North Carolina prosecutors have formally put the death penalty on the table for Avantae Deven, a Fayetteville woman charged in the deaths of her two adopted children, Blake and London Deven. A grand jury returned an indictment on March 10, charging Deven with multiple felonies, including two counts of first‑degree murder. Her next court appearance is scheduled for May 6, 2026.
Cumberland County Assistant District Attorney Kayley Haber filed the notice that the state plans to seek capital punishment, according to ABC11. The outlet reports that Deven faces five felony counts and that neither child had been publicly accounted for in years before the case surfaced.
“Our evidence shows that both Blake and London are deceased,” Fayetteville Police Chief Kemberle Braden said as investigators outlined allegations of prolonged abuse that included starvation, according to ABC11. Police say the adoptive mother repeatedly abused the children and that evidence collected through searches and interviews supports those claims.
Allegations And Evidence Uncovered
Warrants and court filings describe a grim trail of evidence. Detectives say partial skeletal remains were recovered from a burn barrel, and investigators allege one child was forced to help dismember a sibling before the remains were burned. WRAL reported that forensic testing and items seized from multiple locations helped corroborate accounts of isolation, torture and severe neglect…