Emily Brown
The relationships between a family described as the 'most inbred' in America have been explained with complex and revealing links.
The moniker of 'America's most inbred family' has been attributed to the Whittaker family from West Virginia, whose complex history has resulted in genetic mutations and disabilities within its members.
The family members sparked the curiosity of filmmaker Mark Laita, who released a documentary on YouTube about them in July 2020.
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As part of his research, Laita spoke with grandsons Brandon and Luis about what it was like to grow up in their family, as well as gaining insight into inbreeding that went on.
Laita unveiled a complex family tree stretching back decades and beginning with identical twin brothers, Henry and John Whittaker.
The brothers each welcomed children into the world, but the family tree revealed how those children got married to each other and had seven kids of their own, including John Isom Whittaker who was born in 1882.
John Isom then married his first cousin, Ada Rigg, and together they had nine children of their own.
One of their kids was Gracie Irene Whittaker, born in 1920, who married John Emory Whittaker, despite him being her double cousin - cousins who share the same level of consanguinity as half-siblings, due to two common ancestors.
Gracie and John Emory had 15 children, but as the impacts of the inbreeding took hold, health issues began to arise and children suffered severe physical and mental impairments.
Some members of the family are unable to use words or sign language, and instead communicate through grunts and barks.
Many members of the family also have children who are not inbred, and live separate lives away from the farm where many members of the family still reside.
In the interview with Laita, Brandon described being raised by his aunt for the first seven years of his life as his mom moved away.
With children of his own, Brandon expressed his fears about his kids growing up in the same environment as the rest of his family.
"I worry about them [growing up here]," he said. "It's one of my biggest worries. I honestly don't think I'm going to stick around here too much longer. I'm working on getting a place. As soon as I can get enough saved up, I'll probably get away from here. There isn't anything here for me, really, except for them [the Whittakers]."