The mother of a 14-year-old girl who was found dead in what investigators described as a “skeletal state” was sentenced Wednesday to 15 years to life in prison.
Julie Ann Stone Miller, 51, of Morrisvale, received the maximum sentence after pleading guilty in November 2025 to death of a child by a parent by child abuse in the 2024 death of her daughter, Kyneddi Miller. If granted parole, she must serve 50 years of supervised release.
During the sentencing hearing, Dan Holstein described the prolonged suffering Kyneddi endured, alleging she was left without necessary food and medical care in the days leading up to her death. Authorities previously said the teen was found April 17, 2024, on the bathroom floor of her Morrisvale home, severely emaciated.
Holstein said Kyneddi was 5 feet, 3 inches tall and weighed 58 pounds, with a body mass index of 7.1. A healthy BMI typically ranges from 19 to 25. He stated the failure to obtain medical care directly contributed to her death.
Miller addressed the court, expressing sorrow and saying she loved her daughter. Kyneddi’s older sister delivered a victim impact statement, describing the profound loss to their family.
The sentence was enhanced under Emmaleigh’s Law, a 2017 statute that doubled potential penalties in certain child abuse cases.
Court documents alleged Miller and her parents, Jerry and Donna Stone, failed to provide the teen with necessary food and medical care in the months preceding her death. In August, Jerry Stone was found incompetent to stand trial and committed to a mental health facility. Donna Stone’s trial has been delayed until next month.
The case prompted scrutiny of West Virginia’s child protection system. A federal audit by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General found the state failed to comply with 91% of investigation requirements in sampled child abuse and neglect cases between October 2023 and September 2024.
The West Virginia Department of Human Services said in a statement that it has begun implementing policy changes and additional training in response to the findings.