One of four individuals implicated in a serious child neglect case in Outagamie County is heading to trial.
Court records show that 51-year-old Melissa Goodman was back in court on Thursday (January 22nd) for her arraignment as she faces three felony counts of Chronic Neglect of a Child, Consequence is Great Bodily Harm, and two felony counts of Chronic Neglect of a Child, Consequence is Emotional Damage.
At that hearing, Goodman pled not guilty to all charges she faces and has since been bound over for trial.
She will next be back in court on March 18th for a pre-trial conference.
The 51-year-old, along with her husband and the victim’s father, Walter Goodman, her daughter Savana LeFever, and LeFever’s partner Kayla Stemler, were all arrested after a 14-year-old girl living in the Goodman home was discovered severely malnourished.
When discovered, the 14-year-old victim was said to weigh only 35 pounds.
According to a GoFundMe page set up for the victim by her cousin, she is making tremendous progress in her recovery, stating, “Since her rescue, she has made remarkable strides. In just a few months, she has grown 3 inches and doubled her body weight. Her body, which had been deprived of nourishment for far too long, is beginning to heal.”
At this time, the donation efforts have totaled nearly $20,000, which is going directly towards the victim’s healing process.
