Avril Elfi from OAN
Saturday, June 29, 2024 4:20 p.m.
A woman has been charged with murdering her two adopted children after not being seen for years.
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Police said Avanti Deven, the adoptive mother of Blake and London Deven, was arrested Wednesday and charged with multiple crimes in connection with their deaths and disappearance.
“Our evidence indicates that both Blake and London are deceased,” Fayetteville Police Chief Kenneth Braden said at a press conference Wednesday afternoon. Braden said the foster mother was the one who abused and ultimately killed the children. The abuse included starvation, he said.
In connection with the children’s deaths, Avante Deven was charged with two counts of felony child abuse, two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of concealing a death and one count of kidnapping.
Police said Deven tried to confuse investigators by telling false stories to prolong the investigation.
“Initially she had talked about the possibility that Blake was at a Buddhist retreat in the mountains,” said lead investigator Detective Sergeant Jeff Locklear.
Fayetteville police said the investigation began in November 2023 when they were called to a residence on Berriedale Drive where Avanti Deven lived with her adopted son for a possible mental health crisis.
According to police, the individual in crisis claimed to be Blake Deven’s brother and had not seen him in five years. He also told officers that the last time he saw Blake, he had a broken arm.
Investigators determined five adopted children from three North Carolina counties were living at the residence, including two girls who were unrelated to the boys or to each other, and three related boys.
When questioned by police and the Department of Social Services (DSS), the children gave graphic details of the horrific abuse they had suffered at the hands of their adoptive mother.
The children claimed they were given very little food and kept in small, dark rooms, and they contacted police, saying they would be given food if they wrote a letter apologizing for their actions.
The children reportedly told police that he was beaten so badly that, at times, he required medical attention. At a press conference, detectives said they believe Blake died from an inability to tolerate the beatings and starvation. The children said that while they lived at the Eichlberger Street home, Deven forced someone to cremate and dispose of his body after his death.
Investigators said forensic evidence supported the claims of starvation, isolation and torture.
Investigators learned of London Deven’s death while investigating Blake’s death.
Police said during their investigation they discovered a metal incineration barrel containing the remains of two children – a boy aged between seven and 10, and a girl aged between 15 and 19. Laboratory analysis confirmed the girl’s body was that of London Deven.
After interviewing the children, police concluded that London died from malnutrition, violence and neglect — the exact same reasons as Blake. The children claimed that someone had forced them to attend London’s funeral.
They claimed the London foster mother had failed to file a formal missing persons report despite the child having special needs.
The remaining remains are currently being examined for correct identification.
Avante Deven is being held without bail at the Cumberland County Detention Center.
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