Obese father accused of starving teen daughter to 35 pounds in Wisconsin house of horrors will stand trial
The case of the Wisconsin father accused of starving his teenage daughter until she was nearly dead at 35 pounds has shocked the nation. Walter Goodman, 47, has been ordered to stand trial for the abuse allegations after waiving his right to preliminary hearings.
Along with Goodman, his step-daughter’s girlfriend, 28-year-old Kayla Stemler, will also face trial. Meanwhile, Goodman’s wife Melissa, 51, and her daughter Savana LeFever, 29, are expected to plead guilty to charges of child abuse and emotional damage.
The abuse came to light when Goodman called 911 in August, claiming his 14-year-old daughter had become comatose after refusing to eat for days. When first responders arrived, they were shocked to find a severely emaciated girl who appeared to be only 6 years old. She was rushed to the hospital with organ failure, described by prosecutors as a “skeleton” who was “literally skin and bones.”
Family members were equally horrified, noting that it seemed like time had stopped for the girl when she was dropped off at her father’s trailer five years ago. Leslie Doxtaker, the girl’s cousin and new caretaker, described the girl as isolated since 2020.
Goodman and his family claimed the girl was autistic and refused to eat, but investigators found text messages where they discussed punishing her with starvation, surveillance, and physical abuse. The girl, once released from the hospital, showed no aversion to food and quickly began to recover.
Now under the care of Doxtaker, the girl has doubled her body weight and is showing signs of improvement. However, she is still struggling to understand the abuse she endured, feeling guilty for her father and stepmother’s actions.
Doxtaker has set up a GoFundMe to support the girl’s recovery, emphasizing that it was not her fault and that the adults in her life were responsible for her well-being. The family is still coming to terms with the shocking abuse, as they never expected Goodman to treat his daughter in such a horrific manner.
