Overview
- Walter Goodman’s preliminary hearing was postponed to January 5, 2026, at 10:30 a.m., after his lawyer requested additional preparation time.
- Co-defendants Melissa Goodman, Savanna LeFever, and Kayla Stemler had late-November court dates on the same felony counts of chronic child neglect.
- Responders on August 21 found the 14-year-old severely malnourished and hypothermic, with hospital records citing multiorgan dysfunction and an initial weight reported around 35 to 38 pounds.
- The criminal complaint details a locked bedroom monitored by a camera plus text messages that allegedly ordered food restriction and contained threats toward the girl.
- Officials report the teen has been discharged and is gaining weight with relatives, while a fundraiser says she has doubled her weight and grown three inches.