A Wisconsin woman will spend nearly a decade behind bars for severely abusing and starving a 14-year-old autistic girl who authorities discovered weighing just 35 pounds in what investigators described as a "house of horrors." Outagamie County Circuit Judge Vince Biskupic sentenced Kayla Stemler, 28, to eight years in state prison Monday after she pleaded no contest to charges of chronic neglect causing great bodily harm, chronic neglect causing emotional damage, and false imprisonment.
Background
The girl was discovered critically malnourished on Aug. 21, 2025, when her father, Walter S. Goodman, called 911 reporting his daughter had not eaten in four or five days and appeared to be "comatose." First responders found the teenager severely underweight with her collarbone, rib cage, hips, and cheekbones visibly prominent — appearing to be the size of a 6- to 8-year-old child despite being 14 years old.
Investigators later determined that after Walter Goodman gained custody in 2020, the girl stopped attending school and was kept inside her bedroom where he had installed a camera and an alarm on the door. A friend of Goodman's told police he heard the father threaten to withhold food if she misbehaved.
"If she misbehaves, I'm not going to feed her today," the friend reported hearing, according to a probable cause affidavit. "Well I keep her locked up in her bedroom with a camera on her, and that's where she stays."
The girl was taken to a hospital in Green Bay before being airlifted to Children's Hospital in Milwaukee. Doctors diagnosed her with severe malnourishment and found she had a glucose level of 24, was hypothermic, and had multiple bedsores. Medical staff expressed concern she could suffer catastrophic organ failure within 72 hours.
The Charges
Stemler pleaded no contest to all three felony charges as party to a crime. She lived in the home with her partner, Savanna LeFever; LeFever's mother, Melissa Goodman; and Walter Goodman. Prosecutors alleged Stemler and LeFever were responsible for caring for the girl when the other adults were away so another child could receive cancer treatment.
During Monday's hearing, prosecutors detailed additional conditions the teenager allegedly endured during five years of captivity — not permitted to leave her bedroom without supervision, a blanket nailed over her window, and food and water denied while adults monitored her through the bedroom camera.
Judge Biskupic described the circumstances as "jaw-dropping," "stunning," and "sickening." He told Stemler she had "thousands of opportunities" to seek help for the girl.
"You chose, whether for selfish reasons or acting in a blind fashion, to continue the status quo for this child," Biskupic said, according to the Post-Crescent. "Using the phrase 'skin and bones' is almost too generic. It's the look of anguish on that child's face."
The victim addressed the court in a recorded statement: "Today I want the court to know this: I was never worthless; I was never a burden. I was a child who deserved to be loved."
Key Takeaways
- Stemler received eight years incarceration plus three years extended supervision and two years probation
- She was credited with 287 days already served in custody
- The girl weighed just 35 pounds when found — appearing the size of a child half her age
- Four adults face charges; Melissa Goodman previously sentenced to 15 years, LeFever has plea hearing Aug. 28
- Stemler ordered to have no contact with victim, family, or co-defendants and cannot work in caregiving capacity
What's Next
Stemler is the second adult sentenced in connection with the abuse case. Savanna LeFever is scheduled for a plea hearing Aug. 28. Walter Goodman is set to return to court Oct. 30 for further proceedings.