‘I hope you have fun in jail’: Stepmom sentenced to 15 years for chronic neglect of teen found weighing 35 pounds

OUTAGAMIE COUNTY, Wis. (TCN) -- A 52-year-old woman has been sentenced to 15 years in prison in connection with the neglect of her stepdaughter, who was found weighing 35 pounds last year at age 14.

In August 2025, police arrived at a home after receiving a report that a teenage girl was unresponsive. First responders initially believed the girl was 6 to 8 years old based on her size. She was taken to the hospital and treated for malnutrition, pancreatitis, acute hepatitis, respiratory failure, optic nerve neuropathy, pressure sores, and cardiac dysfunction. She weighed only 35 pounds and had not been to school or the doctor in years. 

A GoFundMe page set up by the victim’s cousin has detailed the teen’s progress and improving health. A March 27 update 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. She truly is a miracle. From surviving what she endured to the incredible progress she has made, her resilience is nothing short of astounding. 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.”

Four adults in the home were charged in connection with the victim’s neglect. Her stepmother, Melissa Goodman; her father, Walter Goodman; Melissa Goodman’s adult daughter, Savannah LeFever; and LeFever’s partner, Kayla Stemler, were each charged with five counts of chronic neglect.

Melissa Goodman pleaded no contest to the charges and was convicted May 6. WLUK reports she was sentenced July 1 to 15 years behind bars followed by 10 years of extended supervision.

At the sentencing, the judge compared photos of the victim when she was found to images of victims of the Holocaust, according to WLUK. 

The victim went to live with a great-aunt after she was released from the children’s hospital in October 2025. WBAY reports she told the court the victim is developmentally more like a 9- or 10-year-old and was unsure if she was allowed to get food from the cupboard. When given permission, she would get up throughout the night to eat.

Her great-aunt stated that the victim got a compression fracture from standing and that her skin was so sensitive it hurt to take a shower.

Goodman apologized for her conduct, stating she now understood the nature of what she had participated in. WBAY reports she said, “It was never my intention to hurt anyone. Sometimes, when you’re in the middle of a situation, you don’t see how serious it is until you’re removed from it and look back.”

An audio statement recorded by the victim and directed at Melissa Goodman was played at the sentencing. She said, “You really ruined my childhood, and it hurts that you did. You isolated me from my family, the only ones who actually cared. You had the choice to help when I needed it, but instead you joined in on the abuse and neglect. So I hope you have fun in jail because that’s where you need to be.”

According to WBAY, the victim’s grandmother’s impact statement said, “All Melissa had to do at any point was say she couldn’t handle her. That’s it. One phone call, one honest moment, and I would have taken my granddaughter back in a heartbeat, no questions asked, no hesitation. … Instead, she was kept away from us. She was kept out of reach from the very people who would have protected her.”

Per WLUK, Walter Goodman is undergoing a competency hearing and is scheduled to appear in court July 7. LeFever’s pretrial conference is scheduled for July 20 and Stemler’s sentencing is scheduled for July 24.

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