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The Definitive Answer: Was Natalia Grace A Child? DNA Test Finally Reveals The Shocking Truth

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The case of Natalia Grace, the Ukrainian orphan adopted by an Indiana couple who later claimed she was an adult sociopath masquerading as a child, remains one of the most bizarre and disturbing true crime stories of the 21st century. The central question—was she a child or an adult?—has fueled years of legal battles, sensational media coverage, and the explosive docuseries *The Curious Case of Natalia Grace*. As of late December 2025, the latest scientific evidence has finally provided a definitive answer, offering clarity that was absent during the most dramatic moments of the Barnett family saga. The controversy centers on a 2012 court order that legally changed Natalia's age from 8 to 22, a ruling that allowed her adoptive parents, Michael and Kristine Barnett, to leave her to live alone. New revelations, particularly from the 2024 follow-up docuseries *Natalia Speaks*, have brought forward compelling evidence—including a state-of-the-art DNA test—that strongly refutes the Barnetts' claims and confirms the true timeline of her life. The findings reshape the entire narrative, suggesting a young girl with a rare medical condition was abandoned by the very people who vowed to protect her.

Natalia Grace: Biography and Profile

Natalia Grace is a Ukrainian-born American who became the subject of an international media firestorm after her adoptive parents, Kristine and Michael Barnett, accused her of being a manipulative adult rather than a child.

  • Full Name: Natalia Vadymivna Gava (Birth Name), Natalia Grace Barnett (Adoptive Name)
  • Date of Birth (Official/Alleged): September 4, 2003 (Based on Ukrainian birth records and recent DNA testing)
  • Estimated Current Age (Late 2025): 22 years old
  • Birthplace: Mykolaiv, Ukraine
  • Condition: Spondyloepiphyseal Dysplasia Congenita (SEDc), a rare bone growth disorder that causes severe dwarfism and skeletal abnormalities.
  • Adoption: Adopted by Michael and Kristine Barnett in 2010.
  • Legal Status Controversy: Legally re-aged from 8 to 22 by an Indiana court in 2012.
  • Current Status: Living with her new adoptive family, Antwon and Cynthia Mans, in the United States.

The Adoption, The Accusation, and the Shocking "Adult" Claim

The story began in 2010 when Michael and Kristine Barnett adopted Natalia from Ukraine. She was believed to be a six or seven-year-old orphan with a form of dwarfism known as spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia congenita (SEDc).

The Barnett family, already nationally recognized for raising their son Jacob Barnett, a child prodigy, initially welcomed Natalia into their Westfield, Indiana home. However, their relationship quickly deteriorated.

The Barnetts began to claim that Natalia was not a child at all, but a fully grown adult with a dark past who was actively attempting to harm their family. Kristine Barnett alleged that Natalia displayed signs of adult behavior, including having adult teeth, showing no growth over a period of time, and exhibiting sociopathic tendencies.

These claims led to the most controversial aspect of the case: the Barnetts' petition to the Marion County Probate Court to legally change Natalia's age.

In 2012, a judge signed an order that officially changed Natalia’s legal birth year from 2003 to 1989, effectively re-aging her from 8 to 22 years old. This reclassification was a pivotal and legally disastrous moment for Natalia.

The Barnetts subsequently moved to Canada, leaving the now-legally-adult Natalia to live alone in an apartment in Lafayette, Indiana. They claimed she was a "con artist" and that their actions were self-defense against a dangerous adult.

The Legal Labyrinth and the Failure of Child Neglect Charges

The 2012 court ruling had long-lasting and complicated legal ramifications, particularly regarding the subsequent criminal charges brought against the Barnetts.

In 2019, Michael and Kristine Barnett were charged with neglect of a dependent after the case gained widespread public attention. However, the legal system was severely hampered by the prior age reclassification.

Because the Indiana court had already declared Natalia an adult in 2012, the state's prosecutors were unable to pursue charges of neglect of a child. The legal definition of "dependent" in the state required the victim to be a minor.

Michael Barnett was ultimately acquitted of all charges in 2022, and the charges against Kristine Barnett were later dropped. The controversial re-aging order, which the Barnetts had successfully petitioned for, effectively shielded them from accountability for child neglect. This outcome highlighted a significant flaw in the legal framework surrounding the case.

Throughout the legal proceedings, Michael Barnett maintained that Natalia was a sophisticated adult who had fooled them, a claim that was consistently denied by Natalia herself, who insisted she was a child when she was abandoned.

The Definitive DNA Test: Unmasking the Truth in 2025

The question of "Was Natalia Grace a child?" was finally addressed with a high degree of scientific certainty in the latest installment of the docuseries, *The Curious Case of Natalia Grace: Natalia Speaks*.

In a dramatic revelation, a DNA test was conducted by the medical lab TruDiagnostic, a company specializing in age estimation through epigenetics. The test provided a new, independent, and scientifically grounded estimate of Natalia’s true age.

The results, which were made public in late 2023 and continue to be the most current evidence, estimated that Natalia was approximately 22 years old at the time of the test (August 2023).

This finding supports two critical facts:

  1. Natalia was a child: If Natalia was 22 in August 2023, she would have been approximately 9 years old when the Barnetts successfully petitioned the court to have her age changed to 22 in 2012.
  2. Ukrainian Records Corroborated: The DNA test aligns closely with the initial Ukrainian birth records, which placed her birth date in 2003.

The scientific evidence effectively proves that Natalia Grace was a child—a young girl with spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia—when she was adopted and when she was subsequently re-aged and abandoned by the Barnett family.

This revelation is a powerful counterpoint to the Barnetts' narrative that she was a "vicious adult" who had tricked them. For many, the TruDiagnostic results finally closed the book on the most contentious aspect of this true crime mystery.

Where Is Natalia Grace Now?

Following the tumultuous years with the Barnett family, Natalia has found stability and support. She was eventually taken in by Antwon and Cynthia Mans, a couple who appeared in the docuseries.

The Mans family has provided a loving and protective environment for Natalia, and she considers them her true family. Her current life, as depicted in the latest updates, is focused on moving past the trauma of her abandonment and the intense media scrutiny.

The definitive proof that Natalia Grace was a child when she was abandoned has shifted the public's perception, transforming the narrative from a question of identity to a clear-cut case of alleged child neglect and abandonment. While the legal system failed to hold the former adoptive parents accountable for child neglect due to the flawed re-aging order, the scientific truth is now undeniable: Natalia Grace was, in fact, a young girl.

was natalia grace a child
was natalia grace a child

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