A judge fiercely criticized a woman involved in the severe abuse of an autistic teenage girl who weighed just 35 pounds and was barely alive when discovered, stating that “stray animals are treated better.”
Kayla Stemler, the 28-year-old partner of the 14-year-old victim’s stepsister, received a sentence of eight years in prison along with extended supervision on Monday.
Stemler was one of four adults charged in this shocking case, alongside Walter Goodman, the victim’s father; Melissa Goodman, Walter’s wife and the victim’s stepmother; and Savanna LeFever, Melissa’s daughter.
Judge Vincent Biskupic of Outagamie County remarked that although Stemler was the least responsible of the four, she still failed to intervene in the “complete madness” of the Wisconsin “house of horrors” where the girl suffered for years, as Fox 11 reported.
The judge stated that the abused teen “is going to, to some degree, [be haunted] for the rest of her life – and you contributed to that.”
“In many ways, it’s a miracle she’s even alive,” the judge added. “Stray animals are treated better.”
Assistant District Attorney Julie Duquaine highlighted that Stemler had “had thousands of opportunities” to report the abuse.
Prosecutors accused the family of confining the teen alone in a bedroom in Oneida without a mattress, restricting her to her room from 2020 to August 2025, and depriving her of food and water.
Walter Goodman, the victim’s father, contacted 911 in August 2025 to report that his daughter, who remains unidentified, was lethargic and nearly comatose.
First responders initially mistook the severely emaciated girl for a 6-year-old — prosecutors later described her as a “skeleton” who was “literally skin and bones.”
She was urgently taken to a hospital where she was treated for organ failure.
At the hospital, the girl’s eyes “lit up” upon learning she would receive three meals a day, according to the criminal complaint obtained by Fox 11. The victim noted that her father would be “so mad” because he disapproved of her eating much.
The criminal complaint also revealed numerous disturbing text messages from the defendants, calling the victim a “dummy” and “stupid.”
The family falsely informed extended family members that the girl was away on vacation or with other relatives to explain her absence.
Stemler was convicted of two counts of child neglect and false imprisonment. Besides her prison term, she was sentenced to three years of extended supervision and two years of probation.
Walter Goodman was deemed competent to stand trial but is challenging the court’s findings. He is scheduled to return to court on October 30.
Melissa Goodman received a 15-year prison sentence in July.
LeFever is anticipated to accept a plea deal on Friday, according to Fox 11.
