Man Who Documented America's 'Most Inbred Family' Says They've Been Lying To Him All Along

A man who set out to help what he described as America’s “most inbred family” has revealed that the experience took an unexpected turn when the people he supported ended up deceiving him.

Mark Laita, a photographer and filmmaker, first encountered the Whittaker family in 2004 while working on a photo project. Over time, he became known for documenting their story, referring to them as “the most popular inbred family in the United States.”

His long-term involvement with the Whittakers included repeated visits to their hometown of Odd, West Virginia, where he shared videos of their lives and interactions on his YouTube channel, Soft White Underbelly. His work drew global attention, offering viewers a rare look into their day-to-day existence.

Despite his efforts to portray the family with empathy, not all of their interactions were peaceful. During one of his early visits, members of the Whittaker family reportedly confronted Laita and even “pulled a gun” on him, uncertain of his intentions.

In a later YouTube interview, Laita spoke with a cousin of the family named John, who explained that the Whittakers had long been targets of ridicule and cruelty from outsiders. "When I was growing up, people would come here and they would throw eggs at the house," he said. "They would throw stuff at the house and scream all hours of the night. I mean, people [were] just rude."

The Whittakers are said to be America's 'most inbred family' Soft White Underbelly/YouTube

Keeping that history in mind, it’s not surprising that the family was initially wary when Laita approached them. According to him, John’s brother brandished a gun during their first meeting. Once they realized he wasn’t a threat, the tension eased, and over time, they grew to trust him.

However, years into their relationship, things took a dramatic turn when Laita discovered that the family had misled him about something serious. Reports later surfaced suggesting that they had staged the death of one of their relatives, a man named Larry, who they claimed had passed away from a heart attack.

This revelation shocked Laita and created a rift in what had been a long and complicated friendship between the filmmaker and the family.

Laita said he donated $1,000 to cover funeral expenses for Larry after hearing of his supposed death, only to later learn that Larry was still alive. The truth came out in a YouTube video titled “The Death of Larry Whittaker,” which quickly went viral among viewers of his channel.

In the video, Larry himself appeared on camera, sitting outside his family home and discussing the bizarre situation surrounding his own “death.” The footage confirmed that the entire story had been fabricated.

When asked about the rumors, Larry responded bluntly: "No, I just heard of it last night on a video."

Laita later explained that Larry’s daughter, known as BJ, had contacted him to request money for funeral costs. After receiving the funds, she eventually admitted that she had lied and later apologized. While Laita was disappointed, he accepted her apology and continued visiting the family afterward.

Following the 2024 incident, Laita appeared to reconcile with the Whittakers and even returned to document more of their lives, showing a level of compassion despite the betrayal.

Even after being deceived, Laita didn’t abandon the family completely. When tragedy struck again and their mobile home burned down last year, he stepped in to help once more by organizing a GoFundMe campaign to raise funds for them.

As of now, the fundraiser has brought in about $8,670, which Laita said will go toward helping the family rebuild and recover from the devastating loss of their home.