Dad Convicted of Brutal Abuse That Nearly Killed Teen

A Wisconsin father may soon join his wife behind bars after being convicted of abusing and starving his 14-year-old daughter, who was found in August 2025 weighing only 35 pounds and described by authorities as “very, very close to death.”

Walter S. Goodman pleaded no contest Tuesday to two counts of chronic neglect of a child—one involving great bodily harm and the other emotional damage—as well as one count of false imprisonment, according to court records.

Goodman is one of four adults charged after authorities discovered the girl living in what Law&Crime previously described as a “house of horrors.” The other defendants are the girl’s stepmother, Melissa Goodman; her adult stepsister, Savanna LeFever; and LeFever’s partner, Kayla Stemler.

Melissa Goodman was sentenced earlier to 15 years in prison, while Stemler received an eight-year sentence. LeFever is scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 3.

The criminal complaint says Walter Goodman called 911 on Aug. 21, 2025, reporting that his daughter was autistic, had not eaten in “the last four [or] five days,” and appeared “comatose.” Responding paramedics found her profoundly underweight and malnourished, with her collarbone, ribs, hips and cheekbones clearly visible. Authorities said she appeared to be the size of a child between 6 and 8 years old.

She was initially transported to a Green Bay hospital and later flown to Children’s Hospital in Milwaukee. Doctors diagnosed severe malnutrition and found her blood glucose level was 24. She was also hypothermic and suffering from multiple bedsores. Physicians warned that she could experience catastrophic organ failure within 72 hours.

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Investigators concluded that the girl’s condition had deteriorated over several years. After Walter Goodman obtained custody in 2020, she stopped attending school and was allegedly confined to her bedroom, where her father had installed a camera and an alarm on the door.

A friend of Goodman’s told police that he had heard the father threaten to withhold food from the girl when she misbehaved. The probable cause affidavit states:

He heard [Walter Goodman] make comments like, “If she misbehaves, I’m not going to feed her today.” [The friend] said he told [Walter Goodman] that he can’t do that, and [Walter Goodman] said, “Well I keep her locked up in her bedroom with a camera on her, and that’s where she stays.” [The friend] said he told [Walter Goodman] that he can’t lock a kid in a bedroom, that was abuse. [The friend] indicated that at times when [Walter Goodman] brought [the victim] to his house, [Walter Goodman] would tell [the victim] to “Shut the f— up,” and “Sit there and don’t say nothing.”

Stemler lived at the home with LeFever, Melissa Goodman and Walter Goodman. Authorities alleged that Stemler and LeFever looked after the girl when Walter and Melissa Goodman were away caring for another child who was receiving cancer treatment.

Prosecutors have also described other conditions the girl allegedly endured during the five years before she was rescued. According to the Post-Crescent, she was not permitted to leave her bedroom without supervision, and a blanket had been nailed over the window.

The girl was also allegedly deprived of food and water while adults in the home watched her through the bedroom camera.

Goodman is scheduled to be sentenced Feb. 2, 2027. He faces a maximum sentence of 28 years in prison.