Melissa Goodman (Outagamie Co. Jail)
APPLETON, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – A plea deal has been reached with one of the four adults charged after a teenager was hospitalized weighing just 35 pounds.
Melissa Goodman, who is married to the teen’s father, has agreed to plead no contest to one count of chronic neglect of a child – consequence is great bodily harm, and one count of chronic neglect of a child – consequence is emotional damage. Also, she would plead no contest to a count of false imprisonment. Three other neglect counts would be dismissed.
The plea will be finalized and a sentencing date set at a May 6 hearing, court records show.
The documents do not contain any details about any pre-determined sentencing recommendations, which sometimes are a part of a plea deal.
Three other adults are charged with three counts of chronic neglect of a child – consequence is great bodily harm and two counts of chronic neglect of a child – consequence is emotional damage. They are:
- Walter Goodman, the girl’s father, has a pre-trial conference May 28
- Savannah LeFever, Melissa Goodman’s daughter, has a pre-trial conference June 17
- Kayla Stemler, LeFever’s partner, is scheduled to stand trial Aug. 17
The criminal complaint says Walter called 911 in August to report his daughter was lethargic, moaning and almost comatose. According to the criminal complaint, the first officer on scene at the Hattie Lane home said the girl looked to be only six to eight years old. Hospital employees said she weighed less than 40 pounds.
“The last time she saw a medical provider was approximately five years before this incident came to light,” Assistant District Attorney Julie DuQuaine said at a previous court hearing. “She was very, very close to death — 35 pounds at 14 years old.”
The complaint said Walter told authorities his daughter didn’t like to eat or sleep. He claimed they’d offer her meals, but she wouldn’t eat.
Hospital employees said the teen suffered from severe malnutrition. She had signs of multiorgan dysfunction, including respiratory failure, cardiac dysfunction, severe acute hepatitis and pancreatitis, among other issues.
The criminal complaint said while the girl was hospitalized, one of the nurses explained to the victim she would get three meals a day. The nurse noted the girl’s “eyes lit up as she started listing off all the options of food she could have over the course of her hospitalization.” The girl then said her dad would be “so mad” because he doesn’t like when she eats so much.
The criminal complaint also included a litany of text messages by the defendants, calling the victim a “dummy” and “stupid.”
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