The grandparents of a 14-year-old West Virginia girl who was discovered in an “emaciated to a skeletal state” earlier this year are now facing charges connected to her death. Jerry Stone, 75, and Donna Stone, 76, were taken into custody Monday morning by the Boone County Sheriff’s Office. Both are charged with child neglect causing death.
A criminal complaint filed Monday alleges the grandparents failed to “exercise a minimum degree of care” to ensure the teen’s safety. Their arrests came a little over a month after the April 17 discovery of 14-year-old Kyneddi Miller, who was found dead inside a home she shared with her mother and grandparents. The child’s mother, Julie Anne Stone Miller, 49, was arrested in April on the same charge. Her case has since been sent to a grand jury.
According to earlier court documents, deputies were dispatched to the home on the 400 block of Cameo Road in Morrisvale after receiving a report of a death. When they arrived, they found Kyneddi lying on a bathroom floor on a foam pad. Investigators described her condition as shocking, noting her extremely thin and skeletal appearance.
During interviews, the grandmother told deputies that the teen had not attended school since late 2019 or early 2020 and had left the house only twice in the past four years. She also said Kyneddi had been suffering from an eating disorder for several years. According to the complaint, the girl had been unable to function independently for four to five days and had not been eating for months.
Investigators believe her health had been deteriorating for months or even years. Family members have expressed concerns about Kyneddi’s well-being prior to her death.
Documents obtained by WCHS through the Freedom of Information Act revealed that Kyneddi began homeschooling in February 2021 at the request of her mother. Julie Miller wrote to Boone County Schools that the decision was driven by concerns over exposing the child’s elderly grandparents to COVID-19.
While Gov. Jim Justice initially stated that Child Protective Services had no prior knowledge of the family, he later acknowledged that he was given inaccurate information. The West Virginia Department of Human Services, which oversees CPS, issued a statement calling the case a tragedy but said it could not provide details.
Additional documents later obtained by WCHS confirmed that CPS had been aware of Kyneddi for more than a year before her death. A welfare check conducted by West Virginia State Police in March 2023 reported that Kyneddi appeared to be OK at the time, and the case was forwarded to CPS for further follow-up.
Julie Miller remains held on a $250,000 bond. Jerry and Donna Stone each received a $25,000 bond as the investigation continues.
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