A Wisconsin man accused of starving his teenage daughter until she was near death — weighing just 35 pounds — will face trial, according to reports.
Walter Goodman, 47, was ordered to stand trial after waiving his right to a preliminary hearing on Monday.
Another defendant accused of taking part in the alleged abuse — Goodman’s stepdaughter’s girlfriend, 28-year-old Kayla Stemler — will also go to trial. Two others, Goodman’s 51-year-old wife Melissa and her daughter Savana LeFever, 29, are expected to plead guilty to charges related to child abuse and emotional harm.
Authorities arrested Goodman and the others after he called 911 in August, claiming his 14-year-old daughter had become “comatose” after refusing to eat for several days.
When first responders arrived, they reportedly believed the severely malnourished girl was about 6 years old. She was rushed to the hospital suffering from organ failure, and prosecutors later described her as a “skeleton,” “literally skin and bones.”
Extended family members were also stunned, saying it appeared the girl’s life had been frozen in time since she was dropped off at her father’s trailer five years earlier.
“It was almost like she was in a time capsule from the time that she was given to when we saw her in the hospital,” the girl’s cousin and current caretaker, Leslie Doxtaker, told Fox 11 after the rescue. “She was isolated since 2020.”
Investigators say Goodman and the others claimed the girl was “autistic” and insisted she refused food. But authorities later uncovered text messages in which they allegedly discussed punishing her by withholding food, locking her in rooms monitored by video surveillance, and physically assaulting her.
“If I could leave her somewhere in the woods, I’d leave her,” Goodman allegedly told a friend. Her stepmother allegedly sent a message saying, “Wish she’d just go away.”
“I just want to karate kick her dumb head,” LaFever allegedly replied.
Hospital staff reported that after the teen was stabilized and later released, she showed no fear of eating — consuming multiple meals a day. She also reportedly told staff that her father would get angry when she ate.
Leslie Doxtaker is now caring for her cousin and says the teen has made significant progress.
“She’s up to 78 pounds now, so she’s over doubled her body weight,” Doxtaker said. “She’s three inches taller.”
“She wants to go and play. She wants to go and run, and we have to keep reminding her, like, ‘Just wait for your body to catch up.’ But she is getting there,” Doxtaker added.
Even as her health improves, Doxtaker said the teen is still trying to process what happened — and the family is struggling to understand it, too.
“I’ve literally known him for 25 years, so none of us thought that this would be the outcome,” she said. “She feels like she’s guilty for this happening — for them going to jail.”
“We’re trying to continuously tell her, ‘This isn’t your fault. They were the adults. They were the ones responsible for you, not the other way around, baby.’”
