In a shocking revelation, a North Carolina woman, Avantae Deven, 63, has been accused of committing heinous crimes against her own adopted children. Deven was charged in June 2024 with two counts each of first-degree murder, concealment of death, and felony child abuse, along with one count of kidnapping, according to the Fayetteville Police Department. The charges are related to the deaths of two of her adopted children, Blake and London Deven.
Adding to the grim narrative, another member of the Deven family has recently come forward with disturbing allegations about her involvement in the horrifying events. In September 2024, a Raleigh-based NBC affiliate, WRAL, obtained a recording of a phone call from April 2022. In this call, an individual confessed to assisting in the dismemberment of Blake Deven’s body.
The caller, whose voice was modulated to protect their identity, described being forced to buy a trash can to store the boy’s body for a month. The individual also revealed the alleged cause of the boy’s death, stating that he was starved to the point of death by Deven, who then failed to call for medical assistance or report his death to the police.
The identity of the caller remained undisclosed as they were not charged with any crime. However, Cherish Deven, another of Avantae Deven’s adopted children, has since identified herself as the voice on the recording. In a recent interview, she recounted being 16 or 17 years old when she was allegedly coerced by her adoptive mother into participating in the gruesome act.
Cherish Deven described the chilling details of her forced involvement, stating that she was made to buy a saw to dismember her brother’s body. When asked how she was coerced into compliance, she explained that there was no choice given, only a command to follow or face punishment.
Despite her involvement, no charges have been filed against Cherish Deven. She maintains that she was forced into the act and that law enforcement is aware of her circumstances. She expressed her disgust and guilt over her actions, stating that she was led and forced into it as a child herself.
Investigators believe that Blake Deven was subjected to severe abuse and starvation, amounting to torture, which eventually led to his death. Sgt. Jeff Locklear stated at the time of Avantae Deven’s arrest that Blake’s body could not sustain the inhumane treatment, leading to his death. Avantae Deven then allegedly devised a plan to hide Blake’s remains, forcing another household member to participate.
Blake was last seen alive in 2017 when he was 10 years old. His sister, London, was a teenager with special needs requiring a caregiver when she died. The remains of both children were discovered burned inside a barrel.
Avantae Deven had adopted five children in total, including three biologically related boys and two unrelated girls. Cherish Deven, in a recent statement, expressed her hatred and betrayal towards her adoptive mother, who had promised love and care but delivered only pain and suffering.