A woman who suffered from locked-in syndrome was found dead fused to her parents' living room couch.
Lacey Ellen Fletcher was discovered sitting upright and fused to a couch at the family home in Slaughter, Louisiana on January 3 after her parents called 911 to say their daughter wasn’t breathing.
It’s believed that the 36-year-old had been dead for up to two days before she was found, following what is believed to have been at least a decade of neglect.
Lacey was found sunken into a hole in the couch, which is thought to have worn away due to her being left to sit in one place for an extended period of time.
She was partially naked, covered in urine, faeces and insect bites, and had bed sores that went all the way down to the bone, The Mirror reports .
Her parents Sheila, 64, and Clay Fletcher, 65, said they “did not have an explanation” for the state Lacey was found in. The pair are now facing second-degree murder charges.
Lacey suffered from locked-in syndrome, a rare neurological condition that leaves patients unable to move any part of their body except their eyes.
According to District Attorney Sam D'Aquilla, Lacey told her parents she did not want to leave the house about 10 years ago.
The family's ranch-style home was otherwise clean and tidy, authorities said, although they were met with a powerful smell when they entered.
East Feliciana Parish Coroner Dr. Ewell Dewitt Bickham III told the Daily Mail : “The scene was sickening. I’ve seen some horrible things in my life, but nothing like this.
“It’s unconscionable,” he added. “Something you make horror movies about.”
The Fletchers were Lacey’s primary caretakers, but according to the coroner neighbours reportedly had “no idea” that the pair even had a daughter.
The pair were respected members of the local community, who are said to be “appalled” by the shocking discovery. Clay worked for an educational non-profit dedicated to the Civil War, and Sheila was employed as a local elected official.
Sheila and Clay claim that they were able to communicate with Lacey, and that she told them she no longer wanted to leave the house a decade ago.
District Attorney Sam D’Aquilla told the Daily Mail: “We don’t treat animals or neglect our animals in that way. If you have an animal in that condition, you take them to the vet.”
Lacey’s death has been ruled as a homicide, with her cause of death as medical neglect. If found guilty her parents face life in prison.
The couple's lawyer Steven Moore issued a statement on his clients' behalf on Wednesday, saying: "They don't want to relive the pain of losing a child through the media.
"They have been through a lot of heartache over the years. Anyone who had lost a child knows what it's like."
A 12-person jury is set to decide on charges of manslaughter, negligent homicide or second-degree murder on Monday.
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