Strange Country Ep. 263: The Curious Case of Natalia Grace

Strange Country

What is the youngest age a child can live on her own? In this episode, Strange Country cohosts Beth and Kelly discuss the absolutely bonkers documentary “The Curious Case of Natalia Grace” that premiered this year on Investigation Discovery. An Indiana couple petitioned a court to have their adopted child re-aged from 9 to 22 so she could be removed from their home and placed in an apartment.

Theme music: Big White Lie by A Cast of Thousands

Cite your sources:

The Curious Case of Natalia Grace. Investigation Discovery, 2023. Investigation Discovery, https://www.investigationdiscovery.com/show/the-curious-case-of-natalia-grace-investigation-discovery-atve-us.

Farzan, Antonia Noori. “Kristine and Michael Barnett charged with abandoning adopted daughter in Indiana.” The Washington Post, 17 September 2019, https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2019/09/17/police-say-she-abandoned-her-adopted-daughter-she-says-girl-was-actually-scamming-adult-sociopath/. Accessed 19 June 2023.

Flynn, Sheila "A six-year-old Ukrainian girl saved by adoption or a murderous adult imposter: Who really is Natalia Grace?" Independent [Online], 1 June 2023, p. NA. Gale OneFile: News, link-gale-cay.orc.scoolaid.net/apps/doc/A751445561/STND?u=nysl_sc_ahs&sid=bookmark-STND&xid=9aa09674. Accessed 19 June 2023.

Leishman, Rachel. “Max's 'The Curious Case of Natalia Grace' Is the Most Off-the-Wall Docuseries.” The Mary Sue, 5 June 2023, https://www.themarysue.com/max-curious-case-of-natalia-grace-docuseries-must-watch/. Accessed 19 June 2023.

Minutaglio, Rose. “Inside the Real-Life 'Orphan' Case: Parenting Author Kristine Barnett Claims Her Adopted Teen Is Actually a Disturbed Adult.” ELLE, 9 October 2019, https://www.elle.com/culture/celebrities/a29205646/kristine-barnett-natalia-grace-adoption/. Accessed 19 June 2023.

Vargas, Ramon Antonio. “Six-year-old orphan or 'con artist' adult? Revisiting the strange story of Natalia Grace.” The Guardian, 4 June 2023, https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/jun/04/natalia-grace-docuseries-hbo-discovery-ukrainian-orphan-con-artist. Accessed 19 June 2023.