OUTAGAMIE COUNTY (NBC 26) — One of four defendants in a shocking case of alleged child abuse will plead no contest to three counts, according to court records.
According to court records, Melissa Goodman, 51, who is married to the victim's father, intends to plea no contest to two counts of chronic neglect of a child and one count of false imprisonment.
Goodman was originally facing five felony charges of chronic neglect of a child.
In Wisconsin, the judge presiding the case is not bound by any plea agreement and may impose any sentence allowed by law. If the judge accepts the plea deal, Goodman could get up to 46 years in prison.
A plea hearing is scheduled for May 6, where more details about the deal will be discussed.
There are three other defendants in this case: Walter Goodman, Kayla Stemler and Savanna LeFever.
No trial date has been set for Walter Goodman. However, a pretrial conference is scheduled for May 28.
Stemler’s jury trial is scheduled to begin August 17. Meanwhile, LeFever has a pretrial conference in June but no trial date set, according to court records.
Charges stem from the case of a severely malnourished 14-year-old girl who was hospitalized last August, weighing just 35 pounds and suffering from organ failure. Investigators say the girl was locked in a room in Oneida and denied care for years before she was found.
