Traumatized Adoptive Sister Reveals She Was Coerced into Dismembering Brother by Murder-Charged Mother

Fayetteville, North Carolina — A grim revelation has come to light involving the death of a young boy whose adoptive mother is under arrest for murder. Cherish Deven, the adoptive sister of the deceased, confessed in a documented interview that she dismembered her brother’s body under duress from their adoptive mother, Avantae Deven.

Cherish disclosed to investigative sources that she was compelled by Avantae Deven to carry out the horrifying act. “She had me buy a saw… to cut him open and disintegrate his body,” Cherish stated in the interview, the intensity of her voice underlining the horror of the acts she was forced to perform.

According to authorities, Avantae Deven is accused of abusing and ultimately causing the death of Blake Deven due to starvation and mistreatment. The investigation states that Blake succumbed to the brutal conditions imposed by Avantae, who is also charged with the murder of another adoptive child, London Deven.

The case against Avantae became public when police in Fayetteville made their allegations known. They detailed how Avantae reportedly subjected Blake to extreme abuse and neglect, leading to his death from the inability to withstand further physical torment.

During Cherish’s recounting of the events, she expressed terror and confusion over being enlisted to mutilate her brother’s body. “There was no asking,” she said. “There was just, ‘You do it. You’re doing it. If not, you’re getting in trouble.’” At the time, Cherish was a minor, and the psychological burden led her to initially give conflicting accounts about her age during the ordeal.

Cherish’s harrowing experience extends beyond the dismemberment. She recounted other forms of abuse at the hands of Avantae, who adopted five children across three North Carolina counties, touching upon a systemic failure to protect them. She told tales of being hit with curtain rods, being locked in a bathroom, and being so starved that she resorted to eating dog food hidden in vents.

This tragic narrative underscores significant flaws in child welfare and protective services. The account of how a woman, tasked with the care and protection of children, systematically broke them down and compelled one to commit acts against her sibling is particularly distressing. Such cases prompt questions about oversight in adoption and post-adoption services in the state.

Cherish’s testimony not only details her own abuse but opens the conversation about the potential oversights by child protective services, which failed to detect or prevent the abuse and maltreatment of the Deven children. Cherish stated her motives for coming forward stem from a desire to correct misunderstandings and recount her story on her own terms, especially in light of the backlash and harassment she faced on social media.

Law enforcement and the Cumberland County District Attorney’s office have yet to comment on the ongoing case. However, as the details unfold, the community and authorities are prompted to reevaluate procedures to safeguard vulnerable children and hold guardians accountable. Cherish herself, looking back at her coerced actions and ongoing trauma, considers herself a victim of the severe dysfunction rooted deeply in their family dynamics, orchestrated by the person who should have been their protector.