Louisiana parents whose daughter’s body was found “melted” in a maggot-infested sofa have pleaded no contest to murder – with prosecutors seeking 40 years in prison for the horrific neglect.
Sheila and Clay Fletcher, of East Feliciana, were initially arrested in January 2022 after their 36-year-old daughter, Lacey Ellen Fletcher, 36, was found dead in a waste-filled crater on the family’s couch filled with urine and feces.
He’s been sitting there for 12 years, and weighs less than 100 pounds.
The parents, who face charges of second-degree murder, pleaded no contest Monday to a reduced charge of involuntary manslaughter, WBRZ reported.
Prosecutors will seek a maximum sentence of 40 years behind bars, East Feliciana Parish District Attorney Sam D’Aquilla said, according to The Advocate. Their sentencing hearing has been set for March 20.
“Fletcher pleaded no contest to the new charges. They have no choice. It’s an open and shut case — they let their daughter suffer on that couch,” D’Aquilla told the Daily Mail.
“We want this case to be a message. We want to stand up for people who cannot speak for themselves, to say that this treatment will not be accepted.”
Sheila and Clay Fletcher, the parents of 36-year-old Lacey, who was found “joined” on the sofa in their Louisiana home, have pleaded guilty to murder Facebook
The DA called for the parents to be jailed immediately after entering the plea but District Judge Kathryn “Betsy” Jones allowed them to continue their bond until Feb. 20, when they must surrender, according to the outlet.
Fletcher’s defense team said the couple cared for their daughter and had no intention of harming her.
“They are careless, yes. Obviously they are careless. They love him to death – that’s a true statement with Fletcher. They love their daughter to death,” defense attorney Steven Moore said during the hearing, according to the DailyMail.
“When you look back, you wonder, why? How can this happen? It does happen. But neither Sheila nor Clay Fletcher ever had the sole intention of harming their daughter. They love their daughter to a fault,” he said.
Lacey Ellen Fletcher was found dead on the sofa of a home covered in urine and feces weighing less than 100 pounds. Handout
“They are really sorry. Their lives revolve around Lacey Fletcher. … They live for Lacey Fletcher,” Moore added.
When Lacey was found at her family’s home, she was trapped in a waste-filled crater on the couch — with the local medical examiner describing her as having “melted” into the furniture and weighing less than 100 pounds.
He was covered in maggots and scabs, had ulcers on his lower back and feces on his face, chest and stomach, officials said in a case they described as “acute medical neglect.”
The parents have maintained their innocence, claiming Lacey was “sane” and refused to leave the living room, where they said they brought her food and prepared the toilet.
Lacey Fletcher’s body was found “attached” to this feces- and urine-soaked sofa. East Feliciana Parish Coroner
Authorities said Lacey was diagnosed with social anxiety and had a history of severe Asperger’s syndrome, a type of autism spectrum disorder, which causes people to have uncoordinated social skills.
He was also reported to suffer from locked-in syndrome, a rare neurological disorder characterized by complete paralysis of voluntary muscles, except for the eyes.
On Monday, Moore cited his spectrum disorder.
Sheila Fletcher in her mugshot. East Feliciana Parish Sheriff
“Anyone who has a disabled child can tell you it can happen. This is an extreme example of how it happens. They have taken responsibility. Now they look back they can’t believe they have reached the position they have,” he said, according to the Daily Mail.
“They are good people who have never had a problem in their lives. They’re members of this great community, people come out to support them, because that’s not who they are,” Moore said.
“They are not criminals. They are bonded because they are not dangerous to anyone in this community. They never harm the community,” he said.
“What happened to Lacey was horrible. But they take care of it every day. Sheila Fletcher would come home at lunchtime every day to look after and have lunch with her daughter every day,” the lawyer added.
In her autopsy report, forensic pathologist Dana Troxclair said Lacey’s body was covered in pressure ulcers and she had a chronic bone infection with “polarizing fibers (most likely fibers from the sofa) and maggots embedded in exposed bone surfaces,'” the outlet reported.
“Maggots are found in the perineum and decubitus ulcer area. If the maggot appears after death, there should at least be the presence of eggs or larvae in the eye, ear, or nose area,” he wrote.
“This area, along with any wound, is a prime spot for colonization. There was no evidence of decomposition at the time of autopsy; therefore, it was determined that the caterpillar was present before death,” added Troxclair, according to the Daily Mail.
Clay Fletcher’s dad in his mugshot. East Feliciana Parish Sheriff
Lacey’s cause of death was listed as sepsis due to a chain reaction of multiple conditions, including bone infection, prolonged immobility, malnutrition and “severe chronic neglect of individuals with special needs.”
On Monday, many people showed up to support the parents, while the prosecution brought in victim advocate Dana Lovett to support her late daughter, WBRZ reported.
“No one should ever live the way he did,” Lovett said. “They have so many resources at their fingertips, especially Mrs. Fletcher. Why he didn’t use those resources when he was actually almost hand-in-hand with people who could have helped is beyond me.”
The mother resigned her position as an alderman in the town of Slaughter after Lacey died.
Categories: Trending
Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
