How Could You? Hall of Shame-Antonio Whitlow UPDATED

This will be an archive of heinous actions by those involved in child welfare, foster care and adoption. We forewarn you that these are deeply disturbing stories that may involve sex abuse, murder, kidnapping and other horrendous actions.

From Little Rock , Arkansas, adoptive brother Antonio Whitlow, 33, kidnapped his 12-year-old adoptive sister Amber after killing his parents, Annette and Bobby Whitlow. Amber and Antonio were found in Nashville, Tennessee. Amber is with the state Department of Human Services and is unharmed. Antonio was extradited on capital murder charges.

ABC News reports “The Little Rock police report says that Grady Carter found Annette Whitlow dead in the living room when he arrived at the couple’s home for a meeting. Police later found Bobby Whitlow dead in the kitchen.

Although police are not commenting on how the couple died, the report indicates that a knife or other cutting instrument was involved in the crime.

An Amber Alert was issued for the girl and police said that they feared her life was in danger.

Memphis police found Antonio and Amber at 10 p.m. Saturday near Red Birds Stadium, police spokeswoman Alyssa Moore told ABCNews.com. They arrested Antonio on a, outstanding warrant for aggravated assault.

Antonio Whitlow and Amber are back in Arkansas today, according to a Little Rock police spokeswoman Cassandra Davis. Antonio was extradited on murder charges, and Amber is with the state Department of Human Services until relatives can get custody of her.

Davis said she didn’t know whether those relatives are part of Amber’s adoptive family or her biological family.

According to Bobby Whitlow’s Twitter account, he was a Vietnam War Veteran who oversaw the Warriors of Christ ministry. He referred to his wife, Annette, as a “prophetess” and often tweeted religious proverbs to his nine followers.

His last tweet was, “The rod and reproof give wisdom, but a child who gets his own way brings shame to his mother. Proverbs 29:15.”

The double homicide and abduction shook the Whitlow’s Little Rock neighborhood.

“His daughter was the same age as my grandson and they would always come down, my grandson would always come down and play with them,” Edgar Miller, a family friend, told KATV, ABC’s affiliate in Arkansas.

He said the neighborhood will miss the deceased couple.

“It’s a hurting thing,” said Miller. “We’re going to suffer a great loss.”

NBC News 9 reports “An Arkansas man suspected of killing his parents and abducting his 12-year-old sister claimed to be mentally ill or deficient in 2007 before he eventually pleaded guilty to assaulting a female relative or household member.”

“Davis declined to say whether investigators believe the child witnessed her 65-year-old parents, Bobby and Annette Whitlow, get killed. She said she didn’t know whether the girl and her brother, who was much older, ever lived with their parents at the same time.”

“In the 2007 case, Whitlow initially pleaded not guilty by reason of mental disease or deficiency to aggravated assault of a family or household member. Pulaski County Circuit Court’s online records don’t specify the nature of Whitlow’s alleged mental illness or deficiency, or the nature of the assault. They do name his female victim, and it wasn’t his mother or the sister he’s accused of abducting. The woman’s relationship to Whitlow wasn’t immediately clear.

After a psychiatric evaluation deemed Whitlow fit to stand trial, he changed his plea to guilty and was sentenced to five years’ probation, which would have expired in October.

Whitlow’s attorney in that case, Patrick Benca, said Sunday that he hasn’t had contact with Whitlow, and described him as not “an unlikeable guy.”

“It would surprise me, I’ll just say that,” if Whitlow killed his parents, said Benca. He said he didn’t remember the nature of Whitlow’s alleged psychiatric problem, and that he wouldn’t discuss it even if he did.”

Dail Mail adds “Bobby Whitlow describes himself as ‘a pastor, teacher, singer’ and preacher with two sons and a daughter with his wife of 45 years. It also indicates he was in the U.S. Army. ”

Sources:

Girl, 12, abducted by adoptive brother ‘after he murdered his elderly parents’ found ALIVE

[Daily Mail 7/28/12]

Missing Arkansas Girl Found Alive in Tennessee

[ABC News 7/29/12 by Sydney Lupkin]

Ark. slaying suspect Antonio Whitlow claimed mental illness in ’07

[9 News NBC 7/29/12 by Associated Press]

REFORM Puzzle Piece

 

Update/June 14,2014:

“A man charged with killing his church-going, elderly parents and abducting his sister has been committed to hospital.

Antonio Whitlow, who is 33, was committed indefinitely for treatment of mental illness at Arkansas State Hospital on Monday.

Whitlow was charged with capital murder and kidnapping after the deaths of his parents in July 2012. He was later arrested in Memphis, Tennessee, with his adopted sister Amber, who was 12 at the time

 

Pulaski County Circuit Judge Barry Sims ruled he was temporarily mentally unfit to stand trial this week.

Whitlow was evaluated by doctors at the request of his attorneys, Kent Krause and Cheryl Barnard, to explore a possible insanity defense.

The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported that Whitlow has been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia.  A report from psychologists said Whitlow was paranoid and showed signs of psychosis.

Antonio Whitlow was charged with two counts of capital murder in the slayings of his 65-year-old parents, Annette and Bobby Whitlow, at their home last July.

A church member alerted authorities to the murder scene after going to meet with Bobby and Annette Whitlow at their home, where she found the woman’s body inside the doorway.

A Little Rock police report states that a knife or other sharp instrument was involved in the crime. Whitlow’s adopted 12-year-old sister was found with him at the time of his arrest. At the time, she was put into state care.

The murders happened just two days after Mrs Whitlow celebrated her birthday, according to her husband’s Facebook page.

Bobby Whitlow described himself as ‘a pastor, teacher, singer’ and preacher with two sons and a daughter with his wife of 45 years. It also indicates he was in the U.S. Army.

Mentally ill man who killed his parents and kidnapped his 12-year-old sister declared unfit to stand trial[Daily Mail 2/26/13]