On January 3, 2022, emergency medical workers in Louisiana responded to a 911 call reporting that 36-year-old Lacey Ellen Fletcher, who suffered from locked-in syndrome had stopped breathing at the house she shared with her parents in Slaughter, Louisiana. The workers were horrified to find Fletcher sitting in a pile of feces and urine seemingly fused to the couch. The paramedics declared her dead at the scene but the coroner’s report later confirmed that she had been dead for 24 to 48 hours.
Locked-in syndrome is a rare neurological disorder that results in complete paralysis of all voluntary muscles, except for those that control eye movements. It was believed that Fletcher had been left on that couch, in the same spot for years. Despite her deteriorating condition, her parents claimed that she had not been to a doctor in ten years. Her parents, who were also her caretakers have been convicted of second-degree murder of Lacey as a result of negligence.
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The Tragic Life And Death Of Lacey Ellen Fletcher
Lacey Ellen Fletcher, who was 36 years old when she passed away, was discovered dead on the living room couch of her parent’s house which was believed to be her residence for many years, covered in feces and urine. Due to her medical condition, Lacey had been confined to her home for her entire life. At the time of her death, she weighed a mere 96 pounds and was infected with Covid-19.
According to the coroner, Lacey may have been sitting in her own waste for approximately 12 years. She was found covered in maggots and sores and had fused into a hole in the living room couch. Lacey suffered from ulcers, bacterial infections, bed sores and other ailments, and died as a result of “acute medical neglect”, that had been ongoing since at least 2010.
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Why Were Fletcher’s Parents Arrested? What Happened To Them?
On January 3, 2022, Sheila Fletcher and Clay Fletcher, the parents of Lacey Ellen Fletcher, were taken into custody without any resistance in connection with their daughter’s death. After Lacey’s passing, the parents were interviewed by law enforcement officials, where they revealed that they did not take Lacey to see a doctor because she refused to go. Subsequently, a grand jury indicted the parents for murder.
According to the coroner’s office, the Fletchers were away on a weekend trip when Lacey passed away. The couple claimed that Lacey suffered from severe social anxiety and autism. They also insisted that Lacey was capable of making her own decisions and had never complained about her sores. They also stated that the mother routinely cleaned her daughter’s sores. Following the grand jury’s decision, arrest warrants were immediately issued for the Fletchers. In July 2022, the couple had to agree to a $300,000 bond each and pleaded not guilty.
A major twist in the case came in June 2023, when due to a technicality in the wording of the indictment, District Judge Kathryn Jones dropped the charges against Sheila Fletcher and Clay Fletcher after a May 30 hearing. However, District Attorney Sam D’Aquilla is interested in pursuing the case again.
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