In a tragic and disturbing case, the parents of Lacey Fletcher, a 36-year-old woman with a condition referred to as “locked-in” syndrome, were sentenced to spend the next 20 years in prison for their failure to provide adequate care for their daughter.
Lacey Fletcher was found dead on January 3, 2022, in her family’s home in Slaughter, Louisiana, where she had been living in nearly complete paralysis for over a decade. Her body was discovered sunk into a 1960s-style couch, covered in feces, emaciated, and riddled with ulcers. A human-sized hole had been worn into the couch where she sat and relieved herself for several years.
Lacey’s parents, Sheila and Clay Fletcher, were each sentenced to 40 years in prison, with 20 years suspended, and were ordered to serve five years of supervised probation once their prison stints are over. The sentencing came after a trial that included more than six hours of testimony from 11 different witnesses. The parents reportedly cried during the sentencing, expressing regret and claiming they could have done more to change the outcome.
The conditions in which Lacey was found were described as “appalling and horrific” by Coroner Dr. Ewell Dewitt Bickham III. Her body was found with rotted skin, and her bones were exposed. The scene was so disturbing that Sheriff Jeffery Travis described it as “by far the worst” he had ever seen. The parents were away on a weekend trip the weekend Lacey died, and they claimed their daughter had extreme social anxiety and autism, which they believed contributed to her isolation and neglect.
BREAKING: The parents of Lacey Fletcher, the 36-year-old non-verbal autistic woman who was found dead in her parents’ Louisiana home, covered in feces and maggots, and quite literally “melded into the couch” have been sentenced to 40 years, with 20 years suspended- so they will… pic.twitter.com/cOdet1dE2x
— Lauren Conlin (@conlin_lauren) March 21, 2024
The case highlights the importance of seeking help for individuals with mental health conditions or disabilities. Medical records showed that Lacey did not have a primary care physician, and in 2010, her parents sought advice from a doctor about her increasingly reclusive behavior but were advised to bring her to the hospital, which they did not do. This lack of medical attention and care was a significant factor in Lacey’s tragic end.
The sentencing of Sheila and Clay Fletcher serves as a stark reminder of the consequences of neglect and the importance of providing adequate care for individuals with disabilities. The case has sparked discussions about the need for better support systems for individuals with mental health conditions and disabilities, and the importance of vigilance and intervention in cases of suspected neglect.
