The parents of a woman found dead on a maggot-infested sofa in Louisiana were sentenced Wednesday, WBRZ 2 reports.
Clay and Sheila Fletcher were sentenced to 40 years in prison, half of which was suspended, after being found guilty of the manslaughter of their daughter Lacey Fletcher. Lacey was found in a grotesque state, described as having “melted” on the couch. according to The couple turned themselves in on February 20th ahead of the trial.
According to WRBZ 2, coroner Dr. Ewell Bickham said the area where Lacey was found abandoned had a strong smell of decomposition and damaged floors. Bickham expressed how tragic Lacey’s life has been, noting that Lacey has autism and hasn’t spoken in years, and that she hasn’t seen a doctor since 2002. emphasized. She stressed that Lacey was left alone for a long time, with neither her treatment nor her insurance claims filed. she for her. She weighed only 96 pounds when she was found, and her death was due in part to starvation.
Parents of Lacey Fletcher, who ‘melted’ on a sofa without moving for more than 10 years, sentenced to 20 years in prison https://t.co/GuHIYlLgzb pic.twitter.com/mOuotHQNH5
— New York Post (@nypost) March 20, 2024
“What happened to Lacey should never happen again,” Dr. Bickham said, the newspaper reported.
The parents were initially charged with second-degree murder and had pleaded not guilty, the report said. A judge dismissed those charges due to technical issues, but a grand jury returned the charges. The charge was later reduced to manslaughter, and the Fletchers chose not to contest. Lawyers argued that the couple always cared for their daughter and never intended to harm her. (Related: Siblings ‘chained to bed’ by their parents sue foster parents over alleged abuse by new parents)
“They loved her to death, and that’s who the Fletchers really are,” the couple’s attorney, Stephen Moore, said, according to WRBZ 2. They took care of her every day. ”
