Foster mother accused of trading child for a MONKEY fully avoids jail time

A Missouri foster mother who allegedly traded a child for a monkey will avoid jail time, a judge has ruled. Brenda Deutsch was sentenced to seven years in prison for child endangerment on Thursday by Lincoln County Judge Thomas Frawley, but he later suspended the sentence, Fox 2 reported. Instead, the 70-year-old has to complete three years of state-supervised probation, according to the outlet. If she stays out of trouble during that time, she will avoid prison completely. Deutsch, of Winfield, accepted a plea deal in June after police said that she sent her eighth-grade-aged foster daughter, Annabella Rodriquez, to live with a family in Texas in exchange for the monkey, according to investigators. Rodriquez, who initially chose to remain anonymous, has gone on to launch a GoFundMe page to help her 'regain independence' after the ordeal. Her situation only came to light after her excessive school absences triggered an investigation by the Winfield School District in February 2025, the Daily Mail previously reported. During the probe, officials uncovered that the girl, now 17, had been turned over to Child Protective Services (CPS) in Texas after her new caretaker left her with another family who were unable to look after her. At the time, Lincoln County Prosecuting Attorney Mike Wood said that the Rodriquez's new caretakers were 'disabled and not able to take care of the child.' Brenda Deutsch, a Missouri foster mother accused of trading a foster child for a monkey, walked free on Thursday after a judge suspended her sentence Deutsch allegedly traded Annabelle Rodriquez for the monkey when the girl was in the eighth grade. She claims she was sent to a family in Texas as part of the trade'From what we can tell, the child was taking care of them,' Wood added. After being released, Deutsch refused to talk to the press and covered her face with a white piece of paper outside the courthouse, according to footage obtained by the outlet. She got in a car and drove away as her supporters and critics stood outside. One of the people against Deutsch is her biological daughter, Brina Johnson. 'I am kind of lost for words because this is not the end we wished for,' Johnson said. She testified in court about alleged abuse at the hands of her mother. Johnson also sat next to the former foster child inside the courtroom. Johnson confirmed that Rodriquez was in fact traded for an animal, telling the local outlet: 'I have the whole conversation on my phone, which I turned over to the detectives.' She also revealed that this wasn't Deutsch's first monkey. Lincoln County Judge Thomas Frawley initially sentenced the 70-year-old to seven years in prison, but he suspended the sentence. Now she will be on three years of state-supervised probation'That's what she did; she had at least seven monkeys. That's just her thing. But she wasn't any nicer to those monkeys than she was to a child,' Johnson continued. After making his ruling, Judge Frawley called Deutsch 'reprehensible', and slammed the state of Missouri for letting her keep her foster care license. Frawley revoked her license and looked at victims in the courtroom, apologizing for the system's failures, Fox 2 reported. 'It was good to know somebody knows from the other side of the street that this shouldn’t have happened. None of it should. And the system did fail us, failed them all,' Johnson stated. Meanwhile, Bryan Hargis, a local supporter of Deutsch, called the case 'a travesty of justice.' 'They've tried to turn somebody into a villain that's not,' Hargis said, according to the report. He showed up to court last week with several others to show their support for Deutsch. 'She’s done missionary work. She’s been to Africa to help needy children. She’s a very caring person,' Hargis added. Before she was busted over the alleged monkey trade, authorities were investigating Deutsch after the Missouri Department of Social Services received an anonymous tip in November 2024 that she was abusing the girl, court documents said. The child told investigators her foster mother hit her in the face, whacked her with a paddle, and smacked her, leaving her with injuries and bleeding, the probable cause document viewed by the Daily Mail said. Brina Johnson, Deutsch's biological daughter, was at the court hearing on Thursday. She said that her mother has at least seven monkeysShe told investigators that the abuse had begun three years prior, from September 2022 to January 2025.She also detailed a time when Deutsch was leaning over her while she lay on the living room floor, where the foster mother allegedly struck her and called her a 'b**ch,' the probable cause document said.The girl claimed Deutsch instructed a family member to hold her down while she pulled down the girl's pants and spanked her with a paddle, the document said.The former eighth grader also said Deutsch threatened to 'kill her' and that the older woman called her 'annoying and rude.' She also said she spoke with many people about Deutsch's behavior, but her complaints were not believed, per the document. She also told investigators that she spent nine months in a residential psychiatric facility when she was 14 due to Deutsch calling the police on her after she tried to run away, court documents said.She also told police that other children had been abused by Deutsch. The Daily Mail contacted Wood and Rodriquez for comment. An attorney is not listed for Deutsch in online court records.