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A West Virginia jury found a woman guilty in the starvation death of her 14-year-old granddaughter more than two years after the teen was found dead in her family home.
Donna Stone was convicted Monday, October 19, of murder by a parent, guardian or custodian by refusal or failure to provide necessities, as well as child neglect resulting in death, WVNews reported.
The charges stem from April 17, 2024, when first responders found Stone’s granddaughter, Kyneddi Miller, deceased on the floor of a bathroom of a Boone County home, per the outlet. Investigators said Miller’s body was “emaciated to a skeletal state.”
Boone County Prosecutor Dan Holstein reportedly said during his opening statements at Stone’s trial that the adults in Miller’s life failed to seek medical treatment for Miller as she physically deteriorated for months or years.
Stone’s daughter, Julie Miller, who’s Kyneddi’s mother, gave testimony during the trial after she was previously sentenced to 15 years to life in prison in February in connection with her daughter’s death, according to WVNews. Julie had pleaded guilty in her case.
According to a criminal complaint, Kyneddi hadn’t received medical care for at least four years despite having an eating disorder, per The Associated Press. She was 58 pounds when she died, after she spent days on the bathroom floor by herself, according to Holstein.
“This child literally starved to death,” Boone County Circuit Judge Stacy Nowicki-Eldridge said at Julie’s sentencing, according to The Associated Press. “No child should ever have to go through that.”
Kyneddi reportedly lived in Morrisvale with Stone and her grandfather, Jerry Stone, who was also charged in her death before he was declared incompetent to stand trial due to his cognitive state.
Kyneddi was homeschooled before she died after she stopped attending public school during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021, per The Associated Press.
Donna’s attorney, Tim Gibson, argued that Julie, who lived in a home next to Donna, was responsible for seeking medical care for her daughter, according to the Charleston Gazette-Mail. Gibson also said it was evident Donna loved Kyneddi because the teen lived with her.
Holstein told the court that Donna didn’t properly care for her granddaughter, according to the newspaper.
On Tuesday, October 20, jurors recommended mercy for Donna when it comes to her sentencing, which is set for December 8, per WCHS-TV.
If you or someone you know is experiencing child abuse, call or text Child Help Hotline at 1-800-422-4453.
