Stepmom of teen found weighing just 35 pounds pleads no contest to chronic neglect

APPLETON, Wis. (TCN) -- The stepmother of a 35-pound teen at the center of a neglect and starvation case has pleaded no contest to two counts of chronic neglect of a child and one count of false imprisonment.

On Aug. 25, 2025, officers responded to a home after receiving a call that a girl at the residence was lethargic and had not eaten in several days. When they arrived, they found the child in question and initially believed she was between 6 and 8 years old; she was 14. The girl, whose name has not been released, was transported to a hospital for treatment of severe malnutrition. 

The girl weighed 35 pounds and doctors noted she had pancreatitis, acute hepatitis, respiratory failure, optic nerve neuropathy, pressure sores, and cardiac dysfunction. An investigation revealed she had not been to a doctor in several years and she was frequently locked in her room and monitored with a camera. 

In November 2025, four adults were charged in connection with the child’s treatment: her father, Walter Goodman; Melissa Goodman, her stepmother; Savannah LeFever, Melissa Goodman’s adult daughter; and Kayla Stemler, LeFever’s partner. They were each charged with five counts of chronic neglect.

WHAM reports 52-year-old Melissa Goodman was convicted on May 6. She pleaded no contest one count of chronic neglect of a child — consequence is great bodily harm and one count of chronic neglect of a child — consequence is emotional damage, and one count of false imprisonment. Three additional neglect counts were dismissed as part of her plea.

According to WHAM, Stemler was scheduled to enter a plea on May 7, Walter Goodman has a pretrial conference scheduled for May 28, and LeFever has a pretrial conference scheduled for June 17. Spectrum News 1 reports Stemler is now facing three charges, the same as what Melissa Goodman was convicted of.

A GoFundMe page set up by the victim’s cousin Leslie Doxater details the progress the victim has made. It reads, “Since her rescue, she has made remarkable strides. In just a few months, she has grown 3 inches and doubled her body weight. Her body, which had been deprived of nourishment for far too long, is beginning to heal. She has gained muscle mass and is gradually regaining the strength lost to years of neglect. With the support of physical therapy, her movements are becoming more fluid and less painful.

“Activities that many of us take for granted, like climbing stairs or balancing on one foot, are becoming easier for her every day. Beyond the physical recovery, she is also working on the basics of self-care — things many of us do without thinking, like bathing, brushing her teeth, and caring for her hair. These simple tasks were denied to her for so long, and each day she grows more independent as she learns to care for herself.”

An update from another family member on March 27 reads, “While we are careful not to share anything that could impact the ongoing criminal proceedings, we can confidently say that [the victim] continues to grow and thrive in every possible way... Once the criminal trials are complete, we will be able to share a more detailed and comprehensive update. For now, please know that she is doing far better than anyone could have imagined.”

Per WHAM, Melissa Goodman is scheduled to be sentenced on July 1. WBAY reports she could face up to 25 years for the bodily harm charge, 15 years for the emotional harm charge, and six years for the false imprisonment charge.

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