A Wisconsin woman has been sentenced to eight years in prison for her role in the prolonged neglect and confinement of a 14-year-old girl who was found severely malnourished and weighing just 35 pounds last year.
Kayla Stemler, 28, was sentenced Monday in Outagamie County Circuit Court after pleading no contest to three charges: chronic neglect of a child causing great bodily harm, chronic neglect causing emotional damage and false imprisonment, according to court records and local reporting. She was also ordered to serve three years of extended supervision followed by two years of probation.
Stemler received credit for 287 days she had already spent in custody.
Teen was found in critical condition
The case began on Aug. 21, 2025, when the girl’s father called 911 and reported that his daughter was extremely ill and appeared nearly unresponsive.
When emergency responders arrived at the family’s Oneida home, they found the teenager in an alarming physical condition. She weighed about 35 pounds, with medical personnel later documenting severe malnutrition and other serious health problems.
The girl was taken to a Green Bay hospital before being transferred to Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. Earlier court proceedings revealed that doctors were concerned about life-threatening complications, including organ dysfunction.
The circumstances surrounding her treatment became the focus of a criminal investigation involving four adults in the home.
Prosecutors described years of neglect
Investigators said the teenager had been isolated in a bedroom for years after her father gained custody of her in 2020.
According to evidence described during earlier court proceedings, the room had a camera and an alarm on the door. Authorities also alleged that the girl was routinely denied adequate food and was not permitted to leave the room without supervision.
The criminal complaint described a home in which several adults were aware of the girl’s condition and participated in, or failed to stop, the neglect.
Stemler lived at the residence with her partner, Savanna LeFever, LeFever’s mother Melissa Goodman and the girl’s father, Walter Goodman. Investigators alleged that Stemler and LeFever were among the adults responsible for caring for the teenager when other adults were away.
Judge says Stemler had opportunities to intervene
During Monday’s sentencing hearing, Judge Vincent Biskupic sharply criticized Stemler’s conduct and her failure to intervene.
Biskupic characterized the circumstances surrounding the girl’s treatment as deeply disturbing and said Stemler had numerous opportunities to seek help.
Local reports said Stemler acknowledged that there were periods when she left the home to stay with family. The judge questioned why she continued to allow the situation to continue after having opportunities to act.
Stemler apologized during the hearing and expressed hope that she would eventually be able to return to society. She also said she hoped the girl would receive the support needed to recover from what happened to her.
The court also heard from the victim. In an audio statement played during the sentencing hearing, she described the lasting effect of the abuse and emphasized that she had been a child who deserved care and love.
Stemler is the second adult sentenced
Stemler is the second of four adults charged in connection with the case to receive a prison sentence.
Melissa Goodman, who was married to Walter Goodman but was not the girl’s mother, was sentenced in July to 15 years in prison followed by 10 years of extended supervision after entering no contest pleas to the same three offenses.
LeFever, Stemler’s partner, remains involved in the criminal case. According to court records, LeFever is expected to enter pleas to two counts of chronic neglect of a child and one count of false imprisonment at a hearing scheduled for Aug. 28.
Walter Goodman, the girl’s father, is also facing charges. His case has involved a competency issue, and he is scheduled to return to court Oct. 30, according to recent local reporting.
The criminal proceedings against the remaining defendants are ongoing.
For Stemler, Monday’s sentence formally ended the latest stage of a case that began when authorities found a severely malnourished teenager in a home where, investigators allege, multiple adults had known about her living conditions for an extended period.
