'He’s not breathing': Adoptive sister speaks about dismembering brother's body

Cherish Deven described Blake as malnourished and said she was forced to dismember his body after he died.

Posted 4:09 AM yesterday Updated 6:54 PM yesterday

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Chris Lovingood, WRAL anchor/reporter

Editor's note: This story contains information that some readers may find disturbing.

The adoptive sister who admitted dismembering her brother’s body described him as very malnourished before he died.

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Cherish Deven admitted to dismembering Blake’s body in an interview with WRAL Investigates. She said she was forced to do it by her adoptive mother, Avantae Deven.

Avantae Deven is charged with murder of her two adopted children, Blake Deven and London Deven.

“He was very malnourished,” Cherish Deven said of Blake. “[He was] very skinny. You could see bones, almost.

“We were both that way. Everyone was, except for the two youngest.”

Records show Avantae Deven adopted five children across three North Carolina counties: One from McDowell, one from Buncombe and three from Madison.

Cherish Deven said she remembered a chilling moment before Avantae Deven made her dismember her adoptive brother’s body.

“I was in the room when he took his last breath,” Cherish Deven said. “I was banging on the door and I said, ‘He’s not breathing. Something is wrong.’”

Cherish Deven said she tried telling her mother what was happening. She said even an hour before that moment, Blake seemed off.

“She [Avantae Deven] wouldn't listen to me,” Cherish Deven said. “She said, ‘Oh, he's faking it.’”

Cherish Deven says she begged for Avantae Deven to call an ambulance, but it was too late.

“It's very emotional for me,” Cherish Deven said. “It's hard to deal with that and people don't understand.

“People don't get that. And they just want to keep hating and hating and hating on someone who went through trauma themselves."

Cherish Deven says the online criticism and hate became too much, especially comments about how she could have intervened. It’s why she agreed to conduct an interview with WRAL Investigates.

“They’re so quick to judge of ‘why didn’t you report?’ or ‘You could have helped the situation,’” she said

Cherish Deven explained what was happening at the time of Blake Deven’s death.

“How do you expect me to help when I’m being locked in the room myself?” Cherish Deven said. “The only time I get out to go in public is if I'm checking the mailbox or if I'm doing something for Ava. I was being used like a little puppet.”

Avantae Deven is charged with the murder of Blake Deven and London Deven. Avantae Deven's next court date is scheduled for Jan. 16.

“I'm glad that she's behind bars,” Cherish Deven said of her adoptive mother. “She needs to be where she deserves to be.”

WRAL Investigates asked Cherish Deven if Avantae Deven asked her to dismember London Deven’s body too.

“I don't know anything about London because at the time, I had my son, my first son,” Cherish Deven said.

Cherish Deven said London Deven was still alive when she left the home. However, she said London Deven was malnourished.

Cherish Deven said she apologized to the biological mothers of her two adopted brothers.

“I’m sorry that they had to deal with this,” Cherish Deven said. “I’m sorry that they had to get the information like they did.”