Killing of Lacey Fletcher

Lacey Ellen Fletcher was born on November 25, 1985, and died at her family's home in Slaughter, Louisiana. She was found dead on January 3, 2022, after her mother, 66-year-old Sheila Kathleen Fletcher, called 911 at around 2:30 a.m. to report finding her daughter on the living room couch. Sheila initially told responding officers that Lacey was 31 years old; she was actually 36. Lacey had been diagnosed with autism and, according to former schoolmates, had experienced bullying in high school before her parents, Sheila and Clay Fletcher, withdrew her from school in favor of homeschooling.

Lacey was last seen in public around age 21. At age 24, a decline in her cognitive health left her unable to leave the family home, and she became confined to the household's leather couch. Rather than seek medical care, Sheila and Clay Fletcher left her there, bringing food and water and placing towels beside her to manage her waste. Lacey eventually lost the ability to move from the couch on her own; her muscles atrophied over time, and she was left unattended for extended stretches, including while her parents traveled. She was reported to have been medically neglected in this condition for at least twelve years.

When emergency responders and the coroner arrived on January 3, 2022, they found Lacey's malnourished, 96-pound (44-kilogram) body fused to the couch cushion and covered in her own waste, with insects present in her wounds and hair. A medical examiner determined she had likely died one to two days before the 911 call. Her autopsy listed sepsis stemming from starvation and a bone infection as the cause of death, and her manner of death was ruled a homicide. Sheila and Clay told investigators that Lacey had chosen to remain on the couch and that they believed they were respecting her wishes.

In May 2022, Sheila and Clay Fletcher were arrested and charged with second-degree murder in Lacey's death and were later released on bail. After a judge dismissed the charge, a grand jury re-indicted the couple on a charge of murder in June 2023. On February 6, 2024, both parents pleaded no contest to an amended charge of manslaughter. Had they been convicted of second-degree murder, they would have faced a mandatory sentence of life without parole; prosecutors said they intended to seek the maximum manslaughter sentence in an effort to secure a comparable outcome.

On March 20, 2024, Sheila and Clay Fletcher were each sentenced to 40 years in prison, with 20 years suspended, followed by five years of probation after release.