Trio Charged in ‘House of Horrors’ After Girl, 14, Weighing 35 Pounds Found, Fourth Suspect Arrested

Green Bay Fox affiliate WLUK reports that Walter S. Goodman (bottom left above), the victim’s father, along with her adult stepsister, Savanna LeFever (top left above), and LeFever’s partner, Kayla Stemler (top right above), were arrested and charged with chronic child neglect resulting in great bodily harm and emotional damage.

As of Wednesday, Oneida Police Chief Eric Boulanger confirmed that Melissa Goodman (bottom right above), who is Walter’s wife but not the victim’s mother, is also in custody and expected to be charged, per another report from the station. 

The investigation began after Walter called 911 on the evening of August 21, reporting that his daughter, whom he claimed was autistic, was “comatose” and had not eaten in “the last four [or] five days.” He told the dispatcher that his daughter was underweight because “she just don’t eat” and that her legs “look horrible” due to self-harm.

“She’s just laying there with her eyes open all creepy,” Walter told the dispatcher, according to the affidavit obtained by the outlet. 

First responders immediately noted the victim’s severe malnourishment upon arrival, observing that her bones — including her collar bone, rib cage, hip, and cheek bones — were highly prominent. She appeared to be the size of a 6- to 8-year-old child, per the affidavit.

Due to the severity of her condition, the teen was airlifted to Children’s Hospital in Milwaukee, where doctors diagnosed her with “severe malnourishment” and expressed high concern that she could suffer catastrophic organ failure within 72 hours. Medical personnel also found she had a very large bruise on her forehead, multiple bedsores, and had a concerningly low glucose level of 24.

Walter told authorities that his daughter had been sick for the last six days but did not seek medical attention because he thought her condition was “normal kid stuff.” He also told officers the girl’s mother was diabetic, and while the victim had never been tested for the disease, he assumed her sugar might be low. 

“So I gave her a little bit of Wild Cherry Pepsi,” Goodman told police.

Police scrutiny of Walter’s account revealed deeply disturbing details. He admitted to authorities that he had installed a camera inside his daughter’s bedroom because she “self-harms” and also placed an alarm on her door, claiming she would “stay awake for 1 to 3 weeks at a time.”

However, the criminal complaint obtained by WLUK cites a friend of Walter’s who recalled a separate incident where the victim came out of her room and spoke to him. The friend claimed Walter was irritated and allegedly made several chilling comments, including, “If she misbehaves, I’m not going to feed her today.”

When confronted, Walter allegedly doubled down, stating, “Well I keep her locked up in her bedroom with a camera on her, and that’s where she stays.” The friend also recalled Walter once going on a tirade about the girl, saying, “If I could leave her somewhere in the woods, I’d leave her.” He also recalled Walter telling the girl, “I wish I could kill you.”

Further inquiry revealed that the victim had no medical records for the past five years, which coincided with the time she began living with Walter and his household.

Police also spoke with a former third-grade teacher for the victim who contradicted Walter’s claims of autism, recalling the teen as a “healthy normal” student who was “friendly and talkative.”

According to the criminal complaint, the victim attended one year of virtual school after COVID before she was reported as homeschooled. WLUK notes that the Wisconsin Department of Public Instructions requires homeschoolers be registered with the state, but once that happens, there is no statute that requires any state agency to monitor anything.

Authorities say LeFever and Stemler would look after the victim in the absence of Goodman and his wife, who were often out of town so another child in their care could get cancer treatment. During those times, LeFever and Stemler continued to abuse and neglect the victim, according to police.

At a Tuesday, November 11 court hearing, Outagamie County Assistant District Attorney Julie DuQuaine called it “the most egregious case of child neglect I think I have ever seen in my nearly 25-year career.” Court Commissioner Brian Figy, who presided over the hearing, stated the allegations suggest the minor child was “living in a house of horrors.”

Figy set cash-only bonds for the trio: $150,000 each for Walter and Stemler, and $100,000 for LeFever. 

Walter returns to court Friday for a preliminary hearing. A preliminary hearing for Stemler has been set for November 19 with LeFever’s taking place on November 20.