Mother Receives Life Sentence After Daughter's Tragic Starvation Death
Julie Miller, a 51-year-old mother from West Virginia, has been sentenced to up to life in prison for the death of her 14-year-old daughter, Kyneddi Miller. The teenager was found emaciated at their Morrisvale home in April 2024, weighing a mere 58 pounds (26 kilograms).
Judge's Stern Condemnation of Neglect
During the sentencing hearing, Boone County Circuit Judge Stacy Nowicki-Eldridge delivered a powerful statement, declaring, "This child literally starved to death. No child should ever have to go through that." The judge emphasized the severity of the neglect that led to Kyneddi spending her final days alone on a bathroom floor.
Miller pleaded guilty in November to death of a child by parent, guardian or custodian. Under the terms of her sentence, she will become eligible for parole after serving 15 years. The criminal complaint revealed that Miller had known about her daughter's eating disorder for at least four years but failed to seek any medical treatment.
Systemic Failures Exposed by Federal Audit
The tragic case prompted a federal audit of West Virginia's child welfare system, released in November. The audit found that the state consistently failed to comply with basic requirements for responding to reports of child abuse and neglect.
Key findings included:
- Failure to interview children or adults in most reported cases
- Inadequate assessment of immediate safety risks
- Systemic documentation failures
In response, the state Department of Human Services has implemented new protocols requiring potential abuse and neglect cases to be referred to an intake telephone number for proper documentation.
Missed Opportunities for Intervention
State police were summoned to check on Kyneddi in March 2023, but the trooper reported no signs of abuse. The officer made an informal suggestion to local human services that the girl might need mental health resources, citing her anxiety about leaving home due to COVID-19 concerns.
However, no follow-up checks were conducted. Brian Abraham, chief of staff for then-Governor Jim Justice, confirmed this breakdown in the system during June 2024 testimony.
Homeschooling Oversight Failures
Kyneddi had last attended public school in 2021 and was being homeschooled at the time of her death. West Virginia law requires parents of homeschooled students to conduct annual academic assessments, submitting them to the state after the third, fifth, eighth, and eleventh grades.
State records indicate Miller never submitted the required assessments for her daughter, yet no truancy action was taken by county authorities. Failure to report assessments can result in termination from homeschool programs and legal intervention, but these safeguards were not implemented.
Ongoing Legal Proceedings and Reform Efforts
Two of Kyneddi's grandparents who lived at the home face separate legal consequences. Jerry Stone has been found incompetent to stand trial due to declining cognitive ability, while Donna Stone faces trial next month on charges of child neglect resulting in death.
The case has sparked significant legislative action, with several bills introduced during the current session aimed at improving West Virginia's child welfare system. Governor Patrick Morrisey has vowed to increase transparency by releasing results of child welfare investigations that were previously withheld from public view.
A state investigation continues to examine whether law enforcement and child protective services could have intervened earlier to prevent this tragedy. The case has become a catalyst for systemic reform in how West Virginia protects its most vulnerable children.
