LA - Lacey Fletcher 36, GRAPHIC, disabled, found dead, on couch for years, Jan'22 *Parents arrested* #2

[DoctorRose]

I've no idea how this happens and am grateful that I will never understand it either, because I don't want to understand someone that thinks this treatment is acceptable.
I don't believe a word they say, they lie and lie and lie to justify themselves. I don't believe that Lacey had locked in syndrome, worst of all, if she didn't all I can hear in my head is what I imagined her voice would have sounded like, weak, raspy and barely a whisper, in my head I see a face that is sunken, sallow, dried cracked lips, dried skin, lank and dirty hair, skeletal.

Honestly these two pee me off so much it frustrates me posting, but I can't stop myself!

Sheila is a piece of work, Clay just bumbled along behind, let it happen and did feck all to change it - JMO and moo


Ugh.

Moo

I don’t think she had locked in syndrome either. That’s complete paralysis.

 

[MollyWhitebear]

Great observation!
I too feel that the smell would have permeated anyone else living there… hate writing that, omg.
Maybe that’s one of the reasons for a guilty plea? To not have all that stuff come out?

Bingo! These people seemed to be the type that appearances meant everything. I mean, just look at how neat and clean the outside of their home was. All to cover up the filthy horror within.

 

[MollyWhitebear]

They are stretching the fabric of reality here. And people (friends) are falling for it!
Lacey fed and dressed herself but also had locked in syndrome.
Lacey could determine her wishes and deny support/help from external agencies yet lacked capacity. Was also non verbal. There are other ways Lacey could have communicated via ie PECS, writing, text etc apart from the locked in syndrome, leaving only her eyes to communicate with. She could have used an eye gaze to determine her needs/wants and wishes but was denied any support from professionals who could provide her with this equipment, because of her wishes (according to Sheila) that she was unable to express.

What a load of tripe. Wish they'd gotten the Max sentence. Being released at 86 yrs, they could still see another good number of years of freedom, they don't deserve another moment of free time to themselves.

MOO

I think all that was said about what Lacey wanted or didn't want or what she refused to do was coming out of the neglectful parents. I think the reason they never took her for any medical care all that time was because they were afraid what she'd tell medical personnel about her treatment at home.

 

[MollyWhitebear]

When was she nonverbal, or became that way? I don't think her being nonverbal aligns with what her classmates have come forward to say.

Also if Lacey was nonverbal, I think that would seriously hinder them knowing what she "wanted" vs. didn't want. Doesn't make them look better at all

Also, are these diagnoses verified by investigators or are they just claims from the parents?

I wonder if her treatment at home was steadily getting worse and more abusive and that's why they removed her from school and supposedly home schooled her. Also, did any of Lacey's friends from school ever come to the house to visit her over the years? And, I have a strong suspicion that maybe the parents didn't get her any medical care since 2010 because they were afraid of what she'd tell medical personnel about her neglectful/abusive treatment by her parents at home. Their story just doesn't add up.

 

[MsMarple]

They are both 66...so out at 86. They may not live that long. Here is footage of them leaving.

"We were following the wishes of our daughter" | Parents of woman who died 'melted' on couch to serve 20 years in prison

The parents of a girl who died on a couch in her parents home, were sentenced today before an East Feliciana Parish judge.

unfilteredwithkiran.com

So… not taking responsibility, still blaming Lacey. And still claiming diagnoses with zero evidence.

How on earth could these people believe they did all they could for their daughter when every piece of evidence pointed to extreme neglect on their part?

I wish nothing but the worst for both of them.

 

[Tutter]

I don’t think she had locked in syndrome either. That’s complete paralysis.

I think if someone had locked in syndrome, they would require medical care…catheter, feeding tube etc. I don’t see how they would think her having that helps them. If she had this syndrome, they still let her die. It wouldn’t be her will either. Clearly they are delusional.

 

[Scarlett55407]

I agree with the assessments on here! One question—based on listed occupations, I imagine Sheila was the breadwinner and likely worked more? I might take from that info that Clay spent more time with Lacey. Yet he was the one doing the deliberately-ineffective chest compressions on Lacey and police described him as emotionless upon her death. It’s possibly interesting to consider the fact that he spent more time with her recently, perhaps; her condition sounded like it began an even more precipitous decline; and Clay administered feigned first aid after her death and seemed untouched by it. None of this lets Sheila off the hook for *a thing,* but I wonder if there are some answers gleaned by specifically focusing on Clay as a bad actor these last few years

 

[Ray_of_hope]

I am shocked that this happened to someone. The medical examiner said that the odor was so powerful, even outdoors, that someone with him vomited on their way to the home. I wonder how large that property was that no neighbor called for a check of the home due to the smell. It's such a disturbing case and to hear that people liked the parents and found them soft spoken. The parents actually socialized. So I assume they compartmentalized Lacey and her neglect and abuse. They were each sentenced to 20 years. I don't think that's long enough. The term 'monster' doesn't do them justice either.

 

[Ray_of_hope]

They put a commode next to someone who had not walked for 10 years. Ok, to do if Lacey could walk or if someone lifted her and transferred her to the commode and back to bed. But not to someone who has been bedridden for 10 years. It almost sounds like they were severely delusional and felt if they left she would get up. Like some sort of perverse punishment. The family portrait shows a good looking and pleasant typical family. What a juxtaposition of the truth. The outside yard was well manicured and beautiful home. What happened and how do two people become so sick and delusional together?

 

[LeahBee]

I haven't been able to bring myself to post since hearing the sentencing.
Anyone who has seen my posts on this thread will know this case is very close to my heart.
I have to say, I was expecting less than 20 years. I gasped when I saw the sentence.
But also, seeing the statements from the parents and all the support they're getting has just crushed me. Vile...
I'm thankful for everyone in this thread who has shared their thoughts and feelings much more succinctly than I would be able to.

 

[katsrfun]

What would possess two people to treat a child of their own, who they brought into this world this way? Could the officials not look into that as part of the case? This is just beyond imagination. How did those people live in that house? How did they eat in that house. The smell would be beyond overwhelming. I used to work for a doctor who did autopsies, and when someone was brought in who had been dead more than one day, the smell, even beyond closed doors was vomit inducing. Were those parents given psychiatric evaluations. CLearly they needed them, not to lighten the sentence, but to see possibly what made them tick. How do two people who think it is okay to treat a family member like this find each other. I am so appalled by this I can't quite get a grip on coherent thoughts. Hopefully, they serve the fully 20 years; I have a horrible thought what if they are given early parole? How could the judge not give them the maximum, this was their own daughter. And, what about the "church people" Did they ask themselves why they were never invited to the house? Okay, I could go on and on, as I am sure all of you here could, it is just so hideous. They seem to be so very religious, do they not believe in hell?? MOO. Thanks for listening. Katt

 

[Scarlett55407]

What would possess two people to treat a child of their own, who they brought into this world this way? Could the officials not look into that as part of the case? This is just beyond imagination. How did those people live in that house? How did they eat in that house. The smell would be beyond overwhelming. I used to work for a doctor who did autopsies, and when someone was brought in who had been dead more than one day, the smell, even beyond closed doors was vomit inducing. Were those parents given psychiatric evaluations. CLearly they needed them, not to lighten the sentence, but to see possibly what made them tick. How do two people who think it is okay to treat a family member like this find each other. I am so appalled by this I can't quite get a grip on coherent thoughts. Hopefully, they serve the fully 20 years; I have a horrible thought what if they are given early parole? How could the judge not give them the maximum, this was their own daughter. And, what about the "church people" Did they ask themselves why they were never invited to the house? Okay, I could go on and on, as I am sure all of you here could, it is just so hideous. They seem to be so very religious, do they not believe in hell?? MOO. Thanks for listening. Katt

Katt I so get how you feel. This case just breaks me as a mother I’ve always wanted more kids and miscarried/then was unable to have more and I can’t imagine how people blessed with a child could do this. It’s especially stunning because they had such a network; they were not a single parent in some isolated community. They had the ability, very early on, to simply reach out. They were well-connected. If it was taking awhile to get governmental in-home help for Lacey, as an example, I have no doubt that they could have established informal in-home care simply by utilizing friend connections. If the situation still declined then, they had the moral obligation to simply dial 911 on the phone, explain, and get Lacey hospitalized. It’s such a painful case and I think one reason for this is if they did even the minimum, Lacey would be alive today.

 

[housewife]

They put a commode next to someone who had not walked for 10 years. Ok, to do if Lacey could walk or if someone lifted her and transferred her to the commode and back to bed. But not to someone who has been bedridden for 10 years. It almost sounds like they were severely delusional and felt if they left she would get up. Like some sort of perverse punishment. The family portrait shows a good looking and pleasant typical family. What a juxtaposition of the truth. The outside yard was well manicured and beautiful home. What happened and how do two people become so sick and delusional together?

I think they were delusional to begin with. Every day, babies are born to people who do not want to parent. Or simply don't realize how heavy a burden it is until it's too late.
I think Lacey was just an accessory to enhance the image of the parents.
When their kid started behaving "atypically" they got embarrassed. Because they had "social standing" in their tiny town.

I agree, if mom was breadwinner she would only believe what she was told by dad regarding Lacey's "difficult" behavior each day. The parents might be ignorant and don't believe autism is a real diagnosis. They said "Lacey was in control" which means they believed Lacey was choosing to not heed their commands. So punishment ensued.
It reminds me of Thomas Valva who was forced to sleep in the garage as punishment and then froze to death: his parents wanted him to suffer because he soiled himself. As if he did it purposely to upset them! When he was hungry and asked for food at school his stepmom called him a liar.

I really want to know if the parents got psych evaluations. And how their church doctrine describes parental responsibility and punitive measures.

 

[lightofmine99]

There's a photo of Lacey at her junior high graduation in cap and gown with a large group of girls. This would be extremely hard for someone with severe social anxiety to handle, yet she was there smiling and looking normal. People that knew her from school reported she was involved in some school groups and enjoyed talkin about Disney and assorted trivia IIRC. In the link there is also a photo of her when she was on a volleyball team. So what changed?

SOURCE (Why is Daily Mail churning out the best articles lately?)

 

[DoctorRose]

There's a photo of Lacey at her junior high graduation in cap and gown with a large group of girls. This would be extremely hard for someone with severe social anxiety to handle, yet she was there smiling and looking normal. People that knew her from school reported she was involved in some school groups and enjoyed talkin about Disney and assorted trivia IIRC. In the link there is also a photo of her when she was on a volleyball team. So what changed?

SOURCE (Why is Daily Mail churning out the best articles lately?)

My guess is that it was a cycle where the longer she was isolated the more socially anxious she got.

 

[ifindedout]

Wikipedia's entry on Lacey's case (article created Feb. 29 according to page history)

Killing of Lacey Fletcher - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

 

[ilovewings]

So… not taking responsibility, still blaming Lacey. And still claiming diagnoses with zero evidence.

How on earth could these people believe they did all they could for their daughter when every piece of evidence pointed to extreme neglect on their part?

I wish nothing but the worst for both of them.

They !ook good in orange and handcuffs---I promise you they never
Saw this day coming--they deserved a 40 year sentence each--I hope
Each day will be he---- on earth for them--I wish there had been a trial
So all of their horrific abuse would be exposed to the light of day.

 

[Shamrock1]

Many claims on the Wikipedia page are devoid of citations. The page claims that “she was posthumously diagnosed with locked-in syndrome following her autopsy,” which is news to me. Can LIS even be diagnosed posthumously? I’d be wary of relying on Wikipedia here.

 

[Shamrock1]

There's a photo of Lacey at her junior high graduation in cap and gown with a large group of girls. This would be extremely hard for someone with severe social anxiety to handle, yet she was there smiling and looking normal. People that knew her from school reported she was involved in some school groups and enjoyed talkin about Disney and assorted trivia IIRC. In the link there is also a photo of her when she was on a volleyball team. So what changed?

SOURCE (Why is Daily Mail churning out the best articles lately?)

I don’t think we’ll ever know “what changed.” My guess is at least one form of abuse (other than neglect) caused, at a minimum, a massive psychological injury.

 

[cocomod]

I cannot imagine anyone believing these so-called "parents". She had "locked-in syndrome", yet she texted Sheila every day to tell her what she wanted to eat that day. She let them know of HER wishes and they obeyed, yet she was non-verbal. I do not believe a word that comes out of their mouths. At the end, they went on a vacation as Lacey sat on the couch with maggots, sores, bone infections (these are so painful that most people scream), non-verbal, no food, and can't move. How was she supposed to care for herself while they were gone?? They killed her in my opinion! I sincerely hope they serve ALL of the 20 years and actually never go free. I have zero compassion for them as they showed zero for Lacey