An 8-year-old girl identified as GW was starved, imprisoned, and abused by her uncle, Jeffrey “Adam” Kraft, and his wife, Michele L. Buckner-Kraft, for approximately four years.

Before GW and her half-sister KN (age 5) came to live with the Krafts in 2008, GW attended kindergarten and was a normal weight for her age, though her birth parents were abusive and she had behavioral problems. After four years with the Krafts, she weighed only 42 lbs. She had not seen a doctor since she came to live with them and was only allowed to take a shower once a month. When police found GW, she was locked inside a trash-filled room that reeked of urine. According to KN, GW spent most of her time locked in her room and KN was not allowed to talk to her. GW was forced to eat in her room while the rest of the family (which also included the Krafts’ 5-month-old daughter EK) ate at the kitchen table. The abuse came to light when someone called the child abuse hotline. The Krafts were charged with first-degree assault and first-degree endangering the welfare of a child.

When she was found, GW had not attended school since kindergarten, but she told the police that she “was told to read every day.” The Krafts’ longtime friend reported that “he thought Adam intended to homeschool her” when he pulled her from school.

Date: July 5, 2012
Location: Kansas City, Missouri