A Missouri foster mother accused of trading a child for a monkey has avoided jail time after a judge suspended her prison sentence. Brenda Deutsch, 70, was sentenced to seven years in prison for child endangerment on Thursday, but Lincoln County Judge Thomas Frawley suspended the sentence. Deutsch will instead serve three years of state-supervised probation and will avoid prison if she complies with the terms.
Deutsch accepted a plea deal in June after investigators alleged she sent her eighth-grade foster daughter, Annabella Rodriquez, to live with a family in Texas in exchange for a monkey. Rodriquez, now 17, has launched a GoFundMe to help regain her independence following the ordeal.
The situation came to light in February 2025 when the girl's excessive school absences triggered an investigation by the Winfield School District. Officials discovered that Rodriquez had been turned over to Child Protective Services in Texas after her new caretakers were unable to care for her. According to Lincoln County Prosecuting Attorney Mike Wood, the child was essentially caring for her new caretakers, who were described as disabled.
Deutsch's biological daughter, Brina Johnson, testified in court about alleged abuse by her mother and confirmed that Rodriquez was traded for an animal. Johnson stated she has phone conversations documenting the trade. She also claimed Deutsch had a history with monkeys and had owned at least seven.
Judge Frawley called Deutsch's actions "reprehensible" and criticized the state for allowing her to maintain her foster care license. He revoked her license and apologized to victims in the courtroom for the system's failures. Johnson expressed that the system failed the child.
Conversely, Bryan Hargis, a supporter of Deutsch, called the case a "travesty of justice" and described Deutsch as a caring person who had done missionary work. He appeared in court with others to show support for her.
Authorities were investigating Deutsch for alleged child abuse after receiving an anonymous tip in November 2024. Court documents stated the child told investigators that Deutsch had physically abused her from September 2022 to January 2025, including hitting her, striking her with a paddle, and leaving her with injuries. The child also alleged Deutsch threatened to kill her and instructed another family member to hold her down while she was being spanked.
The former foster child also told investigators that she spent nine months in a residential psychiatric facility when she was 14 after Deutsch called the police on her when she attempted to run away. She also claimed other children had been abused by Deutsch.
Deutsch declined to speak to the press after the ruling, covering her face as she left the courthouse. An attorney for Deutsch was not listed in online court records.