A 52-year-old woman has been convicted in a severe child neglect case that came to light when police discovered her 14-year-old stepdaughter weighed just 35 pounds.
Melissa Goodman pleaded no contest on May 6 to one count of chronic neglect of a child resulting in great bodily harm, one count of chronic neglect resulting in emotional damage, and one count of false imprisonment. As part of a plea agreement, three additional neglect charges against her were dismissed.
The case began on August 25, 2025, when officers arrived at a home following reports of a lethargic child who had not eaten for days. Responding officers initially mistook the victim for a child between 6 and 8 years old due to her size; she was actually 14.
Hospital staff treated the teenager for a staggering list of medical crises, including respiratory failure, cardiac dysfunction, pancreatitis, acute hepatitis, and pressure sores. Investigators later determined the girl had been kept in a locked room, monitored by a camera, and had not seen a doctor in years.
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Four adults were originally charged in November 2025. Along with Melissa Goodman, the victim’s father, Walter Goodman, as well as Savannah LeFever and Kayla Stemler, faced multiple counts of chronic neglect.
Court records show that Stemler was scheduled for a plea hearing on May 7 and now faces three charges. Walter Goodman is due for a pretrial conference on May 28, while LeFever’s next court appearance is set for June 17.
While the legal process unfolds, the victim has shown significant physical improvement.
A GoFundMe page managed by the girl’s cousin, Leslie Doxater, noted that the teen grew 3 inches and doubled her body weight within months of her rescue.
Doxater shared that the girl is undergoing physical therapy to regain basic motor skills like climbing stairs and is learning self-care tasks such as brushing her hair—activities previously denied to her. A family update from March 27 stated the victim “continues to grow and thrive in every possible way” and is doing better than anyone anticipated.
Melissa Goodman is scheduled to be sentenced on July 1. She faces a maximum of 25 years for the bodily harm charge, 15 years for the emotional damage charge, and six years for the false imprisonment charge.
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