A Wisconsin stepmother accused of starving and imprisoning her 14-year-old autistic stepdaughter until she weighed just 35 pounds has entered a no contest plea to multiple felony charges in a shocking child abuse case.
Plea and Sentencing
Melissa Goodman, 52, appeared by video from jail in a wheelchair and pleaded no contest to chronic neglect causing great bodily harm, chronic neglect causing emotional damage, and false imprisonment. She faces up to 46 years in prison when sentenced on July 1.
The Victim's Condition
According to a criminal complaint, the teenager was found in critical condition on August 21, 2025, after her father, Walter Goodman, called 911. He reported that she had not eaten in four to five days and was lethargic, vomiting, and nearly comatose. When officers arrived at the family's trailer in Oneida, Wisconsin, they found the 14-year-old weighing just 35 pounds. Her bones were visibly protruding, and police initially mistook her for a child half her age.
She was rushed to the hospital suffering from severe malnutrition and life-threatening complications including untreated diabetes, acute respiratory failure, cardiac dysfunction, severe hepatitis, pancreatitis, hypothermia, and hypoglycemia. Nurses noted pressure sores and a massive bruise on her forehead. She required feeding tubes before she could eat on her own.
Alleged Abuse
Prosecutors alleged she had been locked in her bedroom for years, deprived of food and water, forced to sleep on the floor without a mattress, and monitored by surveillance cameras. The girl told police she had not been outside the home for at least two years. She was given limited bathroom access and was not allowed to speak except into a surveillance camera mounted in her bedroom.
Investigators recovered text messages from Melissa Goodman's phone in which she allegedly instructed family members to remove the girl's bed, limit her access to water, and 'slap her azz again.' Police also found photos of the teen lying on the bare floor wearing only underwear and socks.
Victim's Statements
The victim later told hospital staff she believed it had been two to four years since she last played outside. She wrote notes asking: 'I need a snack,' 'Can I watch TV?', 'I need to poop,' and 'I can't breathe.' Once she regained enough strength to communicate, she repeatedly scribbled messages including 'I'm hungry' and asked when she would be allowed to eat. After receiving chocolate pudding, she reportedly said: 'My dad will be so mad.' When asked why, she replied: 'He doesn't like when I eat this much.'
When nurses told her she would receive three meals a day, her eyes 'lit up.' She expressed excitement about eating pancakes, tacos, M&Ms, and vegetables. Medical staff discovered she did not know what deodorant was and lacked the strength to turn on a sink faucet. She said she bathed only weekly or monthly and had to pull herself along using walls and furniture to reach the bathroom.
Other Defendants
Melissa Goodman is the first of four defendants to enter a plea. Her husband Walter Goodman, daughter Savanna LeFever, and LeFever's partner Kayla Stemler were also charged. The family allegedly told relatives the teen was on vacation or staying with other family members to explain her absence. Neighbor Pam Medina said she had no idea a child was living in the trailer, despite seeing grocery deliveries.
Despite the years of alleged abuse, the girl reportedly said during a police interview that she still loved her family but no longer wanted to be locked in her room or monitored by camera. The teenager has since been released from the hospital and is gaining weight, according to prosecutors.
