On the morning of September 2, 2022, the educator from Memphis, who is additionally a parent of two and a beneficiary to a venture, woke up and embarked on a run.
She took her typical path near the University of Memphis.
However, she was never spotted alive again.
Terrifying surveillance footage recorded the abduction of the 34-year-old as she was forcefully taken and forced into an SUV.
After three days, her corpse was discovered discarded near a deserted structure – her athletic attire left nearby.
Cleotha Henderson, a convicted kidnapper who was released from prison in 2020, is now charged with murder and kidnapping, a case that sparked a movement for women to be able to call for help and seek community support, sending shockwaves through the local community.
Henderson – who also is known as Cleotha Abston – is scheduled to appear in court on the 30th of March.
Here’s all the information we have regarding the case:
The kidnapping occurred when Fletcher, recognized by family and close acquaintances as Liza, was on her usual morning run at approximately 4.20am on 2 September 2022.
In close proximity to the University of Memphis campus, the surveillance footage recorded a mother-of-two wearing a pink jogging blouse and purple running shorts.
The video showed a dark 2013 GMC Terrain SUV driving past her before stopping.
Aman was then observed exiting the vehicle, before he “charged aggressively” towards the jogger.
A fierce altercation occurred and the man compelled Fletcher into the passenger seat of the car.
The car then remained at the spot with the two people inside for about four minutes before leaving, as shown in the footage.
The water bottle and cellphone of the jogger were discovered at the site of her abduction. The Fletcher family reported her missing when she failed to return home from her run.
During the conflict, investigators also discovered a set of Champion slip-on shoes – presumed to be owned by Henderson.
Pictures of the suspected automobile were made public in order to assist in locating the absent mother of two.
Surveillance video recorded the identical SUV lurking around the vicinity where Fletcher was abducted merely 24 minutes prior to the abduction.
Law enforcement officials spent multiple days combing the area surrounding the place where Fletcher disappeared, which involved examining garbage bins, bodies of water, and recreational spaces.
In an unused primary school located in South Memphis, law enforcement discovered the remains of the victim near the vicinity shortly after 5pm on September 5th, 2022 – three days following her vanishing.
Authorities confiscated a dumpster near the residence of Henderson’s brother and retrieved bags as evidence. This occurred in close proximity to the location where a witness informed the police about Henderson vigorously washing a SUV that resembled the car captured in surveillance footage. The distressing revelation was uncovered within a distance of less than one mile from that spot.
On the morning of September 6th, 2022, authorities confirmed that the body had been positively identified as that of the mother of two children.
According to an affidavit, investigators from the Memphis Police Department and state and federal partners had noticed vehicle tracks in the tall grass leading to an empty apartment.
According to the records, a motionless woman was found lying on the floor, which caught the attention of the search and rescue official upon detecting a “scent of decomposition” and observing a series of footprints in the back driveway of the property.
She was declared deceased at the location.
Close by, a garbage bag held Fletcher’s set of violet Lululemon jogging shorts, which law enforcement discovered abandoned. Furthermore, the vicinity produced a retrieved bullet casing.
According to the affidavit, the surveillance footage revealed that Henderson’s black GMC Terrain was in close proximity between 5.48am and 5.52am.
During the autopsy, it was revealed that Fletcher had suffered blunt-force trauma to her right leg and was shot in the back of her head, with the range of the gunshot being undetermined.
The report stated that she also mentioned that there were two semicircular defects in the skull, indicating a single gunshot from left to right and front to back (anterior to posterior) that caused a fractured jaw.
The discovery of her remains occurred 48 hours prior to the kidnapping of the teacher, shortly after Henderson’s apprehension on September 3, 2022.
Near Henderson’s residence, in a parking area, US Marshals observed a vehicle that resembled the suspect’s car as investigators approached him.
The affidavit states that the SUV had the identical taillight and partial license plate identification that were observed in the surveillance footage of the abduction.
When authorities discovered Henderson in the vicinity, he attempted to escape the location, but he was apprehended and brought in for interrogation.
On 4 September 2022, the Memphis Police declared that he had been accused of particularly severe abduction and manipulation of evidence.
The next day, the Memphis police charged Henderson with three more offenses: identity fraud, stealing property valued at less than $1,000, and the deceptive utilization of a credit card.
According to the affidavit, Henderson was seen tidying the interior of his vehicle and laundering his garments in the basin following the abduction.
On September 2, 2022, the suspect’s sibling and a bystander reported observing him acting strangely at his residence and receiving a purification procedure afterwards.
Authorities said that they believe Fletcher suffered a significant harm, leading to the discovery of other evidence and the recovery of blood inside the vehicle, even after it was cleaned.
Authorities stated that surveillance footage and DNA evidence were both used to connect him to the slides found at the scene of Champion’s abduction. Additionally, Henderson’s cellphone location data was also placed at the scene of the abduction.
Henderson allegedly declined to disclose to investigators the whereabouts of Fletcher or the details of her disappearance.
Henderson faced fresh allegations of first degree homicide and first degree murder during the act of abduction after law enforcement discovered her deceased body.
He was originally detained on a bond of $500,000 and had his initial court appearance on September 6th, 2022.
During his second appearance in the Shelby County Circuit Court on September 7, 2022, Cleotha Abston was asked by the judge to address him as Henderson, and his bond was revoked.
Following his court hearing, the records of Shelby County Jail revealed that he was registered under the name Cleotha Henderson.
The brother of the suspect, Mario Abston, was also apprehended and accused after the authorities conducted a search of their residence.
Abston Mario has been charged with one count of distributing heroin with the intent to distribute, one count of distributing fentanyl with the intent to distribute, and one count of felony possession of a firearm.
Henderson, 38, has a lengthy criminal record prior to the abduction and killing of Fletcher.
He was known to be part of the Lemoyne gang and was in the juvenile system from the age of 11.
He was arrested 16 times between May 1995 and 2000, including allegations of rape, aggravated theft, unlawful possession of a weapon, and assault. He was only 14 years old at the time.
After being convicted, Fletcher was released from prison less than two years before the murder. At the age of 16, he kidnapped a man at gunpoint.
In a strangely familiar scenario to Fletcher’s abduction, a young Henderson, who was 16 at the time, forcefully placed a Memphis lawyer inside his car during an early morning assault.
On 24 May 2000, around 2am, Durand Kemper drove up to Henderson in his car, exited the vehicle, and compelled the lawyer to enter the trunk.
The individual in distress was rescued when he called out for assistance from a person passing by, causing his assailant to hastily depart from the location. Subsequently, the perpetrator transported the victim for an extended duration before bringing him to an automated teller machine (ATM) where he carried out a theft.
Henderson was subsequently apprehended and admitted guilt in 2001 for the offense of particularly severe abduction.
He received a 24-year prison sentence and was released in November 2020, after spending 19 years behind bars.
A prior release was denied after Mr. Durand’s statement to authorities claiming that he thought Henderson had shown a “complete absence of remorse for the crime”.
While serving his sentence, prison records indicate that Henderson was charged with 19 distinct incidents of indecent exposure.
One prison guard stated in records acquired by Action 5 News that the prisoner simply “couldn’t resist” it.
In September 2021, Henderson purportedly sexually assaulted a woman – twelve months prior to Fletcher’s kidnapping and killing – and twelve months after his discharge.
Alicia Franklin claims that she met Henderson on a dating app in 2021, and they made plans to go to dinner together. Before threatening and blindfolding her at gunpoint, he forced her out of her car and made her walk.
He then reportedly compelled her into the rear seat of the vehicle where he sexually assaulted her.
Ms. Franklin reported the assault to the police, but Henderson was not arrested at that time due to the long delay in processing the kit.
The alleged rapist’s DNA was not entered into the national law enforcement database until September 5th, 2021, three days after Fletcher’s abduction, but Henderson’s DNA was already in the system due to his previous convictions.
Henderson is now additionally accused of the 2021 sexual assault.
He is also accused of a robbery that occurred on September 1, 2021 – one day prior to Fletcher’s kidnapping.
Henderson has admitted to all allegations.
Fletcher was widely recognized in the nearby community as a revered educator and the inheritor of a local business wealth.
Orgill, the hardware supply company based in Memphis, was established by Joseph “Joe” Orgill III, a local entrepreneur and philanthropist, who was the grandson of the 34-year-old individual.
The privately possessed, family-run business is presently estimated at $3.2 billion and employs 5,500 individuals, with the Orgill family being widely acknowledged in the surrounding area.
Orgill, the largest independently owned distributor of hardlines products in the world, describes itself on its website as a company that provides retail services and industry-leading products to over 75,000 retailers across more than 60 countries worldwide, including North America.
Instead of being employed in the family enterprise, though, Fletcher pursued a career as a local preschool educator.
She was wedded to Richard Fletcher III and they had two sons together.
On 2 September 2022, during a heartfelt media briefing, her relatives pleaded for assistance in locating her and proposed a reward of $50,000 for her safe return.
“We believe someone knows what happened and can help,” her uncle Mike Keeney said, as her husband wiped tears from his eyes.
“Above all else, we desire to witness the safe return of Liza to her home.”