Researcher Claims a Family He Documented Was Hiding the Truth

In the early 2000s, photographer and documentary creator Mark Laita began exploring communities and individuals whose stories were rarely covered by mainstream media. During one of his trips through rural West Virginia, he encountered the Whittaker family, a family living near the small community of Odd.

What initially appeared to be another documentary subject eventually became one of the most recognized and widely discussed projects of his career. Over time, millions of people around the world would learn about the family through interviews, videos, and online documentaries.