Father Convicted After Keeping 14-Year-Old Daughter Locked in Bedroom and Starving Her Until She Weighed Just 35 Pounds

A Wisconsin father has been convicted of neglecting and imprisoning his 14-year-old daughter after authorities discovered the teenager in a horrifying state of starvation, weighing only 35 pounds and dangerously close to death. Investigators say the girl had endured years of isolation and deprivation inside her own home, where her bedroom was reportedly monitored by a camera and fitted with an alarm. The case exposed the actions of four adults accused of participating in the prolonged abuse, including the girl’s father, stepmother and two other members of the household.

Walter S. Goodman appeared in court on November 3, 2026, and pleaded no contest to three felony charges: chronic neglect of a child resulting in great bodily harm, chronic neglect resulting in emotional damage, and false imprisonment. His conviction came more than a year after emergency responders were called to the family home in Outagamie County, Wisconsin. Goodman himself had called 911 on August 21, 2025, reporting that his autistic daughter had not eaten for four or five days and appeared to be almost comatose.

When first responders arrived, they found a teenager whose physical condition was so severe that she reportedly looked like a child between 6 and 8 years old. Her collarbone, ribs, hips and cheekbones were visibly prominent. She was rushed to a hospital in Green Bay before being airlifted to Children’s Hospital in Milwaukee. Doctors diagnosed severe malnutrition, hypothermia and multiple bedsores. Her blood glucose level was reportedly just 24, and medical staff feared she could suffer catastrophic organ failure within 72 hours. Authorities later described her as being extremely close to death.

Investigators determined that the girl’s suffering had developed over several years. After Goodman gained custody in 2020, she stopped attending school and was allegedly confined to her bedroom, with a camera installed to monitor her and an alarm fitted to the door. A friend of Goodman told investigators that the father had openly described keeping his daughter locked in her room. The friend also recalled hearing Goodman threaten to withhold food when she misbehaved, saying he would not feed her that day. Prosecutors further alleged that the girl was denied food and water, could not leave her room without supervision, and had a blanket nailed over her bedroom window.

Goodman was not the only adult accused in the case. His wife, Melissa Goodman, the victim’s stepmother, had already been sentenced to 15 years in prison. Kayla Stemler, the partner of the victim’s adult stepsister, received an eight-year prison sentence. Savanna LeFever, the stepsister, also pleaded no contest to charges connected to the neglect and false imprisonment and is scheduled to be sentenced on December 7, 2026, according to local reporting. Prosecutors alleged that the adults shared responsibility for the girl’s care and that the abuse continued while other children in the household received attention.

Walter Goodman now faces a possible prison sentence of up to 28 years, with sentencing scheduled for February 2, 2027. His no-contest plea means he has been convicted without admitting guilt in the traditional manner of a guilty plea. The teenager survived, but the extent of the physical and emotional harm she endured has become central to the case. Her rescue revealed a prolonged pattern of isolation and deprivation inside a home where the adults were supposed to protect her.

Source: https://lawandcrime.com/crime/dad-who-told-friend-he-kept-starving-14-year-old-locked-up-with-camera-on-her-in-room-rigged-with-alarm-is-convicted/