A Missouri foster mom and exotic pet collector allegedly arranged to exchange a teenage girl for a monkey. Sadly, that’s just a small part of the story. Brenda Deutsch, 70, lives in Winfield, approximately 60 miles north of St. Louis. Over the years, she fostered more than 200 children with her husband, Dennis Deutsch, before his death. Now, Lincoln County prosecutors allege the children didn’t live in a happy home and that some faced abuse and neglect.
According to a probable cause statement from the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, an investigation into allegations against Deutsch began in November 2024. The state’s child abuse hotline received an anonymous call regarding the foster mom and a teen girl. Police reportedly interviewed the child on December 4 of that year, and she allegedly said her foster mother physically and emotionally abused her.
The teenager detailed the physical abuse, claiming Deutsch hit her with a paddle on several occasions. She added that sometimes, Deutsch used other members of the family to aid in the abuse, the statement reads. The teenager claimed she witnessed Deutsch abuse others and told them she would kill them if they told anyone.
“The Victim stated the Suspect uses wood trim from the walls to hit her and another family member. The Victim stated her, and another family member have run away before due to the abuse from the Suspect,” a criminal complaint states.
The victim told police her foster mother lied to doctors and others who questioned the child’s physical condition. Deutsch allegedly blamed injuries on self-harm and suicide attempts.
In December 2024, Deutsch allegedly sent the girl to live with another exotic animal collector in Texas. Lincoln County Prosecuting Attorney Mike Wood told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch Deutsch “ask to drop the kid off” in exchange for a monkey. That reportedly didn’t transpire, and the teen traveled there alone. Prosecutors said the home where she was sent to live was in “deplorable” conditions. The woman reportedly had no “ability or the resources to care for a child.”
A school resource officer contacted police in February 2025 after the victim missed multiple days of school. An investigation led to the girl’s discovery in Texas. The teenager ultimately landed in the care of child protective services in that state.
“There is clearly some systemic failure somewhere,” Wood told the Post, “because what we are hearing now is that there were a voluminous amount of hotline calls being made, but we had no reports. We didn’t have a single report from anybody.”
Lincoln County Sheriff Rick Harrell posted on Facebook following Deutsch’s arrest writing, “Criminal investigations are not about headlines or social media commentary. They are about real people and real consequences, for victims, for the accused, and for the entire community. Our responsibility is to gather facts, follow the law, and present a clear and honest account of what happened. That takes time, professionalism, and a commitment to getting it right.”
Brina Deutsch, Deutsch’s biological daughter, posted on Facebook about her mother’s arrest, including one April 6 with the caption “God is good.” An alleged victim commented her relief. “I was a victim…I lived with her for almost 5 years until a saving grace (My biological aunt) rescued me & my sister …and I’m 34 years old now and I was 3 or 4 years old when I was there so that’s how long she has been doing this,” she shared, “and I will be a voice so it doesnt happens to nobody else by her…NOBODY never listened…the people who were suppose to protect us didn’t even listen..everyone should be punished if u ask me because it could of been stopped a VERY long time ago…”
Deutsch faces three counts of felony child abuse and neglect and was being held in Lincoln County Jail on a $250,000 cash-only bond. She was scheduled to appear in court on April 8.
