The Curious Case of Natalia Grace is the latest must-watch documentary making waves across the globe, here's what happened to Natalia Grace's adoptive parents Michael and Kristine Barnett.
Presented by ID and Discovery+, The Curious Case of Natalia Grace is now available to stream, and this bone-chilling story has had us completely gripped. The plot focuses on a 6-year-old Ukrainian orphan named Natalia Grace with a rare bone growth disorder, who was adopted by Kristine and Michael Barnett in 2010.
The couple already had three children and soon after adopting Natalia Grace, they accused her of masquerading as a child with the intention to harm her adoptive family. This led Michael and Kristine Barnett to abandon their adoptive child. But what is the truth and what happened to her adoptive parents? Here's what we know...
In 2011 the couple was charged with neglect after they left their adoptive daughter alone to fend for herself in an apartment three counties away from where they lived. The family had changed her legal age to 22 and the eight-year-old was abandoned as the family relocated to Canada. Insider reported that the couple went through a 'bitter' divorce shortly after moving to Canada.
There were varying reports about why the Barnetts moved to Canada. While some claimed it was to escape Natalia Grace, the Barnetts said it was so their son could complete a Ph.D program while he was still a teenager.
In 2013, Kristine published a memoir called The Spark: A Mother's Story of Nurturing, Genius, and Autism, about raising a 'genius.' "Jacob has an IQ higher than Einstein's, a photographic memory, and he taught himself calculus in two weeks," reads part of the blurb for Kristine's memoir.
In 2019, the CBC reported that Michael and Kristine Barnett still lived in Canada. However, court documents obtained by The Exponent stated that Kristine is now living in Florida.
Was Kristine Barnett found guilty?
In October 2022, Michael was acquitted of the charges of; neglect of a dependent, neglect of a dependent causing bodily injury, neglect of a dependent causing serious bodily injury, and conspiracy to commit neglect of a dependent. In March 2023, Kristine was also acquitted of the charges made against her.
People reported, "Prosecutors couldn't charge the couple with neglect of a child because of Natalie's court-ordered age change." Other outlets also cited insufficient evidence that failed to prove the charges beyond a reasonable doubt.
In 2023, Natalia Grace is now still legally 33 years old (although she claims to be 19), and is seemingly alive and still living in Indiana. The creators of this documentary have recently announced that Natalia Grace will tell her side of the story in a new follow-up documentary, as the complicated truth continues to unfold.
