Daughter with locked syndrome found dead fused with sofa as parents could be blamed

April 29, 2022, 1:40 p.m. Updated: April 29, 2022, 2:28 p.m.

Lacey Ellen Fletcher, portrayed as a teenager. Photo: Distribution

The parents of an American woman whose body was found decomposing on a sofa in her home could be charged with second-degree murder and manslaughter.

Lacey Ellen Fletcher, 36, was found dead at her home in Slaughter, Louisiana, in what the investigator described as a “horror movie” scene.

Her parents, Shelia, 64, and Clay Fletcher, 65, will face the grand jury on Monday, accused of causing her death after neglecting her care for years.

Lacey Ellen was found partially clothed, sitting upright, but sunk on the couch, which was soaked in human waste.

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The decaying body was found on the sofa in her home. Photo: East Feliciana Parish Coroner’s Office

She was covered in insect bites and surrounded by insects and rodent droppings, the investigator told DailyMail.com.

The coroner of the parish of East Feliciana, Dr. Yuel DeWitt Beckham III, said: “The scene was disgusting. I’ve seen some terrible things in my life, but nothing like that.

“It’s unscrupulous, something you make horror movies about.”

Lacey suffered from lock syndrome, a rare neurological disease characterized by complete paralysis of the voluntary muscles, except those that control the eyes.

Police arrived at the home in the suburbs north of Baton Rouge on January 3 to find the scene after her parents called 911 because Lacey was not breathing, prosecutors said.

The parents were supposed to be caregivers for the girl, but the investigator said she had not seen a doctor in 20 years.

Lacey’s death has been declared a murder, and “the cause behind her death stems from at least a decade of medical neglect,” Dr. Beckham said.

Her parents have not been arrested or charged with crime so far. The district attorney aims to bring second-degree murder charges against them with the help of a grand jury.

The hearing is expected to take place next week, on May 2.