Wisconsin Stepmother Pleads Guilty in Case of 14-Year-Old Girl Found Weighing 35 lbs After Years of Confinement
By
Chris Spargo
Crisp on the outside, thoughtful on the inside. A keeper.
Summary
A 14-year-old girl with autism was rescued from a Wisconsin trailer after being locked in her bedroom for four years, weighing only 35 pounds. Her stepmother, Melissa Goodman, has entered a plea and faces up to 46 years in prison. The girl's father, Walter Goodman, called 911 in August 2025 expressing concern after his daughter hadn't eaten for days and was lethargic and comatose. The case involves severe neglect and abuse of a vulnerable child with disabilities.
Key quotes
· 3 pulledI don't know – she won't even talk. She's just laying there with her eyes open
Walter Goodman called 9-1-1 and asked that someone be sent to his trailer in Wisconsin because he was concerned about the health and well-being of his 14-year-old daughter
his daughter had not eaten in four to five days, appeared to be lethargic and had been alternating between throwing up and being comatose
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