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Couple who adopted 'child' that turned out to be 22-year-old woman claim she tried to kill them

Anish Vij

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Couple who adopted 'child' that turned out to be 22-year-old woman claim she tried to kill them

Featured Image Credit: @DiscoveryID/Twitter / DrPhil

A new documentary is being made about a couple who adopted a '6-year-old Ukrainian orphan' that turned out to be a 22-year-old woman who tried to kill them. Take a look at the eerie trailer below:

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Natalia Grace was supposed to a small child with a rare bone growth disorder, who Kristine and Michael Barnett adopted back in 2010.

However it seems that Natalia was - in fact - a 22-year-old sociopath who apparently made several attempts to kill the couple.

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The happy family dynamic changed when the Barnetts later alleged Natalia was really an adult attempting to harm their family.

After the family deserted Natalia in an apartment in Layfette, Indiana, in 2013, authorities pushed 'neglect charges' onto the couple.

A new documentary is being made about a couple who adopted a '6-year-old Ukrainian orphan' that turned out to be a 22-year-old woman who tried to kill them. Credit: ID
A new documentary is being made about a couple who adopted a '6-year-old Ukrainian orphan' that turned out to be a 22-year-old woman who tried to kill them. Credit: ID

"We were all abused," Michael cries in the trailer for the upcoming doc. "I hate this. She tried to poison and kill my wife.

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"[And] one night, I opened my eyes and Natalia is standing at the foot of the bed with a knife in her hand."

"I definitely didn't feel safe around Natalia," their son Jake also said.

Mum Kristine told the Daily Mail in 2019: "She would make statements and draw pictures saying she wanted to kill family members, roll them up in a blanket and put them in the backyard.

"I saw her putting chemicals, bleach, Windex something like that, in my coffee and I asked her, 'what are you doing?' She said, 'I am trying to poison you'.

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"The media is painting me to be a child abuser but there is no child here."

After the family deserted Natalia in an apartment in Layfette, Indiana, in 2013, authorities pushed 'neglect charges' onto the couple. Credit: ID
After the family deserted Natalia in an apartment in Layfette, Indiana, in 2013, authorities pushed 'neglect charges' onto the couple. Credit: ID

Kristine continued: "Natalia was a woman. She had periods. She had adult teeth. She never grew a single inch, which would happen even with a child with dwarfism.

"The doctors all confirmed she was suffering a severe psychological illness only diagnosed in adults.

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"She was jumping out of moving cars. She was smearing blood on mirrors. She was doing things you could never imagine a little child doing."

The synopsis for The Curious Case of Natalia Grace reads: "Initially assumed to be a 6-year-old Ukrainian orphan with a rare bone growth disorder, Natalia was adopted by Kristine and Michael Barnett in 2010.

The happy family dynamic changed when the Barnetts later alleged Natalia was really an adult attempting to harm their family. Credit: ID
The happy family dynamic changed when the Barnetts later alleged Natalia was really an adult attempting to harm their family. Credit: ID

"However, the happy family dynamic soured when allegations against Natalia were brought by the Barnetts who alleged Natalia was an adult masquerading as a child with intent to harm their family.

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In 2013, Natalia was discovered living on her own which ignited an investigation that led to Michael and Kristine's arrest and a firestorm of questions."

The Curious Case of Natalia Grace will air for three consecutive nights on Investigation Discovery starting on Monday, May 29, from 9-11pm ET/PT.

Topics: TV And Film, True Crime, Natalia Grace

Anish Vij
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