What is ID’s The Curious Case of Natalia Grace all about? Details analyzed

Natalia Grace, a Ukrainian girl with dwarfism, was adopted in 2010 by Michael and Kristine Barnett, who believed she was a vulnerable 6-year-old orphan. What began as an act of compassion quickly turned into a nightmare of accusations, as the couple claimed Natalia exhibited adult behaviors, including attempts to poison them and threats to their children.

They alleged she was actually in her twenties, masquerading as a child to infiltrate their home. This led to her abandonment in a rundown apartment in 2013, sparking years of legal battles, age disputes, and shifting family alliances.

The story, ripped from headlines, raises questions about trust, disability, and the fragility of family bonds.

Investigation Discovery's (ID) docuseries The Curious Case of Natalia Grace dives deep into these events across three seasons, offering interviews, court documents, and DNA evidence to piece together the truth.

Season 1 (2023) covers the adoption and fallout; Season 2, Natalia Speaks (2024), gives her perspective; and Season 3, The Final Chapter releasing on January 6, 2025. Viewers can stream all episodes on Max, Hulu, or ID GO, with new episodes available immediately after airing on ID's cable channel.

The Curious Case of Natalia Grace: The adoption and early suspicions

Natalia Grace was born on September 4, 2003, in Ukraine, diagnosed with spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia congenita, a form of dwarfism that stunts growth but does not affect mental development.

Orphaned young, she entered the U.S. adoption system after her first adoptive family from New Hampshire returned her in 2008 due to challenges with her condition.

In April 2010, Michael and Kristine Barnett, parents to three biological sons, including a child prodigy, received an urgent call about Natalia, then presented as a 6-year-old needing a home within 24 hours.

The couple, moved by her story, finalized the adoption on November 3, 2010, in Marion County, Indiana.

The early months brought adjustments. In late 2010, Natalia Grace had foot surgery in an effort to deal with her dwarfism-related mobility problem. However, the Barnetts quickly found discrepancies. They said her usage of complex language, menstruation, and the development of pubic hair indicated clearly that she was a grown woman.

Michael Barnette would later relate how there had been episodes like her attempting to push nine-month-old Kristine down the stairs, and plans to use bleach in orange juice, in an effort to poison the family.

By 2011, the Barnetts sought the assistance of some doctors, some doubting even her age based on the belief that her original Ukrainian papers may have been forged, as per ABC News.

The legal age change and abandonment

Faced with growing unease, the Barnetts sought a drastic solution. In June 2012, they petitioned a Tippecanoe County court to amend Natalia's birth year from 2003 to 1989, effectively declaring her 22 years old.

Supporting documents included assessments from a physician and social worker, though no formal hearing or guardian ad litem for Natalia Grace was involved.

The court approved the change just 11 days later, allowing her to live independently as an adult, according to ABC News.

Emboldened, the family relocated to Canada in July 2013 for Michael's work, leaving Natalia Grace in a one-bedroom apartment in Lafayette, Indiana, with no utilities or support.

She was 9 years old biologically but legally 24. Neighbors recalled her struggles: scavenging food from dumpsters, facing eviction threats, and relying on community aid. One resident described finding her asleep on a urine-soaked mattress during freezing winters.

The Barnetts maintained contact sporadically via phone, but Natalia Grace accused them of neglect, as per ABC News.

Word of her plight spread, drawing media attention in 2019 via the film Abandoned, which portrayed her as a victim. This exposure prompted investigations into the abandonment's legality.

Natalia's isolation ended when the Mans family, Bishop Antwon, and Cynthia adopted her in 2014, providing stability amid the chaos.

The age alteration and desertion became central to debates on adoption ethics and child welfare laws.

Criminal charges and trials 

The aftereffect began manifesting itself in 2019. Indiana police charged Michael and Kristine Barnett with neglect charges in relation to a dependent, specifically six charges, with the belief that they intentionally left the dependent, the impaired child, alone.

They both held trials, but with each one holding their trial separately, with trials starting with Michael, as reported by VOX. Michael's trial in Tippecanoe County took five days in October 2022.

Evidence was given by witnesses, including Natalia, regarding the effect of abandonment.

The defendant had a point that the new age eliminated responsibility. It took two hours for the jury to return a verdict, which was not guilty for Michael on all charges. They dismissed charges three as impossible to prove.

Kristine's trial, which was scheduled for 2023, had charges dismissed in June. The reason was a lack of evidence and the statute of limitations.

A pivotal 2023 DNA test by TruDiagnostic analyzed Natalia's bone marrow, estimating her birth around 2001, making her 8 or 9 at adoption and 11 or 12 at abandonment. This led an Indiana court to restore her original 2003 birth year.

The trials exposed flaws in expedited legal processes and raised awareness about adoptees with disabilities, influencing discussions on guardianship protections, according to VOX.

Watch The Curious Case of Natalia Grace premiering on January 6, 2025, on ID.