LA - Lacey Fletcher 36, GRAPHIC, disabled, found dead, on couch for years, Jan'22 *Parents arrested*

[ilovewings]

When everyone in the world is either a completely innocent victim or a completely responsible victimizer it becomes impossible to understand the real reasons that tragedies like this and many others occur.

That concept is a bit far out for me. I prefer a more practical approach. When someone commits an evil act that results in suffering and death of another, one is the victim and one is the victimizer. it is really quite simple. And in that scenario there should be punishment for the victimizer.

 

[housewife]

When everyone in the world is either a completely innocent victim or a completely responsible victimizer it becomes impossible to understand the real reasons that tragedies like this and many others occur.

This thread is specifically about Lacey’s death, and Websleuths doesn’t allow victim bashing.
For clarification, are you saying Lacey isn’t innocent of the abuse she received over the years?
Lacey’s “parents” are completely responsible for her death. They were hiding Lacey’s condition (or her existence) from the public. So they knew their daughter’s condition was problematic and chose to hide it.

 

[ilovewings]

When everyone in the world is either a completely innocent victim or a completely responsible victimizer it becomes impossible to understand the real reasons that tragedies like this and many others occur.

This is not a philosophical thread involving the world or everyone- this thread is about a specific situation where someone died a horrible death and suffered at the hands of another.

 

[evilwise]

While policy often prevents me from examining some elements of tragedy here, in this case I think it is most important to examine exactly where Lacey's parents began to act criminally, exactly what crime they committed and exactly how that is to be determined - and of course their punishment

A focus on how a situation like this can happen and its consequences is what can most contribute to preventing it in the future. People who might be in a situation parallel to the earlier stages of this one should be able to see themselves reflected, see the possible outcome if they don't alter their course and be provided tools with which to alter it.

That is what, in my opinion, media coverage and internet discussion should focus on. Not on howling for blood.

 

[ilovewings]

While policy often prevents me from examining some elements of tragedy here, in this case I think it is most important to examine exactly where Lacey's parents began to act criminally, exactly what crime they committed and exactly how that is to be determined - and of course their punishment

A focus on how a situation like this can happen and its consequences is what can most contribute to preventing it in the future. People who might be in a situation parallel to the earlier stages of this one should be able to see themselves reflected, see the possible outcome if they don't alter their course and be provided tools with which to alter it.

That is what, in my opinion, media coverage and internet discussion should focus on. Not on howling for blood.

Believing in punishment for a crime is not howling for blood

 

[UrsulaWrenn]

(snip)

A focus on how a situation like this can happen and its consequences is what can most contribute to preventing it in the future. People who might be in a situation parallel to the earlier stages of this one should be able to see themselves reflected, see the possible outcome if they don't alter their course and be provided tools with which to alter it.

That is what, in my opinion, media coverage and internet discussion should focus on. Not on howling for blood.

I do agree we should examine what goes wrong, so we can help prevent it happening again.
I also tend to think events like this cause so many strong emotions it can be very difficult to discuss them rationally -sometimes until years after.
However, I do think our humanity calls for a decisive and swift reprisal, preferably in a very public way, to avenge the victim, warn the next wanna-be perpetrator, and satisfy the requirements of civility, law, order, and social progress.

A long way to say "Oh, there will be examination; after the defendant has been led away in chains".

 

[evilwise]

I do agree we should examine what goes wrong, so we can help prevent it happening again.
I also tend to think events like this cause so many strong emotions it can be very difficult to discuss them rationally -sometimes until years after.
However, I do think our humanity calls for a decisive and swift reprisal, preferably in a very public way, to avenge the victim, warn the next wanna-be perpetrator, and satisfy the requirements of civility, law, order, and social progress.

A long way to say "Oh, there will be examination; after the defendant has been led away in chains".

Vengeance isn't mine to give (even in this world it is classically reserved for the wronged or the family of the killed).

In the interest of justice for society at large I can't really say how much their actions deprived us all of but I do feel secure that they won't repeat their crime, whatever it may be.

At this point the murder charge seems to have stood for long enough I'm beginning to believe that there are factors that haven't been reported. Based on just what has been reported, I would have expected a murder charge to have been dismissed by now.

 

[UrsulaWrenn]

At this point the murder charge seems to have stood for long enough I'm beginning to believe that there are factors that haven't been reported. Based on just what has been reported, I would have expected a murder charge to have been dismissed by now.

I agree. I thought when this first happened there had to be a misunderstanding somewhere. I thought the girl had to have been alone in the house, and have some obvious pathology that crippled her.
I was sure once the facts were in there would be a bit of scramble to correct the record and reframe the narrative.
But, as time has gone on, I have to agree it looks like there are more facts in evidence than just what has been shared (which is horrific enough) and we'll be finding out just how this happened in time.

 

[EmiliaRT007]

Coroner found woman 'melted' into couch after she disappeared for a decade; grand jury weighing charges for her parents (wbrz.com)
''SLAUGHTER, La. – A grand jury will meet Monday to determine if a woman’s parents should be held accountable for her death, Sam D’Aquilla, the district attorney for the 20th Judicial District, said.

The body of 36-year old Lacey Fletcher was found rotting and melted into a couch of her parents' home back in January. Fletcher only weighed 96 pounds, and sources said it's one of the worst cases of neglect they have ever seen.

Dr. Ewell Bickham, coroner of East Feliciana Parish, was very limited in what he could say due to the pending grand jury hearing, but told the WBRZ Investigative Unit in his 30 years as a practicing physician he's never seen anything like it.

"I couldn't eat for a week, and I cried for a week," Dr. Bickham said.

Fletcher's parents, Sheila and Clay Fletcher, are longtime residents of Slaughter. Shelia was a town alderman who recently resigned her post in February.

The East Feliciana Parish coroner ruled Lacey's death a homicide after she died Jan. 3 in her parents’ home. The coroner’s office notified the district attorney and sheriff’s office of its findings, leading to the criminal investigation.

Sources told the WBRZ Investigative Unit she had insects all over her body and was covered in feces from head to toe. The couch was a "latrine" and her body had melted through the padding of the sofa. It's unclear when she was last mobile, but sources estimate she had been sitting in the same place for years.''

Wait, she was MELTED into the couch? Holy moly. I didn’t even think that was possible. I scream in pain when I get a paper cut. I can’t even imagine the pain that this poor woman experienced in the last moments of her life. In the last moments of her life it’s like she wasn’t even alive anymore. That’s no way to live. That’s so horrifying. RIP Lacey.

 

[housewife]

While policy often prevents me from examining some elements of tragedy here, in this case I think it is most important to examine exactly where Lacey's parents began to act criminally, exactly what crime they committed and exactly how that is to be determined - and of course their punishment

A focus on how a situation like this can happen and its consequences is what can most contribute to preventing it in the future. People who might be in a situation parallel to the earlier stages of this one should be able to see themselves reflected, see the possible outcome if they don't alter their course and be provided tools with which to alter it.

That is what, in my opinion, media coverage and internet discussion should focus on. Not on howling for blood.

IMHO Because Lacey’s abuse happened consistently over many years, it tells me there was an essential lack of empathy in her parents, or resentment. Maybe they were even sadistic.

IMHO Most caregivers can feel compassion fatigue or burnout but Lacey’s continual torment and death are proof of serious criminal neglect.

IMHO Her parents functioned very well outside the home, and looked clean, well-fed, and coherent. This tells me they know how to take care of themselves and deliberately chose not to do the same for their child. Lacey’s poor condition could have been a type of punishment from the parents. They may have been frustrated with Lacey and simply viewed her disabilities as stubbornness.

IMHO Deliberately hiding Lacey’s condition tells me that her parents were aware their actions were criminal (her mother worked with law enforcement) and valued their own social standing more than they love their daughter. They obviously lied to police when her mom claimed she “washed her sores everyday” and that Lacey never mentioned being in pain.

Abusers aren’t introspective enough to recognize themselves, so they won’t “see themselves reflected” in this sad situation, unfortunately.

 

[nao]

Moo...I think Lacey lived in her mind and was disconnected from her body. It was a sad situation, there was definitely neglect, her guardians just let her choose, but she was not capable of choice.....moo

 

[ilovewings]

IMHO Because Lacey’s abuse happened consistently over many years, it tells me there was an essential lack of empathy in her parents, or resentment. Maybe they were even sadistic.

IMHO Most caregivers can feel compassion fatigue or burnout but Lacey’s continual torment and death are proof of serious criminal neglect.

IMHO Her parents functioned very well outside the home, and looked clean, well-fed, and coherent. This tells me they know how to take care of themselves and deliberately chose not to do the same for their child. Lacey’s poor condition could have been a type of punishment from the parents. They may have been frustrated with Lacey and simply viewed her disabilities as stubbornness.

IMHO Deliberately hiding Lacey’s condition tells me that her parents were aware their actions were criminal (her mother worked with law enforcement) and valued their own social standing more than they love their daughter. They obviously lied to police when her mom claimed she “washed her sores everyday” and that Lacey never mentioned being in pain.

Abusers aren’t introspective enough to recognize themselves, so they won’t “see themselves reflected” in this sad situation, unfortunately.

I agree with every word you stated!!!!

 

[housewife]

I agree. I just wanted to establish that my perceptions were correct -she was, somehow, eating and drinking. She was probably able to talk; so what were they doing to keep her from reaching out for help -or even just screaming until someone insisted on knowing what was going on?

She wasn't being fed through a tube and forgotten in a back room by her family. Mind, that would not have been any better, but might've been a little bit more understandable. As it is, I can't fathom what was going through their heads? What was the motivation behind this years-long torture campaign?

Lacey was also homeschooled, I believe she was being controlled by her parents even then and it escalated. Was Lacey allowed to watch tv? Or make a phone call?

 

[tlcya]

I very much doubt the homeschooling even happened. I think allowing her to decide not to go to school was easier for them. I think they found her severe autism and her anxiety issues an embarrassment and frustrating. I suspect there was a war of wills and it went on for years. The further she retreated into her own mind and engaged less with the world around her the more relief they felt. Eventually her world became so small nothing existed beyond that couch.

Which freed her parents to go out and live life as if she'd fallen off the face of the world. In her mind, she did just that, fusing further into that couch with each passing day. How very inconvenient it must have been to return from their weekend away to discover Lacey was dead and have to call authorities who would then witness the horror they actively ignored for years.

I am not howling for blood. I don't think anyone is. I am ready to scream for some accountability though. And the below bolded statements do not look anything remotely like accountability.
------------------------------------
The Fletchers were “adamant” that Lacey was “of sound mind to make her own type of decisions,” and claimed she never complained of her sores and that Sheila would routinely clean them, D’Aquilla said last week.

The couple’s attorney has released a statement saying, “They don’t want to relive the pain of losing a child through the media. They have been through a lot of heartache over the years. Anyone who has lost a child knows what it’s like.”
Parents of Lacey Fletcher, dead woman found ‘melted’ to couch, are out of jail on bond

Their attorney did them no favors with the second bolded statement. It frames them as the victims of a preventable loss literally caused by them all while painting Lacey as a heartache (problem) they had to "endure" over the years.

As to the underlined, do we even know if Lacey was verbal at the point of her death? Had she regressed so far into her own mind she no longer spoke? Could she have complained if she wanted to? We may never know because this couple took pains to keep their dirty little secret hidden. Sound mind my hindquarters.

GMAB

 

[UrsulaWrenn]

I do believe the parents saw her as a burden. In their minds, she should've been living on her own somewhere, so they could have their pre-child lives back. I think as it became apparent that wasn't the case, they just decided they weren't responsible and therefore didn't have any real duty of care.

"Well, she's of age. If she doesn't want to move on, that's her choice. We'll feed her if we want to, but we're not obligated in any way, and if we don't want to deal with it we won't. If she doesn't like it, she'll get up and do for herself or leave."

 

[EmiliaRT007]

I do believe the parents saw her as a burden. In their minds, she should've been living on her own somewhere, so they could have their pre-child lives back. I think as it became apparent that wasn't the case, they just decided they weren't responsible and therefore didn't have any real duty of care.

"Well, she's of age. If she doesn't want to move on, that's her choice. We'll feed her if we want to, but we're not obligated in any way, and if we don't want to deal with it we won't. If she doesn't like it, she'll get up and do for herself or leave."

I can see that being a possibility. I’m autistic myself. I was often the problem child or the stressful one. I’m in my late teens and that still stands. I know a couple with a severely autistic 38 year old daughter who reminds me a lot of Lacey. They’re constantly burned out.

 

[ChatteringBirds]

I can see that being a possibility. I’m autistic myself. I was often the problem child or the stressful one. I’m in my late teens and that still stands. I know a couple with a severely autistic 38 year old daughter who reminds me a lot of Lacey. They’re constantly burned out.

Once she sat on the couch and was afraid (?) to get up, Lacey's parents never tried to seek professional help for her, though. It appears not even once did they try. And that is the difference, I think.

 

[ilovewings]

I was thinking about this case- I believe the parents are going to almost beg to take a plea- they don't want all the ugliness they perpetrated on their child to come out- it will be pretty hideous for the prosecution to outline their case and describe the years of abuse and neglect resulting in such a horrible death. At the end of the day I believe the prosecutor will take that plea. That is obviously JMO

 

[housewife]

IMHO I think this situation goes beyond passive neglect. Lacey suffered deprivational abuse for years.

"Severe neglect... are not deliberate acts of omission by the caretaker. The caretaker, although aware that their care of the child is not good, is usually unaware of the extent of actual harm being done... Neglect is thus much more common than abuse and directly related to the education and awareness of the caretaker."

I believe Lacey's parents knew exactly the extent of the harm being done and deliberately chose to deprive Lacey of care. They were educated enough to purchase/rent a home and have jobs, social lives, and went to church every Sunday. Lacey's parents had adequate resources and used those to take care of themselves. They had to be aware that their house reeked of human excrement, and yet chose not to clean Lacey. Every day the parents maintained their own living quarters, and deliberately chose not to include the couchprison. I'm assuming they also restricted outsiders from visiting, because the smell and Lacey's condition would instantly arouse suspicion. That indicates to me that her parents were very aware of how Lacey's condition would appear to outsiders.

In this same article they also discuss how a "flat effect" from a child can cause a caregiver to believe the victim is "resigned to their fate". I can see a frustrated caregiver throwing up their hands and claiming "Fine! If you want to just sit in your own filth, go ahead!". All caregivers need respite.

But since that neglect took place for YEARS, I consider that deprivational abuse.

 

[ilovewings]

IMHO I think this situation goes beyond passive neglect. Lacey suffered deprivational abuse for years.

"Severe neglect... are not deliberate acts of omission by the caretaker. The caretaker, although aware that their care of the child is not good, is usually unaware of the extent of actual harm being done... Neglect is thus much more common than abuse and directly related to the education and awareness of the caretaker."

I believe Lacey's parents knew exactly the extent of the harm being done and deliberately chose to deprive Lacey of care. They were educated enough to purchase/rent a home and have jobs, social lives, and went to church every Sunday. Lacey's parents had adequate resources and used those to take care of themselves. They had to be aware that their house reeked of human excrement, and yet chose not to clean Lacey. Every day the parents maintained their own living quarters, and deliberately chose not to include the couchprison. I'm assuming they also restricted outsiders from visiting, because the smell and Lacey's condition would instantly arouse suspicion. That indicates to me that her parents were very aware of how Lacey's condition would appear to outsiders.

In this same article they also discuss how a "flat effect" from a child can cause a caregiver to believe the victim is "resigned to their fate". I can see a frustrated caregiver throwing up their hands and claiming "Fine! If you want to just sit in your own filth, go ahead!". All caregivers need respite.

But since that neglect took place for YEARS, I consider that deprivational abuse.

Totally agree