Unnamed girl, boy - no ages given - / Arrested, adoptive parents Donlad and Linda Hannah - Crum WV

Updated: Fri 3:28 PM, Feb 15, 2013


Wayne County Couple Arrested; Accused of Abusing Adopted Children

WAYNE COUNTY, W.Va. (WSAZ) -- The West Virginia State Police Crimes
against Children Unit has arrested a husband and wife accused of
physically, emotionally and sexually abusing their adopted children.

Investigators say it’s one of the worst cases of abuse
they’ve seen, but the couple’s family says the story is tough to believe.



“We was up there a whole lot and the kids would be out in
the yard playing. Everything would be just fine,” Virginia Runyon, a
family member, said.

Investigators say It started in the summer of 2010 when
one of the children claimed her adoptive father, 55-year-old Donald
Hannah, sexually abused her. So she told her adoptive mother,
50-year-old Linda Hannah, what happened.

“She didn't believe her. She said "you're lying and you probably asked him to do it,’” Corporal M. Moore said.

From there the alleged abuse continued. The Hannah's are
now both in jail. They’re accused of emotionally and physically abusing
the girl and her little brother.

“They described purple stripes on the bottom of their
feet. Their feet would hurt the next day and they could barely walk,”
Corporal Moore said. “The little girl was made to sleep outside as
punishment; sometimes on the porch, sometimes in the yard, sometimes by
the gate.”

It’s a tough story to hear and one that Runyon says she doesn't believe.

“This abuse stuff and whatever is just a bunch of lies,” Runyon said.

However, investigators say marks from the physical abuse
can't be denied and the emotional scars will be even tougher to heal.

“It's very heartbreaking when you see a child break down
and cry when she's trying to tell her story and say "I just don't
understand why they don't like me,’” Corporal Moore said.

Donald and Linda Hannah, of Crum are both charged with two
counts of child neglect and two counts of child abuse. Donald is also
charged with incest.

WSAZ contacted the Hannahs to get their side of the story, but they declined to comment

Both children are now in a new foster home.

http://www.wsaz.com/news/headlines/Married-Couple-Arrested-Accused-of-Abusing-Adopted-Children-191303311.html