APPLETON, WI – Three adults from Outagamie County face serious charges after authorities say a teenage girl in their care was discovered near death from severe neglect, weighing just 35 pounds at 14 years old.
Walter S. Goodman, the girl’s father, along with Savanna LeFever, her adult stepsister, and Kayla Stemler, LeFever’s partner, were arrested and now face multiple felony charges of chronic child neglect, causing great bodily harm, and emotional damage.
Emergency responders were called to Goodman’s Appleton-area home on August 21 after he reported his daughter was unresponsive and had not eaten for several days. Goodman told dispatchers his daughter, who is autistic, had not been eating or drinking, appeared “comatose,” and suffered from self-inflicted wounds.
Responders found the teenager in alarming condition. According to medical reports, she appeared “very underweight and malnourished,” with her bones visibly pronounced beneath her skin. Paramedics compared her size to that of a young elementary schooler.
The girl was immediately transported to a Green Bay hospital, but doctors quickly determined her condition was life-threatening and she was flown to Children’s Hospital in Milwaukee. Medical assessments identified a dangerously low blood glucose level, elevated temperature, hypothermia, multiple bedsores, and bruising. Doctors reportedly feared she could suffer catastrophic organ failure within three days if her condition did not improve.
Medical experts also noted there was no record of the girl receiving medical care over the last five years, dating back to when her mother was incarcerated and she began living with her father and extended family.
During police interviews, Goodman stated his daughter had been ill and vomiting for almost a week but insisted her symptoms were “normal kid stuff,” and he had not sought medical help. When questioned further, he told officers that, suspecting low blood sugar, he had given her only soda to drink.
Authorities learned Goodman had placed a camera and alarm in the girl’s bedroom, claiming they were to monitor her due to “self-harming behavior” and sleep issues. Despite her dangerously low weight, Goodman blamed her condition on lack of sleep rather than malnutrition.
Investigators also spoke to a friend of Goodman’s, who recalled hearing him make disturbing remarks about his daughter’s behavior and threats to withhold food as punishment or lock her in her room. The friend noted previous occasions when Goodman expressed animosity toward the child, including saying he wished he could abandon her.
In their investigation, police reached out to one of the girl’s former teachers, who described her as a healthy and sociable third-grade student. The teacher said she never witnessed any signs suggesting that the girl was autistic or required special education services.
Authorities allege that LeFever and Stemler, who both helped care for the teenager when Goodman and his wife were away, perpetuated the ongoing abuse and neglect. The pattern of mistreatment reportedly continued during periods when the household’s attention was focused on caring for another ill child.
At a court appearance on Tuesday, prosecutors described this as one of the most severe cases of neglect they had seen in decades, underscoring the teen’s critical condition at the time she was discovered.
Bond for Goodman and Stemler was set at $150,000 each, while LeFever’s bond was set at $100,000, all cash only. Court records did not immediately indicate when the three were expected to appear before a judge again.