CLINTON — Parents Clay and Sheila Fletcher, who were both convicted of manslaughter after their daughter Lacey was found "melted" into a couch, were sentenced Wednesday to 40 years in prison, with 20 years of the sentence suspended. 

In the years leading up to her death, Lacey was diagnosed with autism and was non-verbal. The Investigative Unit learned the last time Lacey saw a physician was in 2002 when she was 16 years old. For nearly 20 years, she was left unchecked and sources said there were no health insurance claims on her record.

During the hearing, Lacey's former physician Dr. Donald Hoppe said the last time he had even heard from the Fletchers was in 2010. Clay Fletcher privately met with Hoppe to tell him that Lacey was progressively getting worse. Hoppe says he suggested that the parents take their child to get help, but they never did.

East Feliciana Parish Coroner Dr. Ewell Bickham said 36-year-old Lacey Fletcher had "melted" into the sofa. Sources said the room where Lacey was found reeked of urine and feces and that the floor was buckling beneath the couch due to pooling urine. 

The coroner's office determined that Lacey died of sepsis from living in her own filth. She weighed 96 pounds when she was found and examiners said starvation also contributed to her death.

Dr. Bickham said the gruesome nature of Lacey's death is something that will stick with him for life.

"I've dealt with every type of death there is, natural, accidental, suicide, homicide, every kind there is. This was the most gruesome, unnatural death that I've seen, and it's affected me," Dr. Bickham said. "If someone is having issues, if someone has mental health issues, there are resources out there and social programs."

During court Wednesday, the defense said that due to Lacey's age, she was fully competent and could make her own decisions. The parents both said that Lacey refused getting medical help and that when they brought it up, she got "defensive and argumentative."

"Her world closed in on her gradually because of her phobias, fears, and social anxieties. The couch was her sanctuary. It was her comfort zone," Clay said.

The Fletchers say that Lacey's phobias were so bad that she wouldn't even use the restroom in their house. They bought her a porta-potty for the living room, and she refused to use that as well, leading to her defecating on herself.

Fire Chief Matthew Ard attended the sentencing hearing. He went to the Fletcher's home after Lacey was found. 

"I've never seen anything like this in my entire life," Ard said. "It was like a rotting smell."

Initially, the Fletchers were charged with second-degree murder, but pleaded not guilty. Those charges were tossed out by a judge due to conflicting language and reinstated by a grand jury.  The charges were reduced to manslaughter and they pleaded no contest. The Fletcher's defense team said the couple cared for their daughter and did not intend to hurt Lacey.

"They loved her to death, and that is the true statement of what the Fletchers are," Steven Moore, the couple's attorney said.