The Curious Case of Natalia Grace concludes Tuesday night on Investigation Discovery, promising answers to lingering questions in the infamous adoption case.
Grace, an orphan from Ukraine with a rare form of dwarfism, was adopted by Kristine and Michael Barnett in 2010. The Barnetts and Grace recounted their own versions of what happened next in the first season of the docuseries. Grace alleged that she was mistreated; the Barnetts alleged that she was actually an adult and that people had lied about her age.
Ultimately, the Barnetts went to court, legally changed Grace's birthday to say that she was born in 1989, and put her in an apartment, TODAY reported.
Not only did the Barnetts change Grace's age, they asserted she was an adult "sociopath" who tried to kill members of the family, PEOPLE reported. Grace has denied the Barnetts version and said they first mistreated her and then abandoned her.
After re-aging Grace, the Barnetts moved to Canada, leaving Grace to largely fend for herself despite her physical needs, according to court documents.
"Natalia was born with a form of dwarfism called diastrophic dysplasia, which results in musculoskeletal issues. As she grew older, Natalia would require several corrective surgeries to improve her quality of life," court documents state.
The court documents also state that Ukrainian records show Grace was born in 2003. If true, it would mean that when she was left alone in the apartment by the Barnetts, she was likely between 9 and 10 years old. A DNA test supported that contention, TODAY reported.
The Barnetts were eventually charged with charged with two counts of felony neglect of a dependent, NBC News reported. Those charges were eventually dismissed because, based on the changed birth certificate, Grace was an adult when they left for Canada, The Exponent reported.
In season 2 of the documentary series, Grace recounted her version of events in detail. She had befriended Cynthia Mans, who lived near her apartment. Cynthia and her Christian pastor Antwon Mans invited her to live them and their 10 children. Antwon Mans was even with Grace when she confronted Michael Barnett on camera (the Barnetts are now divorced) and the couple adopted her.
However, season 2 of the documentary ended a shocking twist: Voicemail messages from the Mans to the documentary producers indicated a falling out: "I feel like she's the enemy in the house," Antwon Mans said, among other comments. The full clip is below.
This ending led to season 3 of the documentary, which promises to answer lingering questions like what happened with the Mans and where does Grace live now.
