Overview
- Melissa Goodman was charged on Nov. 13 with chronic child neglect and given a $150,000 cash bond, joining Walter Goodman, Savanna LeFever and Kayla Stemler, who were charged earlier this week.
- The girl was hospitalized in August at about 35 pounds with severe malnutrition and signs of multiorgan dysfunction, including respiratory failure, cardiac dysfunction, acute hepatitis and pancreatitis.
- According to the criminal complaint, Walter Goodman called 911 reporting his daughter lethargic and nearly comatose, and a responding officer said she appeared to be 6 to 8 years old.
- Court filings detail years without medical care or in-person schooling, disparaging text messages about the teen, and a note that she lit up when told she would receive three meals a day in the hospital.
- Officials say the victim has been released from the hospital and is gaining weight, with preliminary hearings and status conferences now scheduled as the case moves through court.