Sometimes we come across heartwrenching stories we cannot understand. This is one of them, we advise the reader caution as you read further about the tragic tale of Lacey Fletcher and the neglect she faced from her parents.
Keep reading to learn more.
In Baton Rouge, Louisiana, a tragedy took place just a few years ago. The parents of 36-year-old Lacey Fletecher were sentenced to 40 years in prison (20 of those being suspended) for a horrible crime.
Clay and Sheila Fletcher met their fate for not moving and neglecting their 36-year-old daughter, Lacey Fletcher, from the couch for 12 years. The woman was found having ‘melted’ into the couch, according to authorities. Coroner Dr. Ewell Dewitt Bickham III said the mother, Sheila Fletcher, called 911 on January 3, 2022, which they believe to have been a day or two after Fletcher had already passed away.
The coroner described the scene in vivid detail, saying it was “appalling and horrific“ because of the condition the body was in on the couch. Lacey’s skin had rotted, and her bones were exposed. The main cause of her death was determined to have been starvation.
“Opened the door, walked into the house, there was a stench, an odor, feces, fecal material, urine, you couldn’t hold your breath,” Bickham recalled the scene.
Sheriff Jeffery Travis said it was “by far the worst” he had ever seen.
“The father was completely emotionless. The mother’s head was lying down on, between her legs. She was weeping a little bit,” Bickham said of the parents.
The weekend Lacey Fletcher died, her parents were away on a vacation, according to the coroner’s office. The parents said their daughter suffered from extreme social anxiety and had autism.
“The conditions in which she was found, it’s just unbelievable,” Sam D’Aquilla, working as the District Attorney for West Feliciana at the time, said.
D’Aquilla shared details, saying, “The caretakers just let her sit on the couch. She just urinated and used the bathroom on the couch. It was so horrific.”
According to medical records, Lacey Fletcher did not seem to have a primary care physician.
“In 2010, the parents went to a doctor’s office without Lacey and asked his advice on what to do. She is increasingly not wanting to leave the house, not wanting to leave the sofa, just totally recluse,” Bickham said.
The doctor advised the parents to admit Lacey to a hospital but they never followed up on any of the advice.
“The message is if you have anyone in your family with a mental health condition or a disability, get help,” Bickham pleaded to anyone who might be in a similar situation.
This is such a heartbreaking story. We hope what happened to Lacey Fletcher does not happen to anyone else. Share this with others to raise more awareness about parental neglect.
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