Wisconsin Woman Sentenced to 8 Years for Starving 14-Year-Old Girl to 35 Pounds

Kayla Stemler, 28, was sentenced to eight years in prison for abusing and starving a 14-year-old girl found weighing just 35 pounds in a Wisconsin home.

Wisconsin woman gets 8 years for starving teenager found near death at 35 pounds

A 28-year-old Wisconsin woman was sentenced Monday to eight years in a state correctional facility for her role in the prolonged abuse and starvation of a 14-year-old girl who was found weighing just 35 pounds and, in the words of authorities, "very, very close to death."

Outagamie County Circuit Judge Vince Biskupic handed down the sentence against Kayla Stemler after she pleaded no contest to one count each of chronic neglect causing great bodily harm, chronic neglect causing emotional damage, and false imprisonment — all as a party to a crime, according to court records. Stemler will also serve three years of extended supervision and two years of probation upon her release.

Law & Crime previously reported that authorities had described the home where the girl was discovered as a "house of horrors."

Authorities found a child "very, very close to death"

The girl's father, Walter S. Goodman, called 911 on Aug. 21, 2025, reporting that his daughter — who is autistic — had not eaten in "the last four [or] five days" and appeared to be "comatose." First responders arriving on scene found her severely underweight and malnourished, her collarbone, rib cage, hips, and cheekbones all visibly protruding. In physical size, she appeared to be no older than six to eight years old.

She was transported first to a hospital in Green Bay and then airlifted to Children's Hospital in Milwaukee. Doctors there diagnosed her with severe malnourishment, documented a glucose level of 24, found her to be hypothermic, and identified multiple bedsores. Physicians warned that catastrophic organ failure was possible within 72 hours.

Years of isolation behind a locked, alarmed door

Investigators determined that the girl's condition had developed over the course of several years. After Walter Goodman obtained custody of her in 2020, she stopped attending school entirely. She was allegedly confined to her bedroom, which her father had fitted with a surveillance camera and an alarm on the door. A blanket had been nailed over the window, according to the Post-Crescent.

A friend of Walter Goodman told police that he had heard Goodman threaten to withhold food from the girl as punishment. A probable cause affidavit quoted the friend:

> "He heard [Walter Goodman] make comments like, 'If she misbehaves, I'm not going to feed her today.' … [Walter Goodman] said, 'Well I keep her locked up in her bedroom with a camera on her, and that's where she stays.'"

The same friend recounted that when Goodman brought the girl to his home, Goodman would tell her to "Shut the f— up" and "Sit there and don't say nothing."

Stemler's role in the household

Stemler lived in the home alongside her partner, Savanna LeFever; LeFever's mother, Melissa Goodman; and Walter Goodman. Prosecutors alleged that Stemler and LeFever assumed responsibility for the girl's care when Walter and Melissa Goodman were away from the home so that another child in the family could receive cancer treatment.

At Monday's sentencing hearing, prosecutors outlined additional conditions the girl allegedly endured during the five years before she was rescued. She was not permitted to leave her bedroom without supervision and was reportedly denied food and water while adults monitored her through the bedroom camera.

Judge Biskupic told Stemler she had "thousands of opportunities" to seek help for the girl. Stemler acknowledged during the hearing that there were periods when she left the home to stay with family.

"You chose, whether for selfish reasons or acting in a blind fashion, to continue the status quo for this child," Biskupic said, according to the Post-Crescent.

Biskupic described the overall circumstances of the case as "jaw-dropping," "stunning," and "sickening." On the girl's physical state when she was discovered, he was unsparing.

"Using the phrase 'skin and bones' is almost too generic," Biskupic said. "It's the look of anguish on that child's face."

Victim addresses the court: "I was a child who deserved to be loved"

The court also heard from the victim directly. In a recorded audio statement, the girl described the lasting impact of years of neglect and addressed her own worth.

"Today I want the court to know this: I was never worthless; I was never a burden," she said. "I was a child who deserved to be loved."

Stemler received credit for 287 days already served in custody. The judge additionally ordered her to have no contact with the victim, her family, or her co-defendants; to undergo a mental health assessment; to comply with treatment and medication requirements; and to refrain from working in any caregiving capacity.

Three co-defendants still face proceedings

Stemler is the second adult to be sentenced in connection with the abuse. Melissa Goodman was sentenced July 1 to 15 years in prison followed by 10 years of extended supervision, after pleading no contest to the same three charges.

Savanna LeFever is scheduled to appear for a plea hearing on Aug. 28. Walter Goodman, the girl's father, is scheduled to return to court on Oct. 30.

Source: Law & Crime