On August 21, 2025, Walter Goodman placed a 9-1-1 call from his Wisconsin trailer saying he was worried about his daughter. According to PEOPLE, he claimed she had not eaten for four to five days and was lethargic, alternating between vomiting and appearing comatose. When the dispatcher asked if the teenager, who is on the autism spectrum, was in any pain, Walter said, “I don’t know – she won’t even talk. She’s just laying there with her eyes open all creepy.”
When the first police officer arrived, the reality was far worse than a simple health concern. The officer noted that the victim appeared severely underweight and malnourished, with her rib cage, collar bone, hip, and cheekbones being very prominent. The girl looked like a child half her age, specifically appearing to be around 6 years old.
An investigation into how this could happen led to the arrest of four individuals: the father, Walter Goodman, his wife, Melissa Goodman, and two others, Savanna LeFever and Kayla Stemler. All four face multiple felony charges, including chronic neglect of a child. Now, on May 6th, Melissa Goodman entered a no-contest plea to charges of chronic neglect causing great bodily harm, chronic neglect causing emotional damage, and false imprisonment.
Some people are just evil
When the girl had arrived at the hospital, medical staff discovered she was only 35lbs, and was suffering from a litany of life-threatening conditions. This includes acute respiratory failure, cardiac dysfunction, severe acute hepatitis, pancreatitis, hypothermia, and hypoglycemia. She also had untreated diabetes, a condition her own mother suffered from and one that ran in the family.
Evidence uncovered by police paints a grim picture of the home environment. When executing a search warrant on Melissa Goodman’s cell phone, investigators found text messages revealing a pattern of abuse.
In some messages, Melissa threatened to remove the victim’s bed and force her to sleep on the floor. Other evidence included photos of the girl on a bare floor, wearing nothing but underwear and socks. There were also texts where Melissa voiced support after learning the victim had been beaten with a belt and instructed her daughter to go “slap her azz again.”
The conditions inside the home were restrictive and inhumane. On August 27, 2025, police discovered a bolt lock in a closet that matched screw holes on the victim’s bedroom door, suggesting she had been kept captive.
The victim later told hospital staff that she believed it had been two to four years since she had last played outside. While hospitalized, she told nurses she did not know what deodorant was and claimed she only showered weekly or monthly. When staff informed her she would be receiving three meals a day, her eyes reportedly lit up, and she remarked that her father “doesn’t like when I eat that much.”
Thankfully, she is now on the road to recovery, which is nothing short of a miracle. Per PEOPLE, loved ones recently shared in a GoFundMe campaign that she has made tremendous progress. In just a few months, the girl has grown 3 inches and doubled her body weight. Her body is finally beginning to heal, and she is gaining the muscle mass and strength she lost to years of neglect.
Beyond these physical gains, she is also learning the basics of self-care, such as brushing her teeth, caring for her hair, and bathing. It is heartening to hear that she is growing more independent each day and is looking forward to a brighter future.
The legal proceedings are now moving forward as the defendants face the possibility of decades in prison. Melissa Goodman is currently facing up to 46 years in prison and is set to be sentenced on July 1. As for the others, the investigation remains active.
Unfortunately, there are too many stories out there of the vulnerable, like children, being abused by the people supposed to protect them. Recently, a couple was arrested for keeping the children they had guardianship of in torture conditions. Even worse, a children’s facility in New York was also mistreating children.
So, I believe, that it falls to all of us to be the village to protect the children who need it. To be vigilant and to care enough to call out the problems.
Published: May 9, 2026 08:01 am