FAYETTEVILLE, NC – A North Carolina mother, Avantae Deven, is facing the possibility of the death penalty after authorities discovered partial remains of her two adopted children in a metal burn barrel behind her house. The children, Blake and London Deven had not been seen for years but were never reported missing by their adoptive mother.
Deven appeared before District Court Judge Caitlin Evans in Cumberland County Court on Thursday. If convicted, she could face the death penalty, as reported by WRAL News [2].
Arrested at her home on Berriedale Drive on Wednesday, Deven is charged with first-degree murder, concealment of death, kidnapping, and felony child abuse. She is currently held without bond at the Cumberland County Detention Center, with her next hearing scheduled for July.
In April, detectives searching Deven’s home made the grim discovery of the metal burn barrel containing partial human remains. Investigators believe the children had been tortured and physically abused for years.
Cumberland County District Attorney Billy West expressed his horror at the case, stating, “The allegations are certainly some of the worst that I’ve seen in the almost 25 years that I’ve been doing this.”
The investigation was prompted in November 2023 when officers responded to a call from a child attempting suicide at Deven’s home. The child revealed to police that he hadn’t seen his brother Blake in about five years and believed Blake was now dead. There was no missing persons report for Blake until Deven filed one after the investigation began.
Deven moved to the Fayetteville area in 2015 with her elderly mother and five adopted children. According to ABC11 News [3], three of the boys were biologically related, while two girls were not related to each other or the boys.
The children described the horrific treatment they endured, including being kept in a dark, small room with little or no food. Forensic evidence supported allegations of torture, starvation, and isolation.
Sgt. Jeff Locklear, a lead investigator, reported that Deven gave authorities different stories to prolong the investigation. One claim was that Blake was “possibly at a Buddhist retreat in the mountains.” Additionally, Deven had a family acquaintance impersonate Blake during a visit from the Department of Social Services (DSS).
A person who once lived in the home told police that Blake died in 2017 after years of torture, starvation, and neglect. Despite pleas from her other children, Deven refused to get medical help for Blake. Instead, she devised a plan to hide his remains in a burn pit in the backyard.