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

[Dotta]

From the article:
Infested with maggots while she was still alive. This infestation included the area around her genitals.

Her body covered in pressure ulcers and suffering chronic bone infection with polarizable fibers (most likely fibers from the couch) and maggots embedded in the exposed surface of the bones.

Severe chronic neglect and chronic protein malnutrition and acute starvation.

Fecal matter, both crusted and fresh, present on the body including face, chest, abdomen, perineum, and extremities.

Extremely dirty, matted/knotted hair with feces and maggots. There were ‘insect bites to her left ear, face and arms’ that happened before she died.

Extremely matted into a 24 x 18-inch knotted ball and cannot be straightened.

Ears are extremely dirty with crusted feces.

Fingernails are natural, long and extremely dirty with underlying fecal material… the toenails are natural, long, curled under and extremely dirty with underlying fecal material.

Their attorney stated, "Sheila Fletcher would come home at lunch every day to care and eat lunch with her daughter every single day." Really, Sheila? Home for lunch but too bothered to wipe the *advertiser censored* off your daughter's face or get the maggots off her genitals? Forty years is the least you deserve.

I'm speechless!!!!!!

 

[MsMarple]

From the article:
Infested with maggots while she was still alive. This infestation included the area around her genitals.

Her body covered in pressure ulcers and suffering chronic bone infection with polarizable fibers (most likely fibers from the couch) and maggots embedded in the exposed surface of the bones.

Severe chronic neglect and chronic protein malnutrition and acute starvation.

Fecal matter, both crusted and fresh, present on the body including face, chest, abdomen, perineum, and extremities.

Extremely dirty, matted/knotted hair with feces and maggots. There were ‘insect bites to her left ear, face and arms’ that happened before she died.

Extremely matted into a 24 x 18-inch knotted ball and cannot be straightened.

Ears are extremely dirty with crusted feces.

Fingernails are natural, long and extremely dirty with underlying fecal material… the toenails are natural, long, curled under and extremely dirty with underlying fecal material.

Their attorney stated, "Sheila Fletcher would come home at lunch every day to care and eat lunch with her daughter every single day." Really, Sheila? Home for lunch but too bothered to wipe the *advertiser censored* off your daughter's face or get the maggots off her genitals? Forty years is the least you deserve.

Oh brother. Where is any evidence either parent properly cared for Lacey, physically or emotionally? Even minimally. All we see is the lack of providing basic hygiene to their daughter. What stopped them from cleaning Lacey each day? Maggots on her genitals? How could they look at a maggot infestation and then just go about their daily business?

Liars.

Each lie they tell infuriates me. How dare the mother claim to sleep on that feces covered couch every night. Who does she think she’s fooling? Liar.

Grr. I have zero sympathy for these oxygen sucking pseudo humans. They act as if they’re the victims, not the poor child they abused. Neglect? Yes. Torture? Absolutely!

MOO based on a mountain of evidence.

 

[Breezie]

The defense attorney is right " they loved her TO DEATH"-- poor choice of words sir-- there was crusted feces in her EARS-- Of course mom did not sleep on the couch with Lacy--- I hope they get 40 years but I doubt it--- I am pleased they pled "no contest" since they have no defense whatsoever. Reading about her condition when found on that couch, is beyond anything one could imagine- maggots, feces, her scalp was red and crusted--- why go on- it is too horrible to read and then type about. THEY CARED FOR HER DAILY- seriously???? how dare he say that--

He should have waited until after the sentencing to speak out. He sure didn’t help them with his speech. There might have been two couches in the living room.
The mom couldn’t possibly have stayed on the same couch, but even if she stayed on another couch, in the same room, the smell would have been unbearable.

 

[ilovewings]

I wonder if her parents and other family members were ashamed of her
Because she was autistic and perhaps she was difficult to take care of as well--
They became angry and frustrated with her so they just let her rot and suffer
For years on the couch. The are not uneducated or impoverished so it seems
Almost willful - this level of abuse

You wonder if neighbors inquired where she was since she stopped being seen outside the home
And what the parents responses were!

 

[tlcya]

I can see one of two things being possible as far as them dealing with any inquiries about why people just stopped seeing Lacey:

a) made it about them and how difficult it was dealing with their daughter who had anxiety and refused to leave the house while hiding how horrific things had truly been allowed to get, or
b) simply lied and said she was elsewhere and that is why people hadn't seen her in recent years.

neither is acceptable to me.

 

[Breezie]

Neighbors reveal Lacey Fletcher was last seen in public 15 years ago

Neighbor Robert Blades, 59, told DailyMail.com he last saw Lacey Ellen Fletcher exercising outside her Slaughter, Louisiana house 15 years ago, when she would have been 21 years old.

www.dailymail.co.uk

Blades, a retired welder, said he challenged Clay Fletcher over his daughter's whereabouts around five years ago because she hadn't been seen for years.

'I asked Clay because I hadn't seen her for so long. I actually thought maybe she got married and moved on,' he said.

Neighbor Robert Blades, 59, told DailyMail.com he last saw Lacey exercising outside her Slaughter, Louisiana house when she would have been 21
'I said, how is Lacey? How's she doing? Has she moved off? Went to college or what?

'He replied, oh no, she's still here. She's fine. And then changed the subject. And that's it. He didn't explain why we hadn't seen her at all.

'I just took him at his word. I had absolutely no suspicions about what actually happened at that house over the road from us. No alerts, nothing

 

[housewife]

Parents of woman who was found fused to a sofa face 40 years in prison

Lacey Fletcher, 36, died on a sofa from which she hadn't moved for 12 years. Her parents Clay and Sheila Fletcher, both 66, pleaded no contest to manslaughter on Monday for her 2022 death.

www.dailymail.co.uk

At the age of 14, her mother took her to clinical psychologist Donald Hoppe saying she suffered ‘severe social anxiety’, according to a letter from the medical expert to East Feliciana Parish coroner Dr Ewell Bickham and entered into court records.

Sheila shared information from another psychologist that ‘Lacey had a below average IQ and suffered from autism,’ said Dr Hoppe.

He saw her for 12 sessions between 2000 and 2002. In 2010 both Fletchers returned ‘and told me Lacey was refusing to leave the house and in fact had begun to refuse to leave the living room of the house’.

Dr Hoppe added: ‘They were bringing meals to her, and she was urinating and defecating on a towel on the floor. She had not bathed or washed her hair for an extended period of time. They wanted to know what they could do to help her.

‘I urged them to consider hospitalization for Lacey, and discussed with them the process for obtaining a commitment order so that Lacey could be taken from the house… even if she refused to go on her own.’ The psychologist said 2010 was the last time he had contact with the Fletchers.

**So the Dr. failed to follow through with them nor did he order a welfare check on Lacey.

Steven Moore said the Fletchers never intended to harm their daughter. ‘They were negligent, yes. It is clear they were negligent. They loved her to death, that is the true statement with the Fletchers. They loved their daughter to death,’ he said.

He admitted: ‘The things that happened to Lacey are horrible. But they cared for her daily. Sheila Fletcher would come home at lunch every day to care and eat lunch with her daughter every single day.

‘She slept on the couch, with her daughter every night.’

** how is that even possible?
The couch was disgusting!
It is highly unlikely that mom also slept there.

They love to use the passive voice, don't they?
Nothing just "happened" to Lacey. Her parents directly abused her. Her parents caused her death.

I believe "love" is a verb, meaning to show care through actions. Her parents did not "love her to death". I would suggest the opposite, because every day her parents came home and chose NOT to care for her as they would care for themselves.

They chose to ignore their daughter. Every. Day. For. Years.

And tried to hide her existence from others.

To me that shows some form of maliciousness, not just passive neglect.

 

[ilovewings]

Neighbors reveal Lacey Fletcher was last seen in public 15 years ago

Neighbor Robert Blades, 59, told DailyMail.com he last saw Lacey Ellen Fletcher exercising outside her Slaughter, Louisiana house 15 years ago, when she would have been 21 years old.

www.dailymail.co.uk

Blades, a retired welder, said he challenged Clay Fletcher over his daughter's whereabouts around five years ago because she hadn't been seen for years.

'I asked Clay because I hadn't seen her for so long. I actually thought maybe she got married and moved on,' he said.

Neighbor Robert Blades, 59, told DailyMail.com he last saw Lacey exercising outside her Slaughter, Louisiana house when she would have been 21
'I said, how is Lacey? How's she doing? Has she moved off? Went to college or what?

'He replied, oh no, she's still here. She's fine. And then changed the subject. And that's it. He didn't explain why we hadn't seen her at all.

'I just took him at his word. I had absolutely no suspicions about what actually happened at that house over the road from us. No alerts, nothing

They love to use the passive voice, don't they?
Nothing just "happened" to Lacey. Her parents directly abused her. Her parents caused her death.

I believe "love" is a verb, meaning to show care through actions. Her parents did not "love her to death". I would suggest the opposite, because every day her parents came home and chose NOT to care for her as they would care for themselves.

They chose to ignore their daughter. Every. Day. For. Years.

And tried to hide her existence from others.

To me that shows some form of maliciousness, not just passive neglect.

I so agree with that!!! if you think about it, it was really a form of punishment- it was willful- this horror just doesn't happen--- I think they hated her to death-- they were ashamed of her and resented her autism and whatever difficulty her autism caused them--- I fear her sentence will be much less than 40 years- and they did allow the parents to plea to manslaughter instead of 2nd degree murder.

 

[housewife]

I so agree with that!!! if you think about it, it was really a form of punishment- it was willful- this horror just doesn't happen--- I think they hated her to death-- they were ashamed of her and resented her autism and whatever difficulty her autism caused them--- I fear her sentence will be much less than 40 years- and they did allow the parents to plea to manslaughter instead of 2nd degree murder.

There must be an organization that advocates for children in similar situations. I wish a partnership would happen and get more eyeballs on Lacey's sperm/egg donors.
I'll try to search...

 

[Breezie]

Neighbors reveal Lacey Fletcher was last seen in public 15 years ago

Neighbor Robert Blades, 59, told DailyMail.com he last saw Lacey Ellen Fletcher exercising outside her Slaughter, Louisiana house 15 years ago, when she would have been 21 years old.

www.dailymail.co.uk

Close neighbor Robert Blades, 59, said he spotted Lacey Ellen Fletcher for the final time carrying small weights around the neighborhood when she would have been around 21 years old.

She used to feel comfortable enough to walk around her neighborhood.
How did she develop phobias that made her not only afraid to leave her house but afraid to use the bathroom?

Did something traumatic happen that she was unable to communicate to her parents? She would have been really naive. Did she meet anyone, on her walks, who took advantage of her? Some people with agoraphobia are afraid to leave their homes but you never or rarely hear of anyone who is afraid to use their own bathroom. Agoraphobia could make someone afraid to use a public bathroom, but I have never heard of someone being afraid to use their own bathroom, assuming it is in good working order, and there are no rats or roaches running around in it.

 

[Lyanna]

Lacey's case truly breaks my heart. All I can see is that couch where she was left and reading what state her body was in when she was found makes me so angry and I feel physically sick.
Her legacy is this now. Those parents demeaned her whilst alive, robbed her of a healthy, fulfilled and meaningful life and are demeaning her in death.
They've shown no love, compassion or consideration for Lacey and what she endured.
Genuinely hope they rot in a cell for the remainder of their lives.


MOO

 

[Lilibet]

I wonder if her parents and other family members were ashamed of her
Because she was autistic and perhaps she was difficult to take care of as well--
They became angry and frustrated with her so they just let her rot and suffer
For years on the couch. The are not uneducated or impoverished so it seems
Almost willful - this level of abuse

You wonder if neighbors inquired where she was since she stopped being seen outside the home
And what the parents responses were!

I’m imagining the conversation with Lacey went something like this:

”You want to stay indoors on that couch and use it as your toilet? Fine! We’ll see how long you enjoy that. Let us know when you’re ready to do as we’ve asked and get help so you can live a normal life.”

And she never asked. And they never forced the issue. The power struggle became a stalemate. The embarrassment of having her hauled screaming from the house to an ambulance was too much for them. What would the neighbors think?!! So they let her rot to death. I hope their prison sentences are at least as long as Lacey was imprisoned on that couch. Hopefully, it will be much longer.

JMO

 

[MsMarple]

I so agree with that!!! if you think about it, it was really a form of punishment- it was willful- this horror just doesn't happen--- I think they hated her to death-- they were ashamed of her and resented her autism and whatever difficulty her autism caused them--- I fear her sentence will be much less than 40 years- and they did allow the parents to plea to manslaughter instead of 2nd degree murder.

Yes, I also believe the parents resented Lacey and her needs and punished her through extreme neglect.

But given not only willful neglect but the prolonged maltreatment and deliberately ignoring Lacey’s horrific condition and deterioration one might wonder if even more was at work. IOW the easier solution was to seek assistance for Lacey’s care. Why then did they choose to essentially do nothing to help make her more comfortable?

I’d hate to think they received some twisted satisfaction from their abuse. MOO

 

[Dotta]

Yes, I also believe the parents resented Lacey and her needs and punished her through extreme neglect.

But given not only willful neglect but the prolonged maltreatment and deliberately ignoring Lacey’s horrific condition and deterioration one might wonder if even more was at work. IOW the easier solution was to seek assistance for Lacey’s care. Why then did they choose to essentially do nothing to help make her more comfortable?

I’d hate to think they received some twisted satisfaction from their abuse. MOO

Didn't she die alone?

I seem to remember they went on some kind of trip and left her.

I have been following this terrible case from the very beginning.
Was it year 2022?

I'm glad it is coming to an end.

I hope for an adequate sentence.

I hope for Justice!!!!!!!!!

 

[Shamrock1]

There must be an organization that advocates for children in similar situations. I wish a partnership would happen and get more eyeballs on Lacey's sperm/egg donors.
I'll try to search...

Sperm and egg donors have to undergo rigorous testing - and, in the case of egg donors, fertility-risking procedures - before being allowed to help a couple build their family. Plenty of good, healthy applicants are rejected due to the high standards at most fertility clinics. There needs to be another moniker for people like Lacey’s parents.

 

[Breezie]

From the article:
Infested with maggots while she was still alive. This infestation included the area around her genitals.

Her body covered in pressure ulcers and suffering chronic bone infection with polarizable fibers (most likely fibers from the couch) and maggots embedded in the exposed surface of the bones.

Severe chronic neglect and chronic protein malnutrition and acute starvation.

Fecal matter, both crusted and fresh, present on the body including face, chest, abdomen, perineum, and extremities.

Extremely dirty, matted/knotted hair with feces and maggots. There were ‘insect bites to her left ear, face and arms’ that happened before she died.

Extremely matted into a 24 x 18-inch knotted ball and cannot be straightened.

Ears are extremely dirty with crusted feces.

Fingernails are natural, long and extremely dirty with underlying fecal material… the toenails are natural, long, curled under and extremely dirty with underlying fecal material.

Their attorney stated, "Sheila Fletcher would come home at lunch every day to care and eat lunch with her daughter every single day." Really, Sheila? Home for lunch but too bothered to wipe the *advertiser censored* off your daughter's face or get the maggots off her genitals? Forty years is the least you deserve.

They didn‘t try to clean her up before they called.

They also didn’t try to give her any dignity before they called. They could have moved her out of the urine and feces hole and wrapped her in a blanket.

They were so used to seeing her in such a deplorable condition that it didn’t occur to them how upsetting and traumatic it would be for first responders to find her this way.

Considering how long it had been since anyone had seen Lacey, it is surprising that they called at all.

 

[ilovewings]

They didn‘t try to clean her up before they called.

They also didn’t try to give her any dignity before they called. They could have moved her out of the urine and feces hole and wrapped her in a blanket.

Considering how long it had been since anyone had seen Lacey, it is surprising that they called at all.

Let's get real: the defense attorney is just making s----up- trying to come up with some words to make the parents seem like decent parents when in fact Lacy's body tells the true story--- For example, he said Sheila came home for lunch with her daughter every single day- that has to be a crock- Imagine the horrible horrific odor of a person merging with a couch with feces all over her body-- so her mother could eat lunch in that situation? BS

 

[investikater]

There must be an organization that advocates for children in similar situations. I wish a partnership would happen and get more eyeballs on Lacey's sperm/egg donors.
I'll try to search...

Wait Lacey was donor conceived? This is the first I'm hearing that

 

[investikater]

I suspect the horrific state Lacey was in was a relatively recent development
I don't think a human could survive for decades like that

So the defence may be telling the truth mostly?

Possibly her mum really did come home every day at lunch and sleep next to her for years

I suspect some of Laceys decline was very fast and some very slow

Speculating the following chain of events:

She has a slow spiralling of autistic overwhelm meltdowns and studowns after puberty
Then pretty suddenly becomes agoraphobic and severely anxious
Then slowly anxiety or depression or both worsens and she loses the ability to leave the couch to use the bathroom
Then spends many years being cared for daily by her parents
Then slowly continues to decline
Then towards the end things reach a breaking point where the parents just can't cope anymore and are also mentally ill and at this point Laceys condiction becomes grotesque

It's the only thing that makes sense to me other than them just being psychopaths and torturing her which is also a possibility of course.

 

[ChatteringBirds]

Wait Lacey was donor conceived? This is the first I'm hearing that

She wasn't. The poster used those terms because saying "mother and father" would be too nice considering what they did. That is, real parents don't treat their children this way, so let's just call them "donors," but it's not meant literally.

I suspect the horrific state Lacey was in was a relatively recent development
I don't think a human could survive for decades like that

So the defence may be telling the truth mostly?

Possibly her mum really did come home every day at lunch and sleep next to her for years

Until she didn't. I think we should trust the medical professionals regarding how long it took for her to reach such a state. If they say years, then I'll go with that, and even if it wasn't exactly that many years, it was clearly years of suffering, plenty of time to seek help.