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

[bestill]

She died in January 3. Her parents must have enjoyed a New Years celebration weekend and left her to totally alone.
I thought Louise and David Turpin where horrible parents.

Why were the Fletcher's not arrested sooner?

 

[CHEL]

She died in January 3. Her parents must have enjoyed a New Years celebration weekend and left her to totally alone.
I thought Louise and David Turpin where horrible parents.

Why were the Fletcher's not arrested sooner?

Wondering the same thing. I am local and it's bizarre we are just hearing about this.

 

[Fika]

You make a good point- why was nobody checking up on her? It is like she was invisible--

seems strange that nobody seemed to notice what’s happening. What did the family think about her being off radar? Friends? Her old classmate or teachers. Someone had to know she was just gone from the society one day. As sad as you said she seemed to be indivisible.

 

[Pseudonymph]

I find it shocking that parents can take 9th grader out of school and nobody see her ever again and there are no questions where is she why is she home and stuff like that?
How come it’s possible to do that?

in Sweden schools are mandatory and one can lose a right to a child if pulled out of school. There would be follow up. Not sure how it looks like in the USA?
https://www.thelocal.se/20200902/sw...-children-locked-up-out-of-coronavirus-fears/
https://www.thelocal.se/20200902/sw...-children-locked-up-out-of-coronavirus-fears/

It varies by state. In some states homeschooling has a lot of oversight. In some states it has none. Anyone can withdraw their child to homeschool them no matter what state.

 

[Pseudonymph]

Look at #2. You can establish a home-based private school and fudge the rest. This is what the Turpins did in Texas and California.

How to Comply with Louisiana's Homeschool Law

 

[Fika]

It varies by state. In some states homeschooling has a lot of oversight. In some states it has none. Anyone can withdraw their child to homeschool them no matter what state.

I see, I didn’t realise its so common to home school kids in the USA. It’s almost non existent here and only allowed in special circumstances which are checked by the authorities. Nobody really can pull a child from school otherwise child welfare authorities will be knocking very fast.

 

[bestill]

I am wondering if her issues were from abuse. Those photos show what appears to be a happy, active and mobile girl. Their story just isn't adding up. My mind is going in several different directions...

 

[Pseudonymph]

I am wondering if her issues were from abuse. Those photos show what appears to be a happy, active and mobile girl. Their story just isn't adding up. My mind is going in several different directions...

I follow your line of thought. Making yourself as still and unappealing as possible as a line of defense?

 

[bestill]

I follow your line of thought. Making yourself as still and unappealing as possible as a line of defense?

Add to that an angry spouse?

 

[Fika]

I am wondering if her issues were from abuse. Those photos show what appears to be a happy, active and mobile girl. Their story just isn't adding up. My mind is going in several different directions...

I agree. It doesn’t add up what her parents are saying. Her classmates said she was talkative, she looks happy on the pictures. How did it come to this?

 

[bestill]

Anyone that can live in that home under those conditions has to be covering up something. There's no way to explain it. To allow your daughter to deteriorate to this and to think nothing about abandoning her for days, then she's dead for up to 48 hours before you report it tells me to question everything that you are saying and have done. Those parents have no credibility and sadly their story is the only one that we will ever hear. I hope one of them turns on the other one. Who made the phone call to report that she had stopped breathing?

 

[Marysmith]

I question why, if they would do something as abhorrent as neglect their child, they even called it in honestly? As sick and horrible as it sounds to even ask this! Maybe because they literally could not remove Lacey’s body?

 

[Fika]

Anyone that can live in that home under those conditions has to be covering up something. There's no way to explain it. To allow your daughter to deteriorate to this and to think nothing about abandoning her for days, then she's dead for up to 48 hours before you report it tells me to question everything that you are saying and have done. Those parents have no credibility and sadly their story is the only one that we will ever hear. I hope one of them turns on the other one. Who made the phone call to report that she had stopped breathing?

I’m surprised that they called for help and let her be found in this state. They had to realise how it looks, right? I can’t understand why would they call and have ambulance/police coming in to find her on this couch.

 

[sallye818]

As someone said upthread, I'm really struggling to process this. I looked at Lacey's obituary, and the video that the funeral home put together had only the one picture of Lacey (when she was 16). Other videos in the obituary section showed the deceased with loved ones, in fun times, wedding and birthday pics, etc. Lacey had only one pic from 20 years ago and some generic flower backgrounds.

Thank you, @TheLoadedGoat for finding those pics and Facebook posts. I am appreciating everyone's varied thoughts on what happened to Lacey, I know it didn't happen overnight. Maybe I'm just trying to make sense out of something that inherently makes no sense.

 

[FlossyMay]

I am actually surprised that they didn't just set the house on fire.

I'm thinking they must know people in LE. Why else would it take so long to arrest them? Someone should be looking into that. It makes no sense to me.

 

[sallye818]

Also, way back, we heard that the parents said Lacey went to sleep one night and and Mom woke up (in the same room) to find her dead the next AM. This is a lie, correct? Now that we've learned the parents were out of town and came back to find her dead; also she was already suffering from malnutrition/starved to death..

You lie about one thing. you likely lie about others.

 

[BayouBelle_LA]

Also, way back, we heard that the parents said Lacey went to sleep one night and and Mom woke up (in the same room) to find her dead the next AM. This is a lie, correct? Now that we've learned the parents were out of town and came back to find her dead; also she was already suffering from malnutrition/starved to death..

You lie about one thing. you likely lie about others.

The parents also said she ate half a sandwich and cheetoes on January 2nd. That must be untruthful as well.

 

[Mermaid33]

@FlossyMay I saw it reported that “Sheila Fletcher has worked as a police and court clerk in Baker and more recently as an assistant to the city prosecutor in Zachary, report said.” https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10769793/Co-worker-Louisiana-dad-accused-murdering-daughter-locked-syndrome-shocked.html
I know it’s a DM article but if you search her name on LinkedIn her profile also states this.
I also read that she resigned 3 weeks after Lacey passed. So she definitely knew people within that profession.
Rest in Peace Lacey. She had such a sweet smile.

 

[SuziQ]

So now the parent's claim she developed some form of Asperger's in the 9th grade? I have never heard of that happening. But wait, I thought it was autism? IMO, they are throwing fake diagnosis out there to see what will stick. I can guess why she was home schooled and it was to hide abuse. Moo.

Louisiana parents insisted it was daughter's decision to stay on couch Parents of autistic Louisiana woman insisted it was her decision to remain on couch | Daily Mail Online via Home | Daily Mail Online

 

[bestill]

I am actually surprised that they didn't just set the house on fire.

I'm thinking they must know people in LE. Why else would it take so long to arrest them? Someone should be looking into that. It makes no sense to me.

Good point about setting the house on fire. Better to be investigated for arson vs 2nd degree homicide, neglect and abuse. JMO