Child Welfare and CPS Oversight

A Boone County, West Virginia judge sentenced 51‑year‑old Julie Miller to a term of 15‑years‑to‑life Wednesday for the April 2024 death of her 14‑year‑old daughter, Kyneddi, whose emaciated 58‑pound body was found in the family’s Morrisvale home after she allegedly went at least four years without medical care. Miller pleaded guilty in November to death of a child by a parent, guardian or custodian; the judge said the teen "literally starved to death" after spending her final days alone on a bathroom floor. Two grandparents who lived in the home face separate outcomes: Jerry Stone was deemed incompetent to stand trial, while Donna Stone is set for trial next month on a child‑neglect‑resulting‑in‑death charge. Kyneddi’s case triggered a federal audit that found West Virginia repeatedly failed to follow required steps when responding to abuse and neglect reports—including interviewing children and assessing immediate safety risks—and spurred new state procedures requiring all suspected cases to go through a central intake line for documentation. Lawmakers have since introduced multiple child‑welfare reform bills, and the case has also focused attention on oversight gaps in homeschooling, as records show Miller never filed the legally required academic assessments that can trigger truancy enforcement.