A North American justice sentenced Clay and Sheila Fletcher to 20 years in prison for the death of their daughter, who suffered from a severe mental illness and was abandoned on a couch for practically a decade.
The case dates back to January 3, 2022, in the state of Louisiana, USA, according to the Associated Press agency.
That day, the couple’s daughter, Lacey Fletcher, was found dead in a hole in the sofa where she was, after her parents alerted 112.
She was covered in maggots and sores, had several ulcers on her lower body, and had fecal matter on her face, chest and abdomen when she was found. She died of “acute medical neglect”, the coroner responsible for the autopsy said, adding that it was inflicted over a period dating back to at least 2010.
The 36-year-old woman weighed just 43 kg, had exposed bones and tested positive for Covid-19 when her body was discovered, which was practically fused with the furniture, according to the WLBT3 chain.
“Of everything I can say about this case, the one thing that always comes to mind is that Clay and Sheila Fletcher continually chose the path of least resistance when it came to caring for their daughter,” Judge Kathy Jones said after hearing more six hours of testimony from 11 witnesses.
“This was a tragedy. The truth is that Lacey lay down on the couch and slowly died because she did not receive medical or mental health care,” the judge continued, accusing the couple of negligence and of not having done enough to help her daughter with the mental health problems she suffered from.
Among them was a severe case of agoraphobia – the fear or anxiety of being in places from which one cannot easily escape, or where one cannot quickly receive treatment, which led her to progressively withdraw into her home. According to the court, the couple did not provide due assistance to their daughter.
The couple pleaded no contest to the murder charge, filed on February 5. Each was given a 40-year sentence, but half of that period will be suspended. Upon release, however, each will have to serve five years of probation.
Read Also: Woman found dead on sofa. Parents loved her until death, says lawyer
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