Parents Sentenced in Tragic Death of Daughter Who Lived on Couch

Clay and Sheila Fletcher have been sentenced to 40 years, with 20 suspended, for the manslaughter of their daughter, Lacey Fletcher, found in a dire state on a maggot-infested couch.

Lacey Fletcher, 36, was found dead in her parents' Louisiana home in January 2022, her body 'melted' into a couch covered in ulcers and feces.
Clay Fletcher claimed the couch was Lacey's 'sanctuary,' attributing her confinement to severe phobias and social anxieties.
The parents were sentenced to 40 years in prison, with 20 suspended, after pleading no contest to manslaughter, and will serve 5 years probation upon release.
Prosecutors argued Lacey's mental state prevented her from refusing medical treatment, highlighting a decade of neglect.
Lacey weighed 96 pounds and had tested positive for COVID-19 at the time of her death, with the cause of death ruled as 'acute medical neglect.'