Left to Melt into Couch for 12 Years | The Case of Lacey Fletcher
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- Опубликовано: 17 сен 2024
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When your daughter goes from being active, and athletic every day, to refusing to get off the couch or move; you take her to the hospital. What is wrong with these parents? They definitely did something to her to make her that way. They thought she was evil, probably hated her, abused her, by shoving things into her mouth to punish her.The parents are lying about everything.Then just let her rot away until she died.
Definitely. And the fact she was found naked with her top pulled up is even more strange to me.
@@JE4-1 There is clearly so much more to this story and it eats me alive that we will probably never know.
And 😊l
@@adeledeane5812it was on the news that she was naked and the dad TRIED to put a sweatshirt on her when the cops were called 🙄
@@MelissaViers-kb8vg even more strange!! I wonder what they were doing to her 😢What an awful undeserving way to go
if the friend of 25 years didn't know they had a daughter, it tells me that they started neglecting their daughter years before the 12 year neglect. Her mental state could be a result of their neglect from an early age. How did they not have any other extended family not be concerned that no one has seen lacey?
When I first heard of this story it was a harsh reminder that some people don't deserve to be parents
I will always say the same thing until the day I die. This world is scary.
I wholeheartedly believe that the big "change" seen in Lacey at age 14 was mostly due to abuse at home. For her to go from a rather sociable girl to being non-verbal at that age sounds like a trauma response, as does the change at age 21 where she no was no longer moving. The fact that her parents then neglected and abused her to death is a pretty good indicator of how they treated her all along. If this just randomly happened to her in an organic way the parents would have sought help for her, not locked her away and made her condition worse. I can't even imagine what monsters people have to be to do this to their own child. I actually couldn't stop crying watching this.
You summed it up perfectly
I didn't even consider this, but you are right. It certainly wasn't severe autism. I went down the road of mental illness, like schizophrenia with catatonia, but your explanation is just as plausible.
"she never complained of any pain" how could she if she was nonverbal? how can they know "she was fine with staying there"... if she was nonverbal?
Non verbal means she doesn't speak words. She HAD TO HAVE made moaning or crying sounds. No way she didn't. 😢
@@mariemarie3999 i know what it means, still I don't see how she'd supposedly be able to communicate being okay with staying there nonverbally
Sharting n pissing in the same spot for a decade
she wasn't non verbal, she eas very mildly autistic. She was captain of her volleyball team before she was homeschooled
She used to be verbal
19:05 how were the parents able to mask the smell on themselves? When I was an EMT, when I'd go in a really bad nursing home the smell would latch on to my clothes after just 30min. It's like how you smell like an ashtray after going to bar that allows cigarette smoking inside.
Their friends HAD to have smelled death on them.
So true! My mother is a professional caregiver and after work her clothes just smell like that, bc most of the people she cares for are old,, have difficulty holding it in, and/or have wounds. All that smell just get sucked up by the clothes she wears, her hair, everything. You cannot tell me those people did not give off an odour of sick and death. It's impossible.
Oh 100% the smell would of been bad on them. I've smelled kids who come from a dirty home etc. They smell terrible even though they're wearing clean clothes and been washed. Even my dog who was in the vets all weekend I could smell the other animals sickness he was surrounded by off of him even though the place was spotless. Guess people just don't care enough
Soooooo true, even if they freshly bathed and washed clothes before they left the house it wouldn’t totally get rid of it
Exactly what I was thinking!
I used to work in hospital too and always wondered why noone sat next to me on bus/ train back home?
This is deeply disturbing. I have no words.
Truly
This is so unbelievable. I think what to me was the craziest part was that they said that they didn’t sign up to be caregivers when they became parents and there are plenty of other people in the world with children with special needs who feel the same way
absolutely I work in the hospital and I see stuff like this happen where parents do not care for their children’s well-being at all
@@alonner-i9yyou are a so much stronger person than I am, I have an autistic 7 year old boy and I don’t even want to imagine what happens in some of the families behind closed doors. Really, thank you for going into that profession and better person than I ❤(not trying to be weird, sorry I just have a lot of respect)
If you want to be a parent, then you should be prepared to be a caregiver. You made the choice to bring someone dependent on you into the world. Whatever happens next is the consequences of that choice. Not everyone should be allowed to be a parent and there should be more protections in place to help people like Lacey.
I'm not sure but I would think the definition of parents has the word caregiver in it they go hand in hand sew for somebody to say I didn't sign up to be a caregiver when I became a parent I would look at them and say yes you did you made a child that comes into this world helpless so to keep that child alive you have to give them care
If caregiving to an adult daughter was their issue, nothing was stopping them from putting her into a home for the disabled (they could certainly afford it). Or they could have terminated their guardianship and left her at a hospital for the state to take care of her.
What they did was NEVER an acceptable option. It was ab*se of someone who was very vulnerable. I don’t wish many people on this earth harm- but I wish the absolute worst for her parents.
I’m sure everyone knows this! BUT a person does not DEVELOP autism! Her parents are so ungodly evil. As an autistic person my heart hurts so deeply for Lacey.
Yeah, my nephew has autism as does my daughter. My daughter is just high functioning.
I think the parents just did not like/love their daughter. They probably viewed her as a blight on them as parents. These “pillars of the community “ have a daughter who isn’t progressing beyond 12 mentally. ( not how I’d see her at all if she was my daughter so please don’t think I agree with that thinking)
Definitely, I’m autistic but prior to puberty at 13, I showed no traits, the second I started my menstrual cycle, I became very low functional for a couple of years, until I was 17-18, and was able to cope with my emotions! I was homeschooled between 13-16! Even if your high functioning some days, or half your life, somethings can come and your functioning as an autistic person can change drastically. However, the main point of the diagnosis is that you are born with! It is the way your neurons are wired.
@@joleneprice5888 precisely!! There is a gene that causes it. My family carries that gene. It comes from my mother’s side because my sister is a half sister and her son is very high functioning but for a while when he was in elementary no one could understand him and he’d get very stressed.
My second oldest brother was autistic. Went to special schools until 9th grade. Then there’s my daughter and my other brother’s son who is never going to marry or hold a job and his mom will care for him until she passes. My brother already did.😞
I was about to comment this, it’s a neurodevelopmental condition present from birth. Yes lots don’t get diagnosed until older (especially girls) it’s very unlikely she suddenly lost all her abilities. I would say it seems more of a trauma response
Yeah when I heard “developed autism” I was like 🤨🤨 what do you mean
I'm a pediatric occupational therapist and work with kids with Autism. This case makes me absolutely livid. The neglect, abuse, and cruelty to a child and eventually a vulnerable adult is despicable. There were absolutely signs of her having ASD early on, it's not something that just develops, it's often underdiagnosed in females, they probably just ignored them. It's super common for them to have skills as a younger child then be delayed in milestones. It's common to be talking then become nonverbal or limited verbal language. To say your 14 year old wanted to live on a couch and you just say okay to that is laughably absurd. You don't just allow that and let them rot, they don't have the executive functioning skills and independence to make important decisions like that, that's YOUR job as a parent! The fact that they didn't seek help for her, when she could move (likely due to severe physical and emotional abuse), and couldn't provide care for her, says they just didn't care at all. And she couldn't TALK to tell them she was hurting and hungry. What monsters. Disgusting people. My heart breaks for Lacey. Her family and the community failed her. I hope she gets to be Disney Princess now. Rest well, sweet angel
I have an autistic son and my god they deserve only the worst life has to offer! Where was anybody to advocate for this girl? To even know she was alive?!? This poor suffered neglect I don’t know how a human could do that to ANY person. cannot imagine just ignoring the signs or acting as if he could take care of his own needs until I don’t know when. He is 7 and if I didn’t make sure food and drinks are readily accessible, sometimes even pushed, he would absolutely often go hungry. How? How could they ignore her so horrendously?!
Sorry for the rant but I’ve got to say my son could not have come so far without all the wonderful therapists, occupational like you big time, I have to thank you for helping kids like mine ❤
100% agree. Their entire story is absolutely beyond ridiculously absurd. I believe they were hiding abuse that she’d suffered. Nobody with a drop of decency in them allows another human being to rot away on a couch, let alone their own child. I will always believe that whatever they were hiding by allowing her to die in front of them is so bad that they chose this.
Lacey’s early story reminds me a lot of my middle child and lines up with what you wrote. My daughter was the same age when she started struggling, ended up homeschooling for a while, got diagnosed. But she got help and support, and now she’s a thriving adult! Who lets this happen to their baby??
This reminds me of my own story so much! I used to be very outgoing and social until I developed severe social anxiety and paranoia when I was 14 and had to be homeschooled due to refusing to leave the house. I became a complete recluse for 6 years and didn’t leave the house once, I wouldn’t even go near the windows or doors or speak to anybody for 6 whole years. Now I’m 26 and went to college and got a job and a car and I’m still slowly but surely getting my life back.
Good for you! It takes a really strong person to overcome a situation like that and your story can give hope to others that it is possible ❤
and your family took care of you it seems.
this is amazing to read, u should be so proud of how far you’ve come! x
so happy for you!! you’re strong!
Klkkj
“We didn’t sign up to be caregivers” EXCUSE ME?? That’s literally what a parent is!! Do you know how many times I’ve heard “caregiver” being used in replacement of “parent” or descriptor of a parent role?? From the moment they’re born you’re now a caregiver to your child. Changing diapers and wiping poop off of them. Cleaning up vomit. All of it. What horrid people. I can’t imagine doing this to one of my kids.
i rly can’t help but wonder if she went through some sort of trauma we’ll never know about? my heart goes out to her
No I agree. Bc I understand that autism can “worsen” for some but it seems like such a sudden change to go from the girl she was while living w autism to then suddenly going nonverbal at the age that she did? Bc I’ve seen that but as far I know that’s more common in young children. I’m no authority on the matter but I would agree there may have been a traumatic catalyst
@@ploveness0312 but we’re facing that she went nonverbal on the parents statements. For all we know she was verbal. And they were abusive to her. Even if it was just emotionally or mentally or both.
Basing not facing.
i think so too, something happened.
@@ploveness0312 for sure I haven’t heard of autism causing that drastic of a change, especially so late in life, either. Not saying it could not have of course, my son is autistic but I’m no professional. I’ve dealt with professionals and done my own reading is all. Usually these big changes happen around puberty (so I’ve heard) which she was way past. I’ve got to believe the parents are either lying, potentially embarrassed of her, or just didn’t care enough to respond to her increasing needs.
This is one of the saddest cases… brings tears to my eyes. She didn’t deserve that 💔
The mother has very eerie eyes, even evil… I believe eyes are the way to one’s soul and that woman is PURE EVIL
I was about to say ! She looks soulless.
This is so incredibly hard for me to understand or comprehend.. I’m just left speechless. How unimaginably cruel.
This is why you should have to register your child in the district even if you home school. Kids need to be protected and checked up on!
100% agree.
I agree but she was 36. Over 15 years of abuse after she would have left the school system anyway.
Side note: I love your upload schedule. Maybe there’s a video maybe there’s not but there’s no one in the comment section crying about it.
If there was that kind of smell in the house, and as intense as it was, their hair and clothes would have also smelled like that when they left the house. It permeates everything. Did nobody notice they smelled in their social encounters? Dang.
A lot of people have very poor hygiene tbh. I’ve smelled some really bad people but it would come across as rude if someone commented on it.
@@sophiag612I literally don’t smell a homeless person unless I’m next to them how do yall have such strong noses. Freaks me out that I can be perceived like that in person
They cared more about their relationships with other ppl then taking care of their daughter. How dare you go to church every Sunday and have your daughter living like that!
Autistic person here. Autism doesn't just suddenly get worse or develop. You can have meltdowns when you're overwhelmed but not for 12 years. This is definitely a response to deeper trauma or something happening within the house, which- given how the parents neglected her wellbeing so much she fused to the couch- would not really be surprising to me tbh.
I know this very well, the emotions of being neglected by my parents for a long time caused me to be autistic in the moment when I felt neglected as an adult, I couldn't talk and couldn't express myself to anyone, but the good thing is that I've already begun to heal myself, and meeting people who love me will make me better!
If she was eating the couch as Bella says at 20:17, and that disproves the lock-in syndrome theory, how is that still such a prevalent theory? And what was actually keeping her there?
Maybe one of her parents caused her some physical harm that disabled her legs and couldn't walk again. That could be a reason why she stayed on the couch for 12 years unable to get up. If she was trying to eat leather from the couch, it shows that she was trying to survive. Something probably happened to Lacey that disabled her and her parents neglected her after that
The locked in theory turned out to be BS.
It’s still such a prominent theory because no one understands why someone would lay in their own shit and piss for 12 fucking years. Who do you know that would willingly do that because I don’t know a single person?
Also im very passionate about this case and i don’t want the colorful language in my reply to come across as being rude or an attack.
@@wisteriablossoms1793 that’s the point I was trying to make. I don’t believe for a second she just lay there voluntarily. I know there were no signs of restraints but 15 years had gone by.
@@NewAc-gl3wjIf that was the case then it would have been found in the autopsy that her legs were harmed or hurt but no such thing was found out
They were punishing her for not being the daughter they hoped for. I really think they thought that if they let her suffer enough, she'd snap out of it. My father's family treats my mentally ill/drug addicted father this way, and they don't understand that tough love won't work for people who have severe mental health challenges. Professional help and real care helps. These parents are truly monsters.
My theory is that they were physically and/or s3xually abusing her prior to her locking up. That's why they would not have done anything as she progressively got worse. It made it easier to keep their secrets. They could just blame her for everything know she could never tell her side. They seemed obsessed with their own images with 0 empathy so entirely possible they are narcissists. It makes me so angry.
I was watching this video from my couch at home and immediately stood up and had to take a walk. Just the visual of myself laying and relaxing but imagining Lacey in pain like that… What monsters, evil incarnate
"Developed autism in 9th grade" this statement alone lets me know everything I need to about the quality of care and attention their daughter was given. ASD isn't something that drops out of the sky, people are born with it. If they didn't even bother to understand that, then why the hell would I believe them when they claim their daughter had "locked-in syndrome", which is something that has to be tested for and diagnosed?! Disgusting, vile people. Rest in peace, Lacey.
Exactly! I understand being diagnosed later in life but "developing" it makes absolutely no sense. SOMETHING must have happened to her to cause such a huge shift in her behavior. For her parents to decide to "homeschool" her after that instead of taking her to a doctor or actually seeking any kind of help for their child is unforgivable.
I've read that Autism can develop at a later stage in life, but becomes more severe. So she might have had it at birth but got worse due to trauma. This might explain why she had severe social anxiety as well. There must have been abuse from an early age.
@@buddiecati personally think trauma or maybe abuse on the parents behalf that’s just me
@sarahanne__ neglect is abuse so 100% that is what her parents did, but autism has no correlation to trauma.
@@siobhan_is_on I agree
This doesn't make any sense. They both must have been out of touch with reality because after all the neglect, the abuse etc., did they not think that when they called 911 that no one would find this suspicious. That the police would charge them with Lacey's death!!! Why did her mother call 911? She obviously didn't care about Lacey at all, so why did she call 911? Where were their minds at? If they neglected her so bad and tortured her, why didn't they just bury her or something. I don't understand. Both of her parents must have been so out of touch with reality to do this. It is mind boggling. Rest in Peace beautiful Lacey.
a neighbour allegedly saw her on the couch and told them to call the police
This seems like a family refusing to believe in mental health treatment. I can almost guarantee abuse was present before she stopped leaving the sofa. Anyways, this sounds a lot like catatonia, which there is treatment for. Such a frustrating and heartbreaking situation.
i agree, Catatonia was what came to my mind as well :// this story is very frustrating.
It's weird that no one noticed the smell from the parents. Living near a rotting body covered in waste would've made them smell almost as bad as she did. Maybe they thought it was a change in diet or something but that's so extreme.
I still can't believe this case. Our entire community (the Baton Rouge area, I'm not from Slaughter!) was horrified that these evil people were just living their lives while their daughter was wasting away. Thank you for spreading the story. May Lacey rest easy.
This is the most evil thing I’ve ever heard of. It’s tragic what she endured.
There is no way no one in the neighborhood or their friend circle didn’t know. So disappointing that no one said anything, no one deserves to die like that 🥺
the smell of her would have been all over they’re clothes even freshly washed…
This story stuck with me since my first time hearing it. 12 years just leaves... so many unanswered questions. The picture of her with her big sweet smile. She was so beautiful. Hearing everyone deacribe how sweet she was. It's just so much. I imagine initially the parents possibly did care for her. I think especially being the kind of people they're descirbed as, so active in the community, her debilitating anxiety was "embarrassing" for them. They probably did decide that she was just making a "decision" to sit there for awhile and then after some time passed they just shrugged her off. I don't understand. I have three kids. I can't imagine just totally phasing out my child... Right there on the couch. Living life around her as if she just isn't. I can't imagine Lacy's perspective of life those 12 years on that couch literally rotting away. Like i seriously cannot imagine the total nightmare that was created for her. That sense of hopelessness for so long is just so scary and heartbreaking.
Na I don't think so they were ''kind'' to her aslong as she behaved as they expect, but once she didn't
This case makes me so mad. I was bedridden for two months, after a car accident. My mother took such good care of me. So, when she got sick and was bedridden, I took care of her. I couldn’t imagine just leaving her in one spot for more than a couple hours. Lacey deserved so much more.
OMG 😢 this case is just so sad. What, this poor woman had to endure is 💯% horrific. The more you told us about this case, the more upset I became. These 2 monsters should be made to suffer all the neglectful stuff they put her through, and she was their own daughter.
RIP sweet angel.
So they can afford bond payments but couldn’t get her proper care at a care home? Sounds like she was never loved and always neglected. So evil
What’s crazy is if she really was as bad as they said she could be put in a care facility and it be paid for by the state.
I have never heard of this case and I have never heard of something so unbelievably absurd. My brain can’t even comprehend all of this. This is beyond terrible. 😢
Bella we miss the crazy cute earring phase 😭😭
Omg please stop it already guys
Most of us are more interested in the content of Bellas videos than what is in her ears.
@@mandarinadreux9572why? We miss them 😂
@@casementjaxx86relax.
@@casementjaxx86thank you
Glad you have you back! I hope you are thoroughly enjoying traveling and just life in general! 🎉
This was 100% people who were too cheap to do the right thing because residential care in the United States is very very expensive unless you’re insured for it.
My thoughts as well
And then they posted 80k for bond. I hate these evil monsters. 😠
I heard about this case fairly recently, and it hits so hard. I've had generalized anxiety my whole life, and at one point it got so bad that I was also stuck on the couch. It only lasted a week and I was still able to get up to use the bathroom and get water, but I'd be freaking out so badly the whole time that it felt like I could pass out. I'd be trembling and panting like crazy while my heart was racing insanely fast. The ONLY way I was able to get help was because of my mom. She acted like a normal parent and fucking made an appointment for me. That should be true for everyone. I hate Lacey's parents so much I'll probably burst into flames if I think about it any longer 🙃
this is truly a terrible case, you tell this story so well!
Heard this horrible case before I can't wait to hear you talk about it! Everyone has different options and information on this case!
I’m at a complete loss for words.
Rest in peace angel.
I am a special education teacher, and although I am not an expert, I do have 25+ years of teaching experience with kids with multiple disabilities including autism. People don't just get "severe" autism all of a sudden in high school. She was verbal, had friends, played volleyball, worked out, etc. Yes, she had social anxiety, which can be common in people who have autism, and yes, this is something that can be more noticeable in MS and HS and as they go through puberty and social norms change. Without intervention, some symptoms of autism can get worse over time, but not to the extent described in this video.
This sounds like something other than autism. My first thought was schizophrenia, specifically catatonia, or something similar, where a person would become non verbal and not move much over time. There are other degenerative conditions like childhood onset dementia or Rett Syndrome that can mimic autism, and the children then worsen over time, similar to what is described here, but those are usually diagnosed much earlier than HS, and they die much earlier than she did. From what I gather, she would still be alive with proper care.
What is horrific is that there are resources out there to help, and the school could have helped them find it, as could their doctor or the hospital they were told to bring her to, and they didn't avail themselves of any of it. and left her to suffer a gruesome and painful death. I hope they rot in prison.
ugh this case made my whole body ache .
I listen to true crime honestly constantly at work. This. Was one of the most disturbing cases I’ve ever heard. Actually unfathomable.
this is so awful. im glad you covered her sad case
There’s no effing way they lived there. They may have visited which then showed proof of being there with her. But there’s no way. This is the actual most horrific story I’ve ever heard
As someone who has been watching your videos for the past 7 years, I never thought a crime so close to home would ever be covered. I remember when this story came out and how shocking it was; especially it being in my hometown. You did great justice covering this and keeping Lacey at the forefront being a human and not just focusing on the criminals.
This is beyond horrific... I also don't understand how she even survived in those horrid conditions for 12 years ??? How ?? Isn't the human body going to sucumb to severe infection because of the feces and open wounds which would lead to death much sooner ? ( as per the description of her body from the journalists ) if they would often go on vacations, this is just incrediblly disturbing. How she even survive that long in those conditions ? How did nobody visit the house for 12 years, if she was on the couch, even a courier or someone would have smelled smth off... :/ those parents should never see the light of day ever again
I can not believe she survived that long. This is absolutely horrific!
Most traumatizing and horrific true crime story I've ever heard 💯
is it possible she was experiencing physical abuse and was potentially partially paralyzed? like some damage was done to her spine that didn't allow her to move or something? is there any evidence for or against something like this? I ask because i honestly couldn't listen to the part where she dove into detail about her condition on the couch, but i never heard any examination being done to possibly explain the immobility. I could have missed it, but like she said she could move enough to eat the couch, but not enough to stand. and one of them being responsible for her immobility would explain why they didn't seek help 12 years ago, they just hid her away and ignored the situation.
I’m still confused about that cause no she didn’t mention anything about her being paralyzed or injured cause I was thinking the same thing
I think this theory makes more sense. If she actually had this “locked in” condition, she couldn’t have eaten the couch or even chewed at all. I believe she was mostly paralyzed as a result of some kind of trauma, considering she first went non verbal abruptly, and then this.
This hits so close to home. It’s brutal and frustrating and isolating to watch this kind of abuse. It’s extremely hard to help from the outside, and impossible to do without risking the lives of the people involved. The more you interfere, the more the abuse worsens, and the more you push, the less likely the system is to help, because you appear to be helping so much. I am angry and devastated for Lacey and I can’t help but see in her people who I love. I wish I could tell people how to help in these sorts of situations, or even to recognize them from the outside. I wish I knew myself.
i’ve heard a bit about this case but never ever knew that she wasn’t even diagnosed with that condition…oh gosh.
Girl! I am laughing cause I fell asleep last night thinking “Bella hasn’t posted in along time” and then I woke up and see a new video 😂
I literally shook my head in shock the entire time watching this 😳
NO WORDS!!!
This is genuinely the craziest, most heartbreaking and disgusting case you've ever covered. My heart goes out to this poor girl🩷
You’re back 🥳🥳🥳 I remember when this case first came into the news.. so horrible 😢
What a strange and horrible story! It amazes me she lived so long while the parents ignored her completely. It's all so terribly sick! And it's not like the parents were elderly or senile!
They had to have beat her or threatened her immensely to stay on that couch. My mom was abusive and even without threats, I could stay still in one spot for several minutes because of the trauma. Her body’s decay may have masked any beatings or injuries from them.
Plus, she was diagnosed with immense social anxiety so she likely wouldn’t have spoken up for herself even if she wanted to. That’s probably the logic they used to say she didn’t say anything against being on the couch.
right, a person of sound mind would definitely stay immobile on a couch for 12 years and use it as toilet. the parents are full of bs.
this is legit the worst case I've ever heard. im autistic myself and im just in absolute disbelief that anyone could despise their own child this much just because they're disabled
This case is so bizarre, I wonder how was it when she was born? were they loving parents or was she neglected since she was a baby. Because basically a baby needs support 24/7 kind of like when she did when she started to become non verbal. If they were loving... what changed? I'm so curious. And the parents are the ones that need to be psychologically examined.
Some of these are so so sad but they're still so intriguing. I guess it's the mystery of it all. And hoping that justice prevails. Maybe also because it's an exploration into the minds of the people who commit these horrible crimes. Trying to figure out what makes them tick and all.
Thanks again for these Bella! Favourite True Crime Channel out there!!! 🙌
One of the most sickening cases i have heard of, it’s unimaginable what she went through
Her “parents” are the biggest pieces of sh*t. They absolutely could have taken her somewhere where she could have been taken care of. What’s wild to me is that the parents didn’t smell. Like when someone in the house is constantly smoking cigarettes, everything in the house smells like it. Just thinking about her sitting there in her own waste makes me so nauseous and angry.
as a mother of an autistic 6 year old son, i am so heartbroken and devastated by this case. she deserved so much more 🥺
Are these parents insane? Like even if ur evil you can’t believe your daughter is still alive ?
This may be the saddest thing I have ever heard in my life. Omg I am in shock. I can not even imagine. I am so sad for Lacey, idk how parents or a person could do this to someone.
whenever i heard of this case i was always under the impression lacey lived on her own, and this is how it got so bad for so long.
to find out her parents were fully aware the entire time and having her live like this. there is no better way to describe these people than evil.
I was just thinking of you then BOOM! You posted. Glad you’re back 🤍
This is so sad. The fact that the parents didn't act soon or at all is disgusting to me. They deserve all the charges they get and more.
As someone who works in nursing HOW did she not go septic from open bed sores after 12 years!!! I know of people that have passed away after just a couple of months from sores that were being taken care of multiple times a day
This hits close to home. On the outside, it seemed like we were a "good" religious family. But my abusive parents starved me, tortured me and did unspeakable horrific things to me. They put on quite a mask in public that no1 would believe. I've had 2 nervous breakdowns because of the tortute, was hospitalized with sepsis after contracting pneumonia that nearly took my life. That near-death experience completely destroyed my health and forced me to move back home to the very abuse that I'd used my grades to escape earlier. From there, the abuse intensified, punishing me for trying to escape once before. Covid made things far worse. I have no friends, i have social anxiety, they completely isolated me. Denied me medical care and food often. I have cptsd, severe depression and debilitating anxiety. 😢
Lol. I'm like HEY TWIN-WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN, when I hear these beautiful victims had social anxiety, little tidbits like that humanize these falling angels and appreciate their lives more...
This case is always a tough one to hear 😢
This case will stick with me just like the hello kitty case . Very horrifying
Absolutely one of the top 3 worst cases I've ever heard. When you said she had feces and couch cushions in her stomach I nearly cried. Absolutely heartbreaking.
Didn’t sign up to be a caregiver?!?!What on earth did they do when she was a baby that needs constant care What if your child is disabled. Becomes ill even terminally
is incapacitated through an accident They obviously are financially able to afford either home help or have her reside in a facility providing care So why did they do this to their daughter?! Beyond evil
I study criminology and watch true crime cases on RUclips every day. This is the first case where I looked up photos from the crime scene and almost vomited. the couch is disgusting and that poor girl is so skinny and just left for dead. those parents are sick
I literally couldn’t finish that video. 😢 this is just horrific. This poor, sweet girl. I can’t believe no one went looking for her.
Girl it’s okay enjoy your time off! Do not apologize over that :) you deserve it
Lacy was severely autistic so life must have been very difficult for her. Considering what her parents did to her, I can't imagine her childhood was very loving or nurturing. It seems to me she went into regression, lost the ability to speak and possibly also to move, maybe regressed into the state of mind of a baby. I think the parents possibly did care for her in the beginning but came to see her as a burden and no longer wanted to carry it. I also think they were embarrassed by Lacy's state. When neglectful parents are so active in and beloved by the community, to me an alarm bell goes off - often strongly narcissistic people hide behind that mask. They want the admiration and the prestige but in reality, can be very cruel people, especially to their families. It also seems they were under educated on autism ("developped it in the 9th grade" tells you all you need to know. Autism is something you are born with) and maybe they wanted to deny it cause of the perceived shame - mind you, neurodivergence was viewed quite differently just a few decades back. There was (and is) still a lot of stigma attached to it! So maybe Lacy was at home for a few years and they realised they couldn't handle it but by then, it was so obvious by her state that she was neglected that they (selfishly!) decided they could not take her to a hospital anymore cause suspicion would fall on them. So they decided to do... nothing. So tragic. Obviously when your daughter becomes non verbal and refuses to leave the house, you take her to a psychologist and if you're unable to provide for her, I'm sure there are ways to get her into a care facility. The parents made selfish choices and then covered them up and covered up the botched coverups, just to uphold the facade that was never true. Lacy was sacrificed for their parents' reputation. Unbelievably sad!
I completely agree that her parents were both narcissists. I also suspect that she endured abuse from them which triggered her regression. For them to go from loving, involved parents to literally torturing their child to death doesn’t make sense. I guarantee abuse was happening long before.
The immobility wasn’t caused by Autism, you don’t suddenly go from verbal and functional to non-verbal and unable to walk. It sounds like she had catatonia, which is a neurological condition caused by severe mental illness or brain damage from disease or tumours.
This case has stuck in my mind since I first heard about it. This is by far the worst case I have ever heard. I can't fathom the hellish treatment Lacey had to endure for 12 years living on that filthy couch. Her parents had the audacity to say that it was her choice to live in that condition, make me sick. I don't know how they lived in the stench of the smell and not do anything to help their own daughter. Absolutely disgusting. Another thing that stuck out to me is the fact that the mother said that she can take "better" care of their own daughter than anyone else. Very disturbing.
This case has really affected me. I just don’t understand how a parent can witness and be apart of something so horrible to their own child.
I really enjoy seeing your travel posts on IG! So glad you get to live your best life. You deserve it
This might be the most horrific case I have ever heard of
this is truly one of if not the most unsettling case i have ever heard, so disgusting and scary. hope they never see the light of day
She reminds me of myself, my anxiety is so High, I have a hard time working and going out, however my family made me go out. Her family really lost the plot here, so messed up.
The question I had always had is if she actually did have locked in syndrome, how did she eat or drink? I looked it up online and it said that normally they would need a feeding tube and also 24-hour a day care. If she had no control of her body, she couldn't swallow.
I moved like right around when you moved and honestly there were so many times I just wanted to go home but my boyfriend wouldnt be able to move back with me so I stay so I cant blame you guys for not knowing what to do. Just do what will make you happiest ❤️
actually enjoyed your ad lol :)
There have only been two cases Bella has covered that I've really struggled to get through, the Alison Botha case, and this one. Poor Lacey 😔 I can't comprehend this kind of neglect
Definitely the most disturbing case 😢
I watch a lot of true crime. Sadly at times the stories involved child neglect, abuse etc. I have NEVER ever been so affected before. I watched thus days ago and I can't stop thinking about her. I don't understand how/why the parents let this happen? and let it go on for so long? I mean, one day she has an accident, you clean it up, try to fix whatever is going on....but after a week, wouldn't you seek medical advice? I'm so confused by the lack of action. My heart breaks for her and I hope now she is at peace
Their marriage was a match made in hell. Sheila and Clay were both completely complicit in this abuse.