A Wisconsin father was found guilty of starving and abusing his 14-year-old daughter after he discovered she weighed just 35 pounds while living in a house of terror.
Walter S. Goodman He pleaded no contest and was convicted on Tuesday, November 3, of two counts of chronic negligence resulting in great bodily harm, the other of emotional harm, and one count of false imprisonment on Tuesday, November 3.
Walter was previously arrested along with the victim’s stepmother in November 2025. Melissa Goodmanthe victim’s adult half-sister, Savanna LeFeverand LeFerever’s partner, Kayla Stemler.
Melissa was sentenced to 15 years in prison in July, while Stemler was sentenced to eight years in prison in August. LeFever is scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 3 after pleading guilty in August.
Authorities learned of the abuse when Walter called 911 on August 21, 2025, reporting that her autistic daughter “hadn’t eaten for the last four years.” [or] He was “five days old” and appeared to be “in a coma,” according to the criminal complaint reviewed by Law & Crime.
First responders later arrived at the scene and found the girl extremely skinny and malnourished. Authorities said he was very small and appeared to be the size of a 6- to 8-year-old child.
While the girl was hospitalized, doctors diagnosed her with severe malnutrition. They also found that his glucose level was 24, he was hypothermic, and he had multiple bedsores covering his body.
Investigators determined the girl had been subjected to abuse for years, which likely began after Walter gained custody of her in 2020. The girl stopped going to school and was allegedly kept in her bedroom while under his supervision, authorities said.
Authorities spoke with witnesses during the investigation, and a friend of Walter’s said he once heard the father threaten to withhold food from the girl if she behaved badly.
“He heard [Walter] Make comments like, ‘If he misbehaves, I won’t feed him today.’ [The friend] he said he said [Walter] you can’t do this and [Walter] He said: ‘I lock him in his bedroom with a camera on him and that’s where he stays.’ [The friend] he said he said [Walter] Saying you couldn’t lock a child in a bedroom was harassment. [The friend] He stated that from time to time [Walter] brought [the victim] to his house, [Walter] I would say [the victim] “Shut up” and “Sit there and don’t say anything,” he was told, the affidavit states.
Walter is scheduled to be sentenced on February 2, 2027. He faces a maximum sentence of 28 years in prison.
If you or someone you know is experiencing child abuse, call or text the Child Helpline at 1-800-422-4453.