Khaberni - American police arrested four people following shocking accusations related to the torture of a 14-year-old girl by starving and imprisoning her for years inside their home in Wisconsin.
According to the "Daily Mail", the girl’s weight had dropped to only 16 kilograms after being deprived of food and being monitored by cameras inside her room for a duration of at least two years.
The criminal complaint detailed that the girl was transferred to the hospital, where she informed the medical staff that the last time she left the house was when she was between the ages of ten and twelve.
Her father Walter Goodman (47 years old), his wife Melissa (50 years old), his daughter from a previous relationship Savannah Leviver (29 years old), and her friend Kayla Stmier (27 years old) were all arrested. They all lived in "Green Earth Trailer Court" in Oneida and are facing charges of chronic child neglect.
When the police arrived at the home on August 21 after Walter called emergency claiming that his teenage daughter was in a near-coma and hadn’t eaten for days, the officers noted her protruding bones and her appearance as if she were a small child aged between six to eight years.
It later became evident that the girl had been living with her father since 2020 after her mother was incarcerated, leaving her under her father’s sole care amidst the absence of any other supervision, and due to the COVID-19 pandemic, she continued her education remotely during the 2020-2021 period, and in the following year, her father claimed she was home-schooled.
Assistant County Attorney Julie Doukin confirmed that the girl had been neglected for several years, had not visited a doctor since September 2020, and had not attended school since the pandemic outbreak.
According to the complaint, Walter informed authorities that he was monitoring his daughter and communicating with her through a webcam installed in her room, where she was present most of the time, claiming the reason she was not eating or sleeping was due to autism, and that he was providing her multiple meals daily.
However, text messages between Kayla Stmier and Melissa revealed a different picture, showing that despite their severe obesity they were annoyed by the girl eating her fill. Kayla wrote: "She took more than one bite at a time, and when confronted by Savannah, she just kept arguing back, so I used the belt," while Melissa, in another message, wrote: "Honestly, it's tough, some days I just don’t want to continue and wish this girl would just go away."
Other messages exchanged among the accused directed that she should be given water only at specific times and prevented from leaving the room, and even demanded the removal of her mattress.
The complaint reported that the girl was forbidden from talking except in front of a camera installed in her sealed room, deprived of using the bathroom except at specified times, and was forced to sleep on the floor.
The medical staff at the hospital revealed that the girl suffered from severe ulcers and bruises, in addition to acute malnutrition and multiple organ failure including severe respiratory failure and liver, heart, and pancreatic functions, as well as electrolyte imbalances. Therefore, she was fed through a tube until she was able to eat independently.
After a week of being in the hospital, the girl began to communicate through writing, penning phrases like: "I'm hungry", "I need a snack", and "Can I watch TV?" She reported being afraid of her father’s anger when she ate in larger quantities.
Upon being notified that she would receive three meals daily while in the hospital, the girl informed the medical staff that "her father doesn’t like her to eat that amount", but upon learning about the three meal times, her eyes lit up and she showed great enthusiasm for food, beginning to request various foods like pancakes, chocolate, tacos, and also expressed her desire to eat vegetables.
Assistant County Attorney Julie Doukin confirmed that the girl was discharged from the hospital, gradually gaining weight with improved health condition.
The family members were arrested on November 10, and Walter, Savannah, and Kayla are expected to appear in court in the coming weeks, while Melissa’s first court session occurred on November 13.
