Foster Mom Accused of Trading Child for Exotic Monkey

In a story that seems like it should have been set in Florida, a 70-year-old woman from Lincoln County, Missouri, named Brenda Ruth Deutsch, has been arrested for making a terrible trade.

Deutsch is a long-time foster parent, having fostered over 200 children over the past 20 years, which makes her sound like a saint until you find out she was arrested for having traded a teenage girl for a monkey. Finally, a trade worse than sending Luka Doncic to the Lakers for a song.

She allegedly sent a teenager to live in Texas, in the home of a woman who shared Deutsch’s love for exotic pets, whom she met through the underground world of exotic pet hoarders. They must have a Facebook group or something.

Missouri Woman Allegedly Trades Foster Kid for Exotic Primate
Deutsch reportedly physically abused the teen on several occasions, with both an open hand and a variety of objects, including a paddle, wood trim, and shoes, and she had given away the teenage girl’s clothes as a form of punishment before eventually shipping her off to Texas.

The monkey, according to witness statements, made the return trip to Missouri. Whether this was an official “one child, one monkey” barter remains under investigation, but prosecutors aren’t ruling it out.

“At least two witnesses have come forward with information regarding the transportation of the monkey back to Missouri after the child was delivered,” Lincoln County Prosecutor Mike Wood told NBC News. “This has the potential to be an egregious human trafficking case,” he continued.

The Missouri Department of Social Services had apparently received hundreds of calls about the conditions in Deutsch’s home before this story finally broke. The exotic pet owner in Texas is being investigated but has not yet been detained.

And yes—authorities did find several monkeys at her house, evidence that cannot be easily shoved in a drawer to avoid suspicion. As of now, Deutsch is out of fostering, sitting on a $250,000 bond, and staring down a buffet of felony charges, with more likely on the way.