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10 Things To Know About The Man Who Murdered Eliza Fletcher

Also known as the Memphis heiress, Eliza Fletcher was a kindergarten teacher. She was a 34-year-old lady who chose a career in teaching even though her family had substantial wealth. Eliza was mostly described to be a bright light of her community by the staff at the St Mary’s Episcopal School where she worked.

On 2nd September 2022, Eliza Fletcher was reported missing after she went for an early morning run and never returned. Her usual route was close to Memphis University, but she never returned which made her husband raise the alarm. Three days later, her body was found dumped in an abandoned building with a gunshot wound on the right side of her head.

A few later, Cleotha Henderson also known as Abston was arrested in connection to the kidnap and murder of Eliza Fletcher. Abston was known for his numerous previous convictions for kidnap and rape. He had been jailed for 20 years in the early 2000s and released in 2020.

Authorities revealed that Abston forcefully made Eliza get into his SUV and later murdered her. Cleotha Henderson was charged with first-degree murder, aggravated kidnapping, and tampering with evidence among other charges. Here are the 10 Things To Know About The Man Who Murdered Eliza Fletcher:

1. He was Part of A Famous Gang from the Age of 11

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Cleotha Henderson was not new in the criminal world as many people might have thought. He was involved in the criminal world as early as before he became a teenager.

At the age of eleven, Cleotha Henderson came to the attention of Shelby County Juvenile Court due to his links to gangs. He was known to the authorities as being a member of the Lemoyne Gardens Ganstas (LMG) gang. It seemed like he had grown up in the world of crime.

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2. He had been Arrested on 16 Different Occasions for Different Crimes when Young

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The links of Cleotha Henderson to a criminal gang were justified with a couple of other things that he engaged himself. Between the age of 11 and 16, he had been arrested on 16 different occasions for different crimes.

Cleotha was arrested on suspicion of crimes which included raping a man at the age of 14. The others included theft, aggravated assault, and possession of a weapon unlawfully.

3. Henderson had Spent His Youth in Protective Services

Cleotha Henderson did not spend his youth life like other American youths. With all the criminal activities he was engaged in, he spent a part of his youth living in the custody of child protective services. During his arrest at the age of 16, Cleotha’s father was reportedly serving time in prison.

4. Cleotha was Arrested at the Age of 16 for Kidnapping an Attorney

The man who murdered Eliza Fletcher did not begin his law-breaking at a later age, but he was into crime from a young age. Cleotha Henderson was first convicted after an arrested when he was a teenager at the age of sixteen.

His first crime was kidnapping attorney Kemper Durand at gunpoint. In May 2000, Cleotha kidnapped attorney Kemper Durand at gunpoint in Memphis, Tennessee.

During the kidnapping incident, Cleotha had kept the Attorney in his car booth driving around town and forced him to withdraw money at an ATM. The reports are not clear whether he committed this crime on his own or he was part of a gang.

5. Cleotha was Sentenced to 24 Years in Prison

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After his arrest at the age of 16 for the kidnapping of attorney Kemper Durand, Cleotha faced a long time in prison. Unlike other teenagers being charged as juveniles, Cleotha was charged as an adult. He was handed a twenty-four years sentence for his atrocities.

However, he was released early from the 24 years of prison sentence he had received earlier. He was released in 2020 after making an appeal making him get freedom after serving 20 years and remaining with four years.

6. His Change in Behaviour Earned him an Early Release on His 24 Years Sentence

As he was serving his 24 years of prison sentence, Cleotha had tried to request an early release. In 2016, Cleotha had requested an escape, but his victim, attorney Kemper Durand told the authorities that he never showed any remorse during the kidnapping.

His request was turned down in 2016, but he was later granted his freedom in 2020. Cleotha had joined work programs during his sentence which enabled get him an early Release. In 2020, Cleotha got his freedom after serving 20 years and remaining for 4 years.

7. He Forced Eliza into an SUV Vehicle He was Driving before Killing Her

On the morning of 2nd September 2022, Eliza Fletcher had gone for her routine morning run. However, it is believed that she was forcefully made to get into the GMC Terrain he was driving.

After the reports of her being missing, Cleotha was arrested on 3rd September and the body was found later. The body of Eliza was found to be a gunshot wound on the right side of her head and the body was dumped in the rear of a vacant duplex apartment.

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8. Cleotha was Spotted by Two People Cleaning the SUV at the Apartment the Body was Found

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Cleotha was directly linked to the kidnapping and murder of Eliza Fletcher on multiple grounds. It was first claimed that he was spotted driving the SUV which was reportedly used in the incident.

He was also spotted by two people cleaning the GMC Terrain at the apartment where the body was found. His brother, Mario, is among the people who saw Cleotha Henderson cleaning the interior of the SUV using floor cleaner. He was also spotted washing clothes in the sink.

9. He was Accused of Raping Another Lady a Year before the Murder of Eliza

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During his trial, another lady, Alicia Franklin, reported that Cleotha had raped her. The rape incident had occurred a year before the murder of Eliza Fletcher.

Alicia Franklin revealed that she met with Cleotha on a dating app in 2011. The two made plans of having dinner together and that’s when everything went wrong.

Cleotha blindfolded her at gunpoint had threatened to kill her if she resisted walking to his vehicle. He reportedly made her get into the backseat where he raped her. The authorities blamed Alicia for not reporting the incident as the murder of Eliza Fletcher could have been prevented.

10. Henderson has Always Maintained Innocence in the Murder Case of Eliza

Since his arrest, Cleotha Henderson has never pleaded guilty to the murder of Eliza Fletcher. Cleotha has always maintained that he is innocent and was never involved in the murder. His mother also claimed that her son was innocent in the murder case of Eliza Fletcher.

Cleotha Henderson was presented before the court for the ruling on the murder of Eliza Fletcher. The family of Eliza Fletcher is hoping to be served with justice in this whole case.

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