In 2010, Michael and Kristine Barnett adopted a 6-year-old girl with dwarfism. No one knew exactly how old she was, but the doctors thought she could be either nine or ten years old.
At first, Natalia seemed like a sweet little girl, but then Kristine noticed one tiny detail about her that shocked her to the core.
Strange Behavior
One day, while giving her a bath, Kristine noticed that she had full pubic hair. This confused her because Natalia was still a child.
According to the couple, Natalia quickly began showing her true colors, "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," Kristine said.
She Wanted To Poison Her
We went on to say, "She was standing over people in the middle of the night. You couldn't go to sleep. We had to hide all the sharp objects."
"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."
Unacceptable Behavior
Kristine further explained, "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."
Natalia was threatening everyone in the family.
She Was Threatening Them
Michael said, “While at the stress center, she was documenting, she was telling doctors, she was telling therapists, she was writing down on her notepad."
"Not only am I trying to kill Kristine, but I'm going to kill the brothers, too. Here's how I'm going to do it. Here's what I'm going to do with their bodies," he continued.
Something Wasn't Right
The Barnetts turned to doctors to deal with Natalia. But what they discovered about the girl left them at a loss for words.
"The doctors all confirmed she was suffering a severe psychological illness only diagnosed in adults," Kristine said. Natalie also had menstruation and adult teeth.
She Wasn't A Child
According to Kristine, Natalia also "Never grew a single inch, which would happen even with a child with dwarfism."
Two years after being adopted, Natalia admitted to her doctor that she was older than 18.
They Went To Court
The doctors said that she was "perpetuating the age misconceptions in order to be treated as a child by parents and strangers."
After hearing the news, Barnetts immediately went to Marion Superior Court and signed an emergency petition.
A Twenty-Two-Year-Old Woman
The petition was granted, and Natalia's birthday was changed from September 4, 2003, to September 4, 1989. She went from being an eight-year-old girl to a twenty-two-year-old woman.
And since Natalia was now an adult, the Barnetts were no longer required to carry for her.
They Helped Her Get On Her Feet
The couple explained that they did this to get Natalia the help she needed. They also helped her obtain Social Security Disability payments and enrolled her in Food Stamps.
They wanted Natalia to get on her feet and live an adult life. But they would soon regret this decision.
They Found An Apartment For Her
Michael and Kristine also helped her find an apartment and paid for her three months' rent.
Then, the entire family moved to Canada for a fresh start. But this wasn't the end of this disturbing story.
She Got Evicted From Her Apartment
Natalia got evicted from her apartment and told the authorities that her parents had abandoned her three months ago.
With that said, the prosecutors charged the Barnetts with two counts of felony neglect of a dependent.
They Got Divorced
They both pleaded not guilty. However, the battle in court put a strain on their marriage, and the Barnetts filed for a divorce.
They were sick and tired of the accusations and wanted the world to know that Natalia was an adult and that they were the victims in this situation.
They Wanted Everyone To Know The Truth
On "The Dr. Oz Show," Michael claimed that Natalia was a sociopath who wanted to kill their entire family.
He explained that she was pretending to be a child so that all of her expenses would be taken care of. So how did the public react to his statement?
A Gag Order
Shortly after Michael's interview, a gag order was issued. This meant that the couple was no longer allowed to discuss Natalia's educational, medical, and mental records in media interviews.
However, Natalia continues to deny that she is an adult. Not only that, but another family wanted to adopt her.