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Parents accused of murdering daughter by neglect, back at home following arrest

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SLAUGHTER - Two parents charged with murder after their daughter allegedly spent years malnourished on a couch are now out on bond. Both of their cars were visible at their Slaughter home Wednesday afternoon.

Those who did not want to be identified said Clay and Sheila Fletcher had everyone fooled. Pictures they provided to us showed them always smiling, and Clay Fletcher was named best looking in high school.

"Very disturbing," East Feliciana Sheriff Jeff Travis said. "Everything that has been done has been calculated to do it the right way so the District Attorney who has to prosecute the case is in the correct position to bring justice for Lacey."

Travis reiterated that the parents were not arrested after Lacey's body was discovered because they were waiting on autopsy records and an exact cause of death. Lacey's death was ruled a homicide.

According to bond paperwork obtained by WBRZ, Sheila and Clay Fletcher's bonds were set at $300,000 each Tuesday afternoon. Both tried to bond out Tuesday night, but they were not able to secure enough money for their combined release.

The sheriff said Wednesday morning that Sheila was able to bond out overnight. Jail records said her husband Clay was released on bond late Wednesday morning.

On Monday, a grand jury indicted Sheila and Clay Fletcher for second-degree murder in the death of 36-year-old Lacey Fletcher. They turned themselves in and were booked into the East Feliciana Parish Jail that same afternoon.

Sources close to the case said Lacey Fletcher was "melted" into the couch after having been there for so long, and the floor beneath the sofa was buckling because of the pooling feces and urine.

The couple is well-known in the community, specifically Sheila Fletcher, who resigned from her role as town alderman shortly after their daughter's death.

"You can't help but be human a little bit, and I care about my children, grandchildren, friends and know about being a caregiver," Travis said. "It's unfathomable that someone could allow a loved one to be in that condition."

The Fletchers are due back in court in July.

As of now, District Attorney Sam D'Aquilla said no plea agreements are on the table.

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