A long-time Missouri foster parent accused of attempting to exchange a teenager in her care for an exotic animal has entered a guilty plea in a Lincoln County court.
Brenda Deutsch, 70, of Winfield, pleaded guilty on Monday, June 15, to one felony count of first-degree endangering the welfare of a child. Under the terms of the agreement, two additional grand jury counts of abuse or neglect of a child were dropped.
The case against Deutsch began to unfold on Feb. 6, 2025, when a Lincoln County school resource officer, Deputy Davenport, noticed that the teenage victim had been missing from school. A subsequent investigation tracked the missing girl to Texas, where she was found alive.
According to court documents, investigators interviewing witnesses received conflicting stories about why the girl was sent away. One witness stated that the teenager was sent to Texas because she and Deutsch were simply not getting along. However, a separate witness told investigators a different story: that Deutsch had taken the girl to Texas to exchange her for an exotic animal, which was later specified as a monkey.
The investigation into the household revealed a longer history of alleged trouble. Court records show that the Missouri Department of Social Services first received an anonymous report of abuse regarding Deutsch in November 2024. State officials interviewed the victim in December 2024.
During that interview, the girl stated that the abuse had been going on for about three years. Court documents note the victim admitted she was “hit with a paddle, smacked, and faced other abuse,” and stated that she had seen other family members being abused in the home as well.
Deutsch had worked as a foster parent for decades, bringing more than 200 children into her home over her career. Court records state that during this multi-decade span, more than 200 calls were made to the state’s child abuse hotline to report Deutsch.
Deutsch was originally charged in April 2025 following a grand jury indictment. Following last week’s guilty plea to the single count of child endangerment, the court dismissed the remaining abuse and neglect charges.
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