Mother sentenced to prison in death of teen daughter, who deputies found in skeletal state

BOONE COUNTY, W. Va. (WSAZ/Gray News) - A West Virginia mother will be spending at least 15 years behind bars for the death of her 14-year-old daughter.

Julie Miller received her sentence of 15 years to life in prison on Wednesday morning in Boone County Circuit Court.

Circuit Judge Stacy Nowicki-Eldridge ruled that if Miller is later deemed eligible for parole, it would be with 50 years of supervision.

Miller, the mother of Kyneddi Miller, pleaded guilty last November to the death of a child by parent, guardian, or custodian.

At the sentencing, Judge Nowicki-Eldridge said she’d seen photographs of the victim, and the details were beyond her comprehension.

“No child should ever have to go through that,” she said. “This child deserved a mother who provided at the bare minimum enough food that her body didn’t eat itself.”

Deputies were dispatched to a home in the Morrisvale area of Boone County on April 17, 2024, in relation to the cardiac arrest of Kyneddi Miller. Her body was found in a skeletal state, according to deputies.

Deputies said the teen girl appeared to have not had any medical treatment in at least four years.

A criminal investigation uncovered that the teen had not attended school since late 2019 or early 2020. She had only been outside the house roughly two times in four years and had not eaten in months.

The family told deputies the child suffered from an eating disorder.

Deputies described the teen’s appearance as “shocking.”

Kyneddi Miller’s grandparents, Jerry Stone and Donna Stone, were also arrested in May of 2024 and charged with child neglect resulting in death.

According to the criminal complaint, Jerry and Donna Stone lived inside the home in Morrisvale with the teen and her mother.

Julie Miller, Jerry and Donna Stone were indicted by a grand jury in September of 2024 for murder by parent, guardian, or custodian by failure or refusal to provide necessities, and child neglect resulting in death.

Donna Stone’s trial date is scheduled for March 17, with Jerry Stone being found incompetent to stand trial.

Julie Miller spoke at Wednesday’s sentencing hearing, expressing remorse.

Additionally, a family member who didn’t want to be identified spoke at the hearing, saying Kyneddi was her best friend, and that she couldn’t convey how painful this situation was.