The Bizarre Tale of the Adopted Con Artist Dwarf.

A new docuseries on Investigation Discovery explores the strange case of Natalia Grace Barnett, a Ukrainian "orphan" who was adopted by a family who believed she was 6 years old. Her adoptive parents later claimed that she was an adult masquerading as a child. The Barnetts accused Natalia of being a "sociopathic" adult who wanted to harm them and their biological children. Meanwhile, authorities charged the parents with neglecting their disabled daughter. The Barnetts successfully petitioned a court to change Natalia's birth records, determining that she was born on September 4, 1989, making her a 23-year-old adult. The Barnetts moved to Canada when Natalia's lease was up, and police accused them of abandoning their dependent Natalia and forcing her to fend for herself. Michael Barnett was found not guilty of all charges in fall 2022, and Kristine Barnett's trial was scheduled for February this year, but the case was dismissed.