A 78-year-old West Virginia woman is facing a jury in a case involving the death of her 14-year-old granddaughter, Kyneddi Miller, who authorities say was found in an extremely emaciated condition inside her family’s home in April 2024.
Donna Stone is charged with murder by a parent, guardian or custodian by refusal or failure to provide necessities, along with child neglect resulting in death. The trial began Wednesday in Boone County Circuit Court, bringing renewed attention to the circumstances surrounding the teenager’s final years.
Prosecutors say Kyneddi was living with her mother, grandmother and grandfather at a home in Morrisvale. Investigators later learned that the teenager had reportedly been out of the house only twice in approximately four years and had not attended school during that period.
The case has raised serious questions about the adults responsible for Kyneddi’s care, including whether her medical needs were recognized and whether anyone intervened as her condition deteriorated.
Sheriff Describes Finding the Teenager
The case began on April 17, 2024, when deputies with the Boone County Sheriff’s Office and emergency medical personnel responded to a report of a juvenile in cardiac arrest at a home in the 400 block of Cameo Road.
Inside, responders found Kyneddi lying motionless on a foam pad on the bathroom floor. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Authorities described her appearance as shocking, saying she was in a skeletal state and severely emaciated. Reports indicated that she weighed approximately 58 pounds when she died.
During opening proceedings in Donna Stone’s trial, Boone County Sheriff Chad Barker took the stand as the prosecution’s first witness. He began describing what he remembered from entering the home where the teenager was found.
His testimony is expected to help jurors understand the circumstances discovered by first responders and the investigation that followed.
The trial had previously been scheduled for March 17 and July 21, but both dates were postponed before proceedings finally began.
Investigators Questioned the Teenager’s Isolation
One of the most troubling aspects of the case involves how little time Kyneddi reportedly spent outside the family home.
During an interview with investigators, Donna Stone allegedly said that her granddaughter had left the property and gone outside only twice in the previous four years. The grandmother also reportedly confirmed that Kyneddi had not attended school for around four or five years.
Investigators learned that Kyneddi’s mother, Julie Ann Miller, had begun homeschooling her daughter in February 2021, reportedly citing medical concerns.
An email obtained during the investigation indicated that Miller had told school district officials the family was concerned about COVID-19 because they lived with Kyneddi’s elderly grandparents and feared the teenager could bring the virus home.
However, investigators also learned that the teenager had reportedly not seen a doctor in four or five years.
Donna Stone allegedly told investigators that Kyneddi had an eating disorder and had been unable to function independently for several days before her death.
Those statements have become part of the broader questions surrounding the case: what the adults knew about the teenager’s health, what care she received and whether medical assistance was sought when her condition worsened.
The allegations have not yet been established as facts against Donna Stone at trial. The prosecution must prove the charges against her, and the jury will consider the evidence presented in court.
Kyneddi’s Mother Is Already Serving a Sentence
Donna Stone is not the only family member charged in connection with the teenager’s death.
Julie Ann Miller pleaded guilty in November 2025 to one count of death of a child caused by a parent, guardian or custodian. In February 2026, a judge sentenced her to 15 years to life in a state correctional facility.
Miller could become eligible for parole after serving 15 years, but her sentence also includes 50 years of supervised release.
During the sentencing hearing, Boone County Circuit Judge Stacy Nowicki-Eldridge spoke forcefully about the circumstances of Kyneddi’s death and the responsibility adults have to protect children in their care.
“This child literally starved to death,” the judge said. “No child should ever have to go through that.”
Boone County Prosecuting Attorney Dan Holstein also expressed disbelief that a child could reach such a severely malnourished state without receiving the help she needed.
His remarks reflected the central issue at the heart of the case: whether the adults responsible for Kyneddi’s well-being failed to act despite her deteriorating condition.
Kyneddi’s grandfather, Jerry Stone, was also charged in the case. However, a judge ruled in August 2025 that he was incompetent to stand trial, and he was committed to a state mental hospital.
That ruling concerns his ability to participate in legal proceedings and is separate from a determination of guilt.
Why the Case Has Drawn Attention
Cases involving severe child neglect often raise difficult questions about how warning signs can go unnoticed or unaddressed, particularly when a child has limited contact with people outside the household.
School attendance, routine medical appointments and contact with other trusted adults can provide opportunities to identify health problems or unsafe living conditions. When those connections disappear, a child’s circumstances may become harder for outsiders to recognize.
In Kyneddi’s case, investigators’ accounts of her prolonged absence from school, reported isolation and lack of recent medical care have become key parts of the story.
The allegations also highlight the importance of seeking medical attention when a child shows signs of serious malnutrition or an inability to function normally. Severe malnutrition can affect multiple organs and become life-threatening, making timely professional evaluation essential.
The precise sequence of events leading to Kyneddi’s death, and the extent to which each defendant was responsible, must be assessed through the evidence and applicable law.
What Happens Next?
With Donna Stone’s trial now underway, jurors will hear testimony from law enforcement officials and other witnesses as prosecutors present their case.
The charges against Stone concern the alleged failure to provide necessities and neglect that resulted in Kyneddi’s death. The prosecution must establish the required elements of those offenses beyond a reasonable doubt.
Miller’s guilty plea and sentence, along with the charges against Jerry Stone, form part of the wider legal history surrounding the teenager’s death. However, Donna Stone’s own case must be decided on the evidence presented at her trial.
For Kyneddi, the court proceedings come more than two years after emergency responders found her inside the family home. For those seeking answers, the trial represents an opportunity to examine what happened during the teenager’s final years and whether the adults responsible for her care fulfilled their obligations.
The case remains a deeply troubling reminder of the responsibility adults have to protect children who depend on them for food, medical care and basic necessities.
