The Curious Case of Natalia Grace: What did Natalia Grace do to her adoptive parents?
As per allegations made by Natalia Grace's former adotive parents, Michael and Kristine Barnett, who split up in 2014, Grace was an adult posing as a six-year-old child when they adopted her in 2010. She had "full pubic hair" at that age and was even going through mestruation. They further claimed that Natalia threatened to stab their biological sons and poisoned the mother's coffee in an attempt to kill her.
The Barnetts, after realizing these tell-tale signs over the months after Natalia's adoption and her alleged threats and multiple attempts to harm/kill them, had her legal age changed in 2012, before leaving her behind alone in an apartment and moving to Canada a year later. They were even charged with neglect of a dependent following this but were eventually acquitted of all charges.
The Curious Case of Natalia Grace on ID further delves into Natalia Grace's story as her former adoptive parents open up about their alleged harrowing experience in the five-part docuseries. Episode 2 and 3 are scheduled to air on the channel this Tuesday, May 30. Here's what the synopsis says:
"The Barnett's adoption of Natalia, an alleged 6-year-old Ukrainian orphan, turns into a nightmare when they learn she may not be who she says she is; with suspicions mounting, the Barnetts discover they may have an adult stranger in their home."
Natalia Grace allegedly threatened her adoptive siblings and tried to posion her mother's coffee, in an attempted murder
Back in 2010, Michael Barnett and his wife Kristine adopted six-year-old Natalia Grace, a Ukrainian orphan, from a Center in Florida. The couple thought she had a rare bone development problem.
Now, in ID's latest docuseries, The Curious Case of Natalia Grace, the Barnetts detail about her disturbing behavior and discuss the various signs that surfaced in the months after her adoption, which suggested that she was older than what they originally thought. They claimed that Natalia was supposedly an adult posing as a kid and attempting to harm the now-divorced couple and their biological children.
After witnessing a number of apparent indications that indicated she was older, such as "full pubic hair" at age six and menstruation shortly thereafter, as well as meeting a girl with the same condition as Natalia and realizing she was significantly more developed, the couple apprently encountered other harrowing experiences with the girl.
The Barnetts have, on multiple occasions, discussed that Natalia Grace "masqueraded as a child with intent to harm them" in shocking revelations and alleged that she was actually a 22-year-old woman, claims that Natalia herself continues to deny.
Michael has alleged that posing as a young girl, she "threatened to stab" her new adoptive siblings - the former couple's three biological sons. He also stated that she tried to "poison" Kristine, and that one night, he opened his eyes to see Natalia "standing at the foot of the bed with a knife in her hand." Moreover, another time, she placed clear thumb tacks face-up on the stairs for someone to step on them.
In 2012, two years after Natalia's adoption, her adoptive family successfully petitioned the court to change her birth year from 2003 to 1989, thereby increasing her age from eight to twenty-two years.
The Barnetts were charged with child neglect for leaving Natalia Grace alone in an apartment and moving to Canada
Over the years, Natalia Grace has continually denied all claims and even made an appearance on Dr. Phil to clarify her situatuion. During the interview, she was shown a video of Kristine alleging that on one occasion, she tried to spray bleach into her adoptive mother's coffee, in an attempt to posion it, while they were cleaning together. Natalia reportedly responded, saying,
"It was Lemon Pledge for tables. We had missed a spot so what I did was I scooted the chair over so I could get there and I scooted her coffee back so I could grab the thing because it was in front of it."
Further addressing the Barnett family's allegations about her being an adult, she stated in the same interview that it was not true at all, and she wanted people to hear her side of the story.
Reports state that in 2012, two years after Natalia's adoption, the Barnetts successfully petitioned the court to change her birth year from 2003 to 1989, thereby increasing her age from eight to twenty-two years. Afterwards, the family moved their adopted daughter, who was then legally 22 years old, into an Lafayette apartment and then moved to Canada.
Michael and, his now ex-wife, Kristine were charged in September 2019 with multiple counts of neglect, and they were only recently acquitted of the charges following a trial when he was found not guilty. In March of this year, the charges against Kristina were dropped.
Learn more about the strange case of Natalia Grace on ID's latest docuseries.
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Susrita Das