, and once with her tongue—in alternate for food and water, according to courtroom facts.

Matriarch Raylaine Knope, who became deemed the “ringleader” of the sickening abuse by The instances-Picayune, allegedly made D.P. sleep in a tent out of doors, earlier than locking the younger lady “in a backyard cage” fabricated from bird twine “to maintain control over her and to save you her from escaping” inside the spring and summer, in line with courtroom records.

The mom ordered her children, Jody Lambert and Taylor Knope, to fasten up D.P. every night time, whether or not in the tent or the animal cage, consistent with the indictment. The kids also allegedly joined in at the torture: Lambert is accused of protecting a gun to D.P.’s head and dangerous to kill her if she ever informed government approximately the abuse.

Taylor Knope, the youngest of the clan, as soon as struck the lady in the head with a metallic padlock and hit her with a shower rod on every other occasion, in line with the indictment.

“This retarded woman will do whatever you assert,” Raylaine Knope allegedly stated of D.P.

At one factor, Knope pressured the 22-year-old to open her useless mom’s urn, pour the ashes right into a bowl, and eat them with a spoon, all at the same time as the own family watched and laughed, prosecutors allege.

D.P. “vomited onto the desk numerous minutes after consuming the ashes,” court records country.

The mental and physical abuse did no longer prevent there: contributors of the own family allegedly made the lady lick dirty undies, devour dog feces, and “simulate sexual acts with a jalapeño pepper,” in step with court docket facts filed Monday.

once, Terry Knope and Jody Lambert “crammed a bucket with urine and feces from the circle of relatives’s septic tank and threw the human waste at D.P., who, protected from head to toe with the urine and feces, started screaming even as Jody laughed,” in line with the invoice of information that charged Bridget Lambert, certainly one of Raylaine’s daughters, with compelled labor conspiracy. (Lambert faces as much as 5 years in prison if convicted.) 

Lambert allegedly hit the girl so difficult with a board that blood dripped from her head to the floor. A family member “used glue” to mend the lady’s wound, the court data country.

If D.P. attempted talking back to the family or the matriarch deemed her work to be unsatisfactory, she became both served rotten meals or starved, prosecutors allege.

The circle of relatives made sure the lady might not be capable of get away or ask for assist: They took her identity, smartphone, pc, and cash after her mother died, in keeping with federal prosecutors. They’re additionally accused of feeding the woman painkillers, telling D.P. that if she notified the cops they would flip her in for drug abuse, in line with the federal indictment.

Terry Knope, who allegedly stole $8,796 in D.P.’s federal incapacity blessings, once punched her inside the head and burned her hand with a lighter, prosecutors allege.

neighborhood law enforcement arrested the five family contributors two years in the past, at which factor D.P. was positioned in custody of the Louisiana fitness branch, The instances-Picayune stated.

As a neighbor told The times-Picayune, “It’s a miracle she’s alive.”
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