GRAPHIC: Parents of autistic daughter who ‘melted’ into couch sentenced

BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB/Gray News) - The parents of a woman who was found dead and rotting on a couch in deplorable conditions were sentenced to 40 years, 20 of those being suspended, in prison on Wednesday.

Graphic Warning: The details in this story may be disturbing to some viewers.

Clay and Sheila Fletcher did not move 36-year-old Lacey Fletcher from the couch for 12 years and she was found “melted” into it, according to authorities. Coroner Dr. Ewell Dewitt Bickham III said Sheila Fletcher called 911 on Jan. 3, 2022, to report her daughter’s death, but believes she died a day or two before.

The coroner described the scene as “appalling and horrific“ because of the condition of the body and the couch. She was found with rotted skin and her bones were exposed. It was also determined that starvation was one of the main causes of her death.

“Opened the door, walked into the house, there was a stench, an odor, feces, fecal material, urine, you couldn’t hold your breath,” Bickham said.

Parents of Lacey Fletcher walked out of court after receiving 40 year sentence for manslaughter connected to daughter's death. (Credit: WAFB)

Sheriff Jeffery Travis said the scene 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.

Lacey Fletcher’s parents were away on a weekend trip the weekend that she died, according to the coroner’s office. The parents claimed their daughter had extreme social anxiety and autism, according to authorities.

“The conditions in which she was found, it’s just unbelievable,” West Feliciana District Attorney Sam D’Aquilla said.

Lacey Fletcher was found dead on a couch that she had been on for 12 years, according to... — Lacey Fletcher was found dead on a couch that she had been on for 12 years, according to authorities.(East Feliciana Parish Coroner's Office)

Bickham said medical records show that Lacey Fletcher did not 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.

Bickham said the doctor told her parents to bring their daughter to the hospital, but she was never admitted and no treatment was provided.

“The message is if you have anyone in your family with a mental health condition or a disability, get help,” Bickham said.

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