Mom Whose 'Emaciated' Daughter, 14, Was Found Dead in Bathroom After Pulling Her from School Convicted

The West Virginia mom pulled her daughter from school in early 2021, telling school officials in an email she was going to homeschool her over concerns the then-preteen might bring Covid home and spread it to her elderly parents.

A mother in West Virginia has formally pleaded guilty for starving and neglecting her 14-year-old daughter until the teen succumbed to her "emaciated" and "skeletal state," dying on a rug on the bathroom floor inside the family home -- where she allegedly laid for five days before authorities were contacted.

Julie A. Miller, 51, was in Boone County Circuit Court on Friday on one count of death of a child by parent, guardian, or custodian, according to court records reviewed by Law&Crime, in relation to the death of Kyneddi Miller in the days prior to April 17, 2024.

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Despite the Boone County Sheriff's Office responding to a call of a juvenile female experiencing cardiac arrest, they arrived to find the 14-year-old girl lying atop a foam pad on the floor motionless. Her "appearance was shocking with an obvious emaciated, skeletal state," per the sheriff's office report.

Kyneddi was pronounced dead at the scene, with Boone County Prosecuting Attorney Dan Holstein saying in a hearing on August 2024 that she'd been lying in that same spot for four to five days before authorities arrived, as reported by CBS affiliate WOWK.

Julie was arrested April 18, 2024, initially on one count of murder by a parent for failure to provide necessities and one count of child neglect resulting in death. She had initially pleaded not guilty, with a trial date set for December 2, before her defense negotiated a deal with prosecutors that she signed off on.

Julie's parents, mother Donna Stone and stepfather Jerry Stone, have also been charged with the same crimes after their arrests on May 20, 2024. Jerry was ruled incompetent to stand trial after a court-ordered mental health evaluation in September, but Donna's trial is scheduled to begin February 24, 2026.

Of Jerry's situation, Holstein explained to the Charleston Gazette-Mail that he was found "not capable of regaining competency," and therefore "will continue under the court’s jurisdiction for the rest of his life, with periodic hearings to review his placement."

While speaking with investigators, Donna allegedly confirmed that she had pulled Kyneddi from school amid the COVID-19 pandemic. She said she sent a letter to the school in February 2021, saying she was pulling the then-preteen from school for fear she might bring the virus home and pass it onto her grandparents.

Donna further told them that she didn't believe Kyneddi had left the house more than two times in the past four years that she had allegedly been homeschooled by the family, including no visits to see any doctors in that span.

Additionally, she claimed that her granddaughter had an unspecified eating disorder, had not been eating for months, and said that she'd become unable to function on her own for several days before her death.

Talking about Julie with the Gazette-Mail, Holstein called it "satisfying that she acknowledged that she was guilty." He went on to emphasize that she "didn't challenge the important facts of the case that she knew that her child needed that kind of care and that she deliberately didn't get the care for her."

"We'll see at the sentencing hearing what her attitude remains," he added.

Julie's sentencing is set for February 25, 2026, where she faces 15 years to life in prison, though she could be parole eligible in 15 years. In addition, she also must register on the Child Abuse and Neglect Registry.

If you are experiencing or witness child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. If you believe a child is in immediate danger, call 911.

If you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder, get help. Contact the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) at 1-800-931-2237 or go to NationalEatingDisorders.org.