Monkey Trade, Probation, and System Failure | St. Louis News

A Missouri woman, Brenda Deutsch, got seven years for child endangerment—though she’ll dodge jail if she stays trouble-free for three years on probation. The case exploded after claims she swapped a child for a monkey, prompting Judge Thomas Frawley to slam the state’s child welfare system and revoke her foster license on the spot. Her own daughter Brina Johnson exposed the pattern: Deutsch owned seven monkeys and neglected both kids and animals. While defenders like Bryan Hargis called it a “travesty of justice,” citing her past missionary work, the teen victim is now stepping forward with support—including a GoFundMe—to start fresh, even buying a car for senior year. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/e61954e531e085f5