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

Status
Not open for further replies.
If Lacey did have an ASD, she may have been prescribed medication to help with other issues, possibly behaviours that may have been of a challenging nature to some. She may have been prescribed something like Risperidone, it is prescribed for some individuals with ASD and behaviours that are physically aggressive/physically challenging. Too much Risperidone will make someone sleepy/very tired, they can experience difficulties standing or walking, feel dizzy, have seizures, quickened heart rate etc. Something caused Lacey to not want to leave the safety of her sofa, possible side effects to meds that Lacey didn't fully understand and she experienced one of these side effects and associated it with leaving the sofa and parents weren't interested enough/invested enough to notice? Just a thought.
Would be interesting to know whether she was on medication, if so, what medication and when the prescription was last filled? If she was on medication, her parents could have kept her sedated, especially in the last 2 years due too Covid and lockdown where interactions with Dr's and pharmacists etc have been limited. Dont know bout the States, but has been virtually impossible to get a face to face GP appointment where I live during Covid and even now, surgery still prefers telephone consult.
Can't believe that NO-ONE has been involved in Lacey's care, support and well-being needs since her teens/early 20's. It's downright disgraceful and it hurts my heart to think about her and what she endured.

All MOO

Ebm for accuracy
Her parents claim she has not seen a doctor in many many years, so she could not have had any medication.
 
I'm sorry but this death is not the result of "Home Schooling"
It is extremely offensive to me as a homeschooling family who has successful adult children and thriving younger ones to continue to read about the "shock" that parents can educate their children. Lacey was 36 years old when she died.
My daughter home schools her children and I can say without a doubt their education is far superior to any they could have gotten in mainstream school. Unless you are familiar with homeschooling you are really unable to understand how wonderful it can be. I do agree that some people use the term to get their kids out of any kind of education, which may be the case here. In our state, the AEA requires paperwork to substantiate the process.
 
My husband developed a small bedsore on the back of his head once due to a surgery which had resulted in complications which left him in a medically induced coma for a month and then mostly bedridden for another month. That small bedsore wasn’t anywhere near “through to the bone” and was cared for by nurses and then a loving wife once discovered. And it was so very painful. I still, 30 years later have uncomfortable feelings when I think about cleaning it or see the scarring it left. Poor Lacey.

ETA It was the surgery that resulted in the medically induced coma, not the bedsore. (Writing is hard!)
 
I know that in my state the rules and follow up are too loose. Anyone can say they are home schooling . I personally know of a family that home schools and and the kids are getting a good, well rounded education. I know of a family that is getting a so-so education, and I know of one where the kids got a bit of book learning, but they definitely didn’t get a good education. All in the same state following the same guidelines.

Not likely to change IMO as someone who homeschools most of her kids. There’s one particularly strong homeschool lobby group that is extremely sensitive to attempts to add oversight. There’s a wide variety of (excellent) homeschoolers, from “van life” atheist unschoolers to those who replicate a traditional school schedule in the dining room, and the one thing in common is the belief that lots of rules/tests/inspections are unnecessary. I know there’s a small group pushing for more regulations but I don’t think they’re a match for HSLDA. There’s a cultural “freedom of religion” undercurrent as well.

Homeschooling has become increasingly popular for a variety of reasons that I won’t detail here. It’s very hard work, and the unprepared parent risks quickly veering off into educational neglect. If those children re-enter public school with major deficiencies, I suspect there will be more support for oversight coming from public school educators.

The “TL;DR” is that nothing will change, even with cases like this. JMO.
 
What I can't totally understand is the "why" of this? I am sure most of us here feel the same. Was there absolutely no other family on either side, even remote family members who wondered where she was or came for a surprise visit, or even a neighbor? Someone must have had some sort of inkling that she had not been seen. What about the church people, did none ever ask. There had to be people in that town who know they had a daughter and never cared to ask about her or invite her somewhere? Did the parents just lie? What was the motive to keep her like this? I am an intelligent person, (kind of!!) and I cannot come up with one possible idea of what not one but two people could be thinking in this ordeal. Thanks, Katt
 
Unfortunately, people often mind their own business and hate to interfere.

They take things at face value, and pretend everything is all right.

Would anyone question "pillars of their community"?

Some asked about Lacey (neighbour), but the parents didn't elaborate.

As for family?
It is really a mystery to me.
 
Last edited:
My daughter home schools her children and I can say without a doubt their education is far superior to any they could have gotten in mainstream school. Unless you are familiar with homeschooling you are really unable to understand how wonderful it can be. I do agree that some people use the term to get their kids out of any kind of education, which may be the case here. In our state, the AEA requires paperwork to substantiate the process.
Right, it's not the home schooling itself. It's the lack of oversight from the authorities in some jurisdictions that allow parents to use 'home-schooling' as a cover for abuse or neglect. Where I live there you have to be registered (which involves an education official visiting your home and looking at your proposed syllabus) and you have to keep records for potential monitoring visits. You also have to register more than once through your child's home-schooling career (approvals are never longer than 24 months; you can't just sign up for homeschooling at kindergarten and continue all the way through).
Although I think this is the perfect compromise approach to homeschooling, I know a few homeschoolers and they do resent not being trusted. But just because they can be trusted, doesn't mean there aren't people out there who would use homeschooling as a way to abuse or neglect their children, and those children must be protected.
 
Last edited:
I keep questioning the same thing; but it seems so impossible for this to happen. How did those "parents" live with themselves? They had to smell, and not a pleasant smell. Did none of the coworkers notice. You know how people in offices can be; one notices something and mentions it to someone else, and pretty everyone takes notice. What did they think it was, and no one mentioned it to supervisors or HR? And for what reason did these two people do this to their daughter? Is anyone investigating what was going on, or how this came to happen? Is anyone trying to locate any friends, family members of these people. Have they no comment to explain what they thought they were doing? They could have called social services, the hospital, an ambulance, anyone. And they say she was an adult of sound mind; well, she was no adult at the age this started, and she was certainly not of sound mind while she continued to lay there and refuse to bathe or use a bathroom. They certainly had plenty of options, what caused them not to get her any help? I just am so troubled about this girl. I wonder if any psychiatrists or other experts have given an opinion? Sorry for many posts saying basically the same thing, but I am extremely troubled that this could happen in the USA, our God fearing nation. Did they justify this in some way, and have no guilt? I just can't wrap my brain around this. May her soul rest in peace. And, what did this poor girl think every time she had to look at her parents. This is an atrocity. All of the people who knew them should be feeling guilty, because they asked no questions and had no suspicions? MOO. Katt
 
What I can't totally understand is the "why" of this? I am sure most of us here feel the same. Was there absolutely no other family on either side, even remote family members who wondered where she was or came for a surprise visit, or even a neighbor? Someone must have had some sort of inkling that she had not been seen. What about the church people, did none ever ask. There had to be people in that town who know they had a daughter and never cared to ask about her or invite her somewhere? Did the parents just lie? What was the motive to keep her like this? I am an intelligent person, (kind of!!) and I cannot come up with one possible idea of what not one but two people could be thinking in this ordeal. Thanks, Katt
I think they are the sort of people who think mental illness is a sort of moral failing, the type who see intense shame and humiliation surrounding mental health issues, tell people with depression or anxiety just to get over it. The reputation of others and keeping up appearances was clearly very important to them. They did not understand that Lacey must have had some kind of severe phobia. They thought, we'll let her suffer the consequences of her actions and then she'll stop doing it.

Things slowly got worse and worse over a period of years... and it's funny how people can just get accustomed to a terrible way of living. Then it got to a point where they wouldn't be able to get help without someone seeing the state of their home and the resulting humiliation that would cause.

They just sort of gave up on Lacey, thinking, as mom said, "She was of sound mind to make her own decisions." Surely, eventually she'd get sick of laying in filth and being hungry, and she'd stop being so stubborn about leaving the couch. But her phobia was intense and severe. She could not do it. And she died of sepsis.
 
I think they are the sort of people who think mental illness is a sort of moral failing, the type who see intense shame and humiliation surrounding mental health issues, tell people with depression or anxiety just to get over it. The reputation of others and keeping up appearances was clearly very important to them. They did not understand that Lacey must have had some kind of severe phobia. They thought, we'll let her suffer the consequences of her actions and then she'll stop doing it.

Things slowly got worse and worse over a period of years... and it's funny how people can just get accustomed to a terrible way of living. Then it got to a point where they wouldn't be able to get help without someone seeing the state of their home and the resulting humiliation that would cause.

They just sort of gave up on Lacey, thinking, as mom said, "She was of sound mind to make her own decisions." Surely, eventually she'd get sick of laying in filth and being hungry, and she'd stop being so stubborn about leaving the couch. But her phobia was intense and severe. She could not do it. And she died of sepsis.
This is exactly what I've been thinking. I grew up with parents similar to this and it made for a very sad and difficult childhood. I do NOT believe they would have let me get to Lacey's condition, however. Any time I had a feeling or thought of my own that didn't line up with what they wanted of me, I was called stubborn, snotty, disrespectful, bad, etc. and punished.

Needless to say, I'm 49 and happy with a family of my own now, but I do not have any sort of relationship with my parents. And so they've decided I'm demon-possessed. I am completely serious, as crazy as it sounds.
:oops::rolleyes::confused:

So, yeah, poor Lacey. I wish she'd had one person that could have cared and stood up for her.
 
This is exactly what I've been thinking. I grew up with parents similar to this and it made for a very sad and difficult childhood. I do NOT believe they would have let me get to Lacey's condition, however. Any time I had a feeling or thought of my own that didn't line up with what they wanted of me, I was called stubborn, snotty, disrespectful, bad, etc. and punished.

Needless to say, I'm 49 and happy with a family of my own now, but I do not have any sort of relationship with my parents. And so they've decided I'm demon-possessed. I am completely serious, as crazy as it sounds.
:oops::rolleyes::confused:

So, yeah, poor Lacey. I wish she'd had one person that could have cared and stood up for her.
Oh wow, I’m so sorry you went through that and am glad that you’re doing well now!
 
This is exactly what I've been thinking. I grew up with parents similar to this and it made for a very sad and difficult childhood. I do NOT believe they would have let me get to Lacey's condition, however. Any time I had a feeling or thought of my own that didn't line up with what they wanted of me, I was called stubborn, snotty, disrespectful, bad, etc. and punished.

Needless to say, I'm 49 and happy with a family of my own now, but I do not have any sort of relationship with my parents. And so they've decided I'm demon-possessed. I am completely serious, as crazy as it sounds.
:oops::rolleyes::confused:

So, yeah, poor Lacey. I wish she'd had one person that could have cared and stood up for her.

Sadly, in some ways this sounds similar to my in-laws.

And, they are very good people in other ways, certainly.

Hhhmmm.

Best, Laughing

jmho ymmv lrr
 
Sadly, in some ways this sounds similar to my in-laws.

And, they are very good people in other ways, certainly.

Hhhmmm.

Best, Laughing

jmho ymmv lrr
Hmmmm indeed! Well I would say maybe we are related, but sadly there are many, many folks like this out there, although hopefully not to the same degree as Lacey's parents.
 
Are authorities currently investigating this? They must be, I would think. but we have had no updates. Is there no one in town that has a comment to make? When I was a kid we had to walk by a house on the way to school and it was totally unkempt, junk in the yard, garbage piling up, etc. I am sure you all have seen one of these types, and they had children. Anyway, we would always cross to the other side of the street and cover our faces because of the smell (and I am pretty sure that no one was in the house rotting away). It was terrible and the kids that came to school smelled horrible, as well. I know teachers and neighbors spoke to them about the problem, however, it was never resolved while I lived there. But, my point is that did no one ever walk by and smell that smell and wonder wtf? The house looked to be well taken care of; the house we walked by wasn't. So, you could figure why it smelled but Lacey's house, did no one wonder what that smell was coming from? I hope this is not offensive to anyone, I am just trying to understand wtf was going on here and why it was ignored for so long. Thanks, Katt
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Members online

Online statistics

Members online
197
Guests online
1,719
Total visitors
1,916

Forum statistics

Threads
589,953
Messages
17,928,195
Members
228,015
Latest member
Amberraff
Back
Top