A Missouri foster mom who allegedly traded a teenage girl for an exotic monkey has avoided prison, sparking outrage after a judge sentenced her to seven years behind bars but suspended the sentence. The probation-only verdict has since gone viral online, leading to renewed calls for a more heavy-handed federal punishment.
Brenda Deutsch, 70, pleaded guilty to child endangerment and was sentenced to seven years in prison. Lincoln County Circuit Judge Thomas Frawley, however, suspended the execution of the sentence earlier in September and placed Deutsch on three years of probation, meaning she will remain free as long as she follows the conditions of her release.
Granted, Frawley also revoked Deutsch’s foster care license from the bench and sharply criticized Missouri’s foster care system for failing the children involved. The case centers on a teenage foster child who is now 17. Authorities began investigating after the girl was reportedly sent from Missouri to Texas to stay with a person Deutsch admitted she knew little about.
According to court documents, investigators learned of an allegation that the teenager had effectively been exchanged for a monkey. A prosecutor said Deutsch had become frustrated with the girl and asked a friend in Texas to keep her. The arrangement allegedly involved Deutsch receiving a monkey in return.
The girl was eventually taken into protective custody in Texas after concerns about the home, which a witness described as unsanitary and filled with exotic animals. The teenager also told investigators that Deutsch had physically abused her, allegedly striking her with objects including a paddle and shoes. Court documents say she described trying to protect herself during one alleged beating and claimed Deutsch once threatened to kill her if she did not “shut up.”
People online want a federal punishment for Deutsch
Worryingly enough, the foster mom reportedly fostered more than 200 children over the years. Her biological daughter, Brina Johnson, testified about the alleged abuse and said the sentence was not the outcome she had hoped for. “I’m kinda lost for words because this is not the end we wished for,” Johnson told FOX2.
Johnson also said Deutsch had at least seven monkeys and added that the animals were part of her mother’s long-standing interest. “That’s just her thing,” Johnson said. “But she wasn’t any nicer to those monkeys than she was to a child.” Meanwhile, the sentence for Deutsch quickly drew anger online, with commenters questioning why Deutsch would not serve prison time.
“Is there a way to try this case federally since the child was traded over state lines? This isn’t justice. What happened to the other 200 foster kids she ‘took care of’?” complains an X commenter. Another questioned how Deutsch kept operating as a foster mother, asking, “This story is unbelievable. How could CPS not k ie what a monster that old bag was. It seems they just didn’t care.” Others called for a broader investigation into Missouri’s foster care system, while some demanded that authorities examine whether additional children may have been harmed.
