Louisiana parents indicted for second time on murder charges, allegedly let daughter die on couch: reports

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A Slaughter, Louisiana, couple was re-indicted on murder charges by an East Feliciana Parish grand jury Monday, for the death of their 36-year-old daughter who was found dead, covered in maggots and human waste, and sunken into a couch, according to reports.

Clay and Sheila Fletcher were originally indicted on second-degree murder in May 2022 in the death of their daughter, Lacey Fletcher, who was living at their home in Slaughter.

Both parents pleaded not guilty to the charges, which last month were tossed because of an issue with the language in the charging documents.

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Clay and Sheila Fletcher booking photos (East Feliciana Parish Sheriffs Office)

Baton Rouge, Louisiana-based daily newspaper, The Advocate, reported that Monday grand jurors issued new indictments against the Fletchers on the murder charges presented back in 2022.

FOX 26 in Houston reported that the East Feliciana Parish Sheriff’s Department responded to a 911 call made by Sheila Fletcher at about 2:30 a.m. on Jan. 3, 2022, stating that her daughter was not breathing.

When responding emergency crews and officers from the Slaughter Police Department arrived, they pronounced Lacey dead at the scene.

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Inside a courtroom with gavel in view.  (iStock)

The Slaughter Police Department officer who arrived on the scene reported that Lacey’s body was found in a damaged section of the couch that was filled with human feces.

The officer also reported that Sheila said her daughter would not eat for several days. Additionally, the Jefferson Parish Forensic Center’s report noted that the young woman had signs of malnutrition, skin ulcers and maggots on her body.

Sheila reportedly told the officer that Lacey was diagnosed with Aspergers, making her unsocial. She also developed phobias that made it difficult for her to get off the couch, Clay told the sheriff’s office.

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On May 30, District Judge Kathryn Jones dropped the original indictments, The Advocate reported, after the Fletcher’s attorney, Steven Moore, pointed to six differences between the indictment papers that were served to his clients by the district attorney’s office and the papers that were filed with the Clerk’s office. 

District Attorney Sam D'Aquilla told the newspaper both defendants were re-arrested on the new second-degree murder charges and released from jail after posting bond.