A household thought they have been adopting a 6-year-old lady. Now they declare she's an grownup con artist.

• The unusual case of Natalia Grace Barnett, a Ukrainian “orphan,” captured headlines worldwide.
• Her adoptive mother and father claimed the lady — somewhat individual — was an grownup masquerading as a baby.
• A brand new docuseries has investigated the weird claims and counterclaims of the individuals concerned.

It was maybe one of many strangest tales ever within the headlines.

Natalia Grace Barnett, somewhat individual with a uncommon bone-growth dysfunction, was adopted from Ukraine by a household who thought she was 6 years outdated. Her adoptive mother and father later claimed that she was a “sociopathic” grownup pretending to be a baby.

Michael and Kristine Barnett of Indianapolis stated Natalia needed to hurt them and their organic youngsters. In the meantime, authorities charged the mother and father with neglecting their disabled daughter.

The convoluted story is chronicled within the new docuseries “The Curious Case of Natalia Grace” on Investigation Discovery. The filmmakers tried to seek out out the reality behind the affair. Michael Barnett defended himself throughout prolonged interviews. Kristine Barnett and Natalia selected to not give their sides of the story.

Michael Barnett stated the household had no cause to suspect that Natalia was an grownup

Talking within the collection, Michael Barnett, who’s now divorced from Kristine, stated the household was “residing with a con artist and a psychopath.”

The Barnetts adopted Natalia in 2010 from an adoption company in Florida. Barnett stated within the movie that they got a day to determine whether or not to take action.

“They stated, ‘She has dwarfism. You’ve 24 hours to signal; in any other case, she goes straight to foster,'” he stated.

“We adopted Natalia as a result of we needed to assist any individual who was in peril of by no means being liked,” Barnett stated, including that her Ukrainian start certificates stated she was born on September 4, 2003.

He stated they’d no cause to imagine she wasn’t a 6-year-old orphan. She had spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia. The uncommon form of dwarfism may cause skeletal abnormalities and points with imaginative and prescient and listening to. Natalia was barely 3 ft tall.

Within the movie, Barnett stated that Kristine gave Natalia a shower a day after the adoption. He stated that his ex-wife was shocked to find that their “brand-new” little lady had pubic hair.

Quickly afterward, he stated, Kristine confronted Natalia as a result of she’d discovered some blood-stained underwear in her bed room. Talking in a house video proven within the collection, Natalia replied, “I’ve a interval, and I have been hiding it.”

Barnett stated Natalia displayed disturbing behaviors, similar to urinating and defecating within the automobile and smearing the home windows with feces. In public, he stated, she’d “throw herself” out of the passenger door for consideration.

“The concept was to appear to be a poor, helpless little lady,” he stated.

He stated within the documentary that she began hoarding knives and as soon as advised him, “I’ll kill you in your sleep.” One other time, the daddy stated, she appeared on the foot of their mattress with a knife in her hand.

The Barnetts grew to become satisfied that Natalia’s Ukrainian start certificates had been solid

Barnett additionally accused Natalia of making an attempt to poison Kristine by pouring cleansing provides into her espresso, shoving her in opposition to an electrical fence, and threatening to stab her older brothers.

“She was doing all the pieces doable to trigger damage or hurt or psychological misery to the household,” Barnett stated.

Interviewed within the collection, Natalia’s eldest brother, Jacob Barnett, stated he “did not really feel secure round Natalia.” He added: “I used to be simply scared.”

Natalia frolicked within the state psychological hospital the place, Michael Barnett stated, a therapist recognized her as a “sociopath.” Quite a lot of hospital staffers who spoke within the docuseries on situation of anonymity stated she was launched after making “inappropriate” sexual remarks to male sufferers. By then, the Barnetts have been satisfied that their daughter was an grownup. They stated her Ukrainian start certificates had been solid.

The identical 12 months, the mother and father efficiently petitioned a courtroom to alter Natalia’s start data, citing that she hadn’t grown of their care. It decided that she was born on September 4, 1989 — some 14 years sooner than she claimed. The courtroom order stated she was a 23-year-old grownup.

The Barnetts discovered an house for Natalia and paid the hire. Neighbors who lived within the housing advanced advised the filmmakers that Natalia would introduce herself as a “little individual” in her early 20s. They befriended her, they stated. However, they added, they misplaced belief. Natalia’s closest neighbors, Sue McCallan and Toby and Melanie Miles, stated she’d seem unannounced of their properties. They stated they have been additionally unnerved by how she appeared to behave “sexually” round individuals, together with children.

Toby Miles stated that he grew to become more and more scared of Natalia as a result of she advised him “that she had tried to kill her mother.” A recording of a 911 name that she made on the time was performed within the documentary.

“I am stalking one in all my neighbors,” Natalia advised the operator, including: “I do not wish to hurt them.”

The Barnetts, who have been quickly to interact in a bitter divorce, moved to Canada when Natalia’s lease was up.

Police accused the Barnetts of abandoning their dependent Natalia and forcing her to fend for herself

They moved her into an house in a rundown a part of Lafayette, Indiana. Talking within the documentary, Natalia’s neighbor Kyra Weaver stated Natalia struggled to climb the steps to her house and could not attain the kitchen counter or a washer.

“I felt like she had been thrown to the wolves,” Weaver stated.

Different neighbors stated Natalia might barely prepare dinner for herself and had a restricted food regimen of takeout pizza and on the spot noodles. She relied on meals stamps, based on a neighbor. 

Authorities grew to become concerned as soon as Natalia’s electrical energy and cellphone line have been minimize off after her payments weren’t paid. She moved in with the household of a neighbor, Cynthia Mans, and was helped by a social employee who liaised with the police. Detectives questioned the Barnetts, accusing them of leaving Natalia to fend for herself for greater than three years.

In 2019, the Barnetts, who gave opposing accounts of what occurred, confronted a string of expenses associated to neglect. Prosecutors dropped the unique expenses of neglect of a kid due to the court-ordered change to Natalia’s age in 2012 and the statute of limitations. As a substitute, Michael Barnett was tried for neglect of a dependent. The authorities stated that even when Natalia had been an grownup on the time she was deserted, she was depending on her mother and father due to her dwarfism.

Natalia appeared on Dr. Phil and maintained that she was 6 when she was adopted

A choose didn’t enable the problem of Natalia’s age to be raised in entrance of the jury. Michael Barnett was discovered not responsible of all expenses in fall 2022. Kristine Barnett’s trial was scheduled for February this 12 months, however the case was dismissed. Nonetheless, Michael Barnett excoriated his ex-wife within the documentary, saying, “Kristine is a strolling epitome of evil.”

As for Natalia, she maintained that she was 6 when she was adopted. She appeared on the “Dr. Phil” present in November 2019.

“They are saying that you simply scammed them, that you simply lied about your age and came to visit right here and terrorized them,” the host, Phil McGraw, advised Natalia concerning the Barnetts.

She insisted that she was born in 2003, not 1989.

“You say you’re 16,” McGraw stated in the course of the interview. He then requested, “Are you a 33-year-old rip-off artist?”

“No,” Natalia replied.

Natalia’s claims have by no means been proved. Now, not less than within the eyes of the legislation, she’s a 36-year-old girl. Regardless of the case, talking within the documentary, Michael Barnett stated he had compassion for Natalia, despite the fact that she testified in opposition to him in courtroom. He stated that they exchanged a discreet “wave” after the jury gave its verdict.

“I seemed her instantly within the eyes,” Barnett stated within the collection, including: “I mouthed to her, ‘That is onerous. I am sorry.'”

“The Curious Case of Natalia Grace” will premiere throughout three consecutive nights on ID starting Monday, airing nightly at 9 p.m. ET.

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