Memphis heiress Eliza Fletcher was kidnapped during an early morning run on September 2 and later found dead in a vacant lot. Her body had a gunshot wound in her head and blunt force injuries to her right leg, according to an autopsy report by the West Tennessee Regional Forensic Center.
Prosecutor’s office says Fletcher’s body was found in a vacant lot
The ex-convict accused of abducting and killing Memphis heiress Eliza Fletcher was rebooked in court on Friday. Cleotha Abston Henderson, 38, was indicted on two charges of aggravated kidnapping and rape from an incident that happened a year before Fletcher was killed.
Investigators said Fletcher was running near the University of Memphis campus when she was snatched off her feet by someone driving a dark SUV. Her body was found behind a vacant home after a massive police search that began three days after the incident.
The Jackson forensic laboratory that processed the rape kit a year ago returned a DNA match to Henderson, according to reports. The lab says the DNA was entered into its national database on Sept. 5 and was a match to a DNA kit from the Memphis case.
Fletcher was a jogger
Fletcher was last seen jogging early Friday morning, when she was approached by a man and forced into an SUV. The victim’s husband initially reported her missing around 7 a.m.
Police say she was wearing a pink jogging top and purple running shorts at the time of her abduction. She had brown hair and green eyes, and was 137 pounds.
She was also spotted on surveillance video running near the University of Memphis campus, where investigators believe she was forced into a black GMC Terrain around 4 a.m. The vehicle then drove away, the affidavit says.
Police also analyzed a pair of sandals found at the abduction site, near the victim’s phone, and detected DNA matching Henderson. The man was arrested Saturday. The arrest affidavit said he was charged with aggravated kidnapping and murder in Fletcher’s death. He was taken into custody and booked at the Shelby County Jail on the same charges. His next court appearance is scheduled for Monday, where he’s anticipated to face additional charges.
Fletcher’s family is suing Henderson
A lawsuit filed by Fletcher’s family claims that the murder of a Memphis woman could have been avoided had police properly investigated an accusation of rape against Cleotha Henderson. Alicia Franklin says in the lawsuit that she was raped by Henderson last year, but she was not arrested on rape charges because DNA evidence from a sexual assault kit tested a year before returned as a match to Henderson’s in an FBI database.
The attorney representing Franklin says it’s time for MPD to end the backlog of DNA testing for rape kits. It can take months or more to get a matching result, she said.
She says that if Henderson had been charged with the rape in 2021, Franklin might still be alive today. She also points out that Henderson previously served 20 years for kidnapping another lawyer at the age of 16 in 2000.
Henderson’s lawyer says he’s not guilty
Memphis heiress Eliza Fletcher disappeared while jogging near the University of Memphis campus last September, sparking an intense hunt for her killer. Henderson, also known as Cleotha Abston, is accused of abducting and killing her – but his lawyer says he’s not guilty.
The 34-year-old teacher’s story captivated the nation and thousands took to social media to “finish Eliza’s run,” a tribute to her and an effort to help women feel safe to jog without fear of being attacked.
Her family and the community have been mourning her loss – and are calling for justice. But they have a message for the man accused of her murder.
