Savanna LeFever appears before Outagamie County court via Zoom, November 25, 2025. (Outagamie Co. court/Zoom)
APPLETON, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Savanna LeFever plans to plead no contest to three counts related to the neglect of a teen hospitalized weighing just 35 pounds, according to court documents.
LeFever, 30, currently faces five charges: three counts of chronic neglect of a child – consequence is great bodily harm, and two counts of chronic neglect of a child – consequence is emotional damage.
According to the plea deal filed Wednesday, LeFever would plead no contest to one count of each type of neglect, plus to one count of false imprisonment. Both sides would be free to argue whatever they deemed appropriate at sentencing.
LeFever is scheduled to the enter the plea Aug. 28.
Three other adults are also charged in the case:
Walter Goodman, the victim’s father, is contesting a report finding him competent to stand trial. He returns to court Oct. 30.
Melissa Goodman, Walter’s wife but not the teen’s mother, was sentenced to 15 years in prison.
Kayla Stemler, LeFever’s partner, will be sentenced Monday.
LeFever is Melissa Goodman’s daughter.
Melissa Goodman was convicted of the same three counts LeFever may plead to on Monday. At that sentencing, the victim addressed how Melissa Goodman didn’t intervene, and made her feel worthless.
“”You really ruined my childhood, and it hurts that you did. You isolated me from my family, the only ones who actually cared. You had the choice to help when I needed it, but instead you joined in on the abuse and neglect. So I hope you have fun in jail because that’s where you need to be,” the teen said at that hearing.
Stemler was also convicted of the same three counts as Melissa Goodman.
The criminal complaint says Walter called 911 in August, 2025, to report his daughter was lethargic, moaning and almost comatose. According to the criminal complaint, the first officer on scene at the Hattie Lane home said the girl looked to be only six to eight years old. Hospital employees said she weighed less than 40 pounds.
“The last time she saw a medical provider was approximately five years before this incident came to light,” Assistant District Attorney Julie DuQuaine said at a previous court hearing. “She was very, very close to death — 35 pounds at 14 years old.”
The complaint said Walter told authorities his daughter didn’t like to eat or sleep. He claimed they’d offer her meals, but she wouldn’t eat.
Hospital employees said the teen suffered from severe malnutrition. She had signs of multiorgan dysfunction, including respiratory failure, cardiac dysfunction, severe acute hepatitis and pancreatitis, among other issues.
The criminal complaint said while the girl was hospitalized, one of the nurses explained to the victim she would get three meals a day. The nurse noted the girl’s “eyes lit up as she started listing off all the options of food she could have over the course of her hospitalization.” The girl then said her dad would be “so mad” because he doesn’t like when she eats so much.
The criminal complaint also included a litany of text messages by the defendants, calling the victim a “dummy” and “stupid.”
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