An Indiana couple has been accused of abandoning their adopted 10-year-old daughter in a move to Canada, but one of them has suggested that isn't exactly what happened. Kristine Barnett and her ex-husband Michael Barnett claimed they adopted Natalia in 2010. At the time, they were told Natalia, who has dwarfism, was an 8-year-old. She additionally claimed Natalia was actually a diagnosed psychopath and sociopath who is running a scam.
In 2012, the couple legally changed Natalia's age to 22 in an Indiana probate court, as the New York Post reports. A year later, the two adults set her up in an apartment and moved to Canada, with Kristine Barnett telling her to tell people she "looks young" if anyone asked about her age. In 2014, police discovered Natalia, who said she "had not seen the Barnetts since they moved to Canada." Following a five year investigation, the divorced couple were charged this week with two counts of neglect, although they have since been released on $5,500 bond.
Due to her dwarfism, it has been difficult for doctors to pin down her actual age. In 2010 it was estimated she was eight, but another evaluation in 2012 suggested she was 11. While Kristine Barnett has stuck to her story and claimed Natalia is a scammer, Michael reportedly admitted he knew she was a minor when they moved to Canada. The two continued to pay her rent, but did not support her financially in any other capacity.
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