Going West: True Crime - Eliza Fletcher // 335

Starting point is 00:00:00 What is going on True Crime fans? I'm your host Teez. And I'm your host, Daphne. And you're listening to Going West. Hello, everybody. Today's case will sound familiar to a lot of you, especially if you live here in the United States because it happened just last September of 2022 and it really captured the nation's attention including me and heats. And at the time we received a ton of recommendations for it and we're following the case very closely, but resolution came so fast. And we just wanted more answers from court hearing so we're finally covering it But thank you to Hannah, Andrea, Alan, Candice, Miranda, Laura and anyone else who recommended her story on social media Whose names we do not have

Starting point is 00:00:57 Yes, thank you guys so much for being here and listening to this episode It is a very very tragic story here and listening to this episode, it is a very, very tragic story. But also, if you guys want to follow us on social media, we are on all platforms. You can follow us on Instagram at GoingWestPodcast, Twitter at GoingWestPod. We also have a Facebook discussion group, and we're looking forward to what you have to say about this case today. Yeah, we have a map on our socials if you guys want like a better visual of this case and where everything everything took place

Starting point is 00:01:26 Everything everything we like to include maps whenever we can it just helps visualize everything But uh, but let's talk about this one. All right guys. This is episode 355 of going west so let's get into it We're tracking this breaking news alert out of Memphis right now of frantic searches underway for this woman Eliza Fletcher. The young teacher believed to have been abducted early this morning. A desperate search for an American school teacher kidnapped in Memphis. And after we actually found information and saw a video with somebody was abducted, then that's going gonna raise the alarm.

Starting point is 00:02:27 Police releasing this surveillance still of 34-year-old Eliza Fletcher, jogging near the University of Memphis campus. University police say that around 4.30 Friday morning, the avid jogger was forced into this dark SUV, following a brief struggle with an unknown man. More than anything we want to see Liza return home safely. Today is a very sad day in the city of Memphis. First I'd like to express our sincere condolences to the family, friends, and numerous others who have been impacted by the tragic and heinous kidnapping of Eliza Fletcher. Yesterday evening, September 5th, at approximately 507 PM, the Memphis Police Department and other law enforcement partners discovered the remains of a body, a human body,

Starting point is 00:03:20 in the rear of a vacant duplex apartment at the 1600 block of Victory Street. At that time, it was believed the unidentified body could possibly be the remains of kidnapping victim Eliza Fletcher. Further forensic investigation, positively identified the body was, in fact, Eliza Fletcher. Eliza Whitewell Ferd was born on November 9, 1987 in Memphis, Tennessee to parents Adele and James, and she grew up alongside a brother named Gil.

Starting point is 00:04:10 Eliza's family were incredibly prominent in the area for their connection to Orgill, which is a worldwide distributor of hardware, building materials, and home improvement supplies, and Eliza herself was one in a direct line of heirs to the Orgill Forchin. Her family founded the company, and then her grandfather, the late Joseph Orgill III, took over running the operations in Memphis, and he was responsible for like, helming its growth from this small regional hardware company to a multi-billion dollar corporation. He worked there for decades before his retirement, but despite Eliza's connection to this very

Starting point is 00:04:50 prosperous family business, she chose a completely different path for herself. After attending and graduating from the prestigious Hutchins & School, Eliza went on to attend the University of Memphis and later transferred to Baylor University. And Baylor is in Texas. Which I literally only know because of College Football. Yes, the Baylor Bears, not that I watched College Football, but so she did move to Texas for a bit. And actually, she was such a gifted athlete that she was even scouted to play soccer

Starting point is 00:05:20 for the University of Memphis. Now, born with a naturally competitive spirit, she loved to play and watch team sports and was an avid runner who competed in multiple marathons and relished group runs with friends. A bit more on her personality, her obituary reads, Liza was a light to all who knew her. Her contagious smile and laughter could brighten any room. Liza was pure of heart and innocent in ways that made her see the very best in everyone she met.

Starting point is 00:05:55 To know her was to love her and to be loved by her. So after graduating from Baylor University, Liza returned to school to obtain her master's degree in teaching at Belmont University. And this school is located in Nashville, Tennessee. Though she could have easily taken a position at Orgill, Eliza chose to pursue her true passion, working with children, so she became a kindergarten teacher. Which I think is pretty cool. Like, instead of going towards a path of security, she decided to follow her heart and what she really wanted to do, which I think is pretty cool. Like instead of going towards a path of security, she decided to follow her heart

Starting point is 00:06:27 and what she really wanted to do, which I feel like a lot of people don't do. They just naturally kind of take over the family business because that's what they feel like they have to do or they feel like that's just kind of the easiest thing to do, but she just love kids so much. She knew she wanted to work with them and not for the family business.

Starting point is 00:06:43 Well, and actually her family wrote that she was endowed with a boundless childlike energy, and she also had infinite patience with her students, and above all, she led with her heart. While attending second Presbyterian church with her family, she met a man named Richard James Fletcher III, and the two began dating. On March 8, 2014, they were married in a lavish fairy tale ceremony that was the toast of Memphis High Society. Her wedding planner even remarked, quote, there has been no other wedding like this in Memphis.

Starting point is 00:07:18 And according to the spread in Memphis magazine, Eliza was an all-natural bride and wanted her wedding to reflect her personality, which was outdoorsy, athletic, and warm. The couple later welcomed two boys described as Ram Bunkshis and Aliza stepped into her new role with grace and pride. As expected, they were an active and outdoorsy family and they loved to go boating, they went on bike rides, hikes, and they loved to go swimming together. So meanwhile as Eliza and Richard enjoyed building their home life together, Eliza's

Starting point is 00:07:50 career was just flourishing. She absolutely adored children, both her own and others, so she started teaching kindergarten at St. Mary's Episcopal School, which was an all-girls school, and she took great pride in making each little girl feel heard and appreciated. Her family recalls that her and Richard's house was constantly adorned with crafts and art projects from her sons and her students, all proudly displayed. Eliza also loved the True Crime genre, and in what feels a bit chilling to look back on now, she posted on her Facebook in 2019 requesting

Starting point is 00:08:25 recommendations for the Best True Crime Podcast to listen to while she runs. Eliza wrote quote, Just six months before her disappearance, she and Richard celebrated eight years of marriage. To mark their anniversary, she penned a heartfelt tribute that read, quote, yesterday marked eight years married to Richard. To say it has all been rainbows, prettiness, Hollywood movies, and easy would be a lie. I'm grateful for every 2,922 days of these eight years. We've worked hard, showed up, failed, forgiven, and loved.

Starting point is 00:09:06 Thank you, Ritchie. Love you. Let's make a beautiful mess of many more years together. Eliza was accustomed to taking daily runs, and she would set out very early in the morning just in an effort to maximize the time she had with her sons. Like if she could run before they woke up, then when they got up, she would have all that time to spend with them. In the late summer of 2022, Eliza was laser-focused on her next fitness goal. She had qualified for the Boston Marathon, which was coming up in April of 2023, and she

Starting point is 00:09:38 was busy training for it. At 4am on Friday, September 2, 2022, Eliza headed out for her run as usual. She loved to run through the manicured lawns of the University of Memphis, and that morning, she took her usual path. This was a path that she knew very well, she ran it all the time. But the morning progressed, and Eliza didn't return from her run. After repeated calls and texts to her cell phone, which she had with her, when unanswered, Richard, her husband, contacted the police. Now Eliza was reported missing around 7am.

Starting point is 00:10:18 Remember, she went out for her run at about 4am, so this is like 3 hours later. And when police arrived to speak with Richard, foul will play was suspected almost immediately. She left on foot with just a water bottle and her phone, and she had no intention of being gone for long. University of Memphis students were warned via a notification sent to their phones that there was a predator in the area and to exercise increased caution. But this of course was before police knew what happened. So they just kind of imagined that something bad had occurred and they wanted to warn everybody in the area to be on the lookout.

Starting point is 00:10:54 Which was actually really, really smart. And I commend them for doing this because they had this foresight to be able to put out this alert even though they didn't really know what was going on. Like they had no idea if there actually was a predator, but they just wanted to cover their bases and be safe. So I really think this was a great idea. Yeah, and it's actually kind of surprising because she was a grown woman. She was out for a voluntary jog, like a run, rather. So it would have been really easy for them to just be like, oh, maybe on a longer run than usual surely she'll be back or maybe she had to go you know stop by somewhere yeah take care of something or whatever yeah but like

Starting point is 00:11:33 which again they could have totally done but you're right it's amazing that they didn't that they jumped on this and warned the public in case it was something worse which they felt like it was. And actually, as squad cars began patrolling Herroute, they came upon a devastating discovery. Eliza's phone and water bottle were discarded in the front yard of a home along Herroute. Her phone screen was shattered, which felt like a clear indication of a struggle. But with these items, they found something else. A pair of champion brand slip-on sandals. So police just scrambled to collect the items and have them forensically process right

Starting point is 00:12:15 away, just hoping that they could still track Eliza down. And I just remember this being such a confusing time in the media because before it was clear exactly what happened to her, like everybody, do you remember this? Everybody was analyzing her husband, Richard's demeanor in news footage of him. I do remember this, yeah. Yeah, they were just like picking his reactions apart because obviously the husband has always looked at first. And it just felt clear to a lot of people that he had to be involved, even though there

Starting point is 00:12:43 wasn't proof at the time. Like speculation was just running rampant, and people were just grasping at straws because they were so obsessed with this story because it was so shocking. You know, that she just went missing, especially with what's to come. Absolutely.

Starting point is 00:12:59 Yeah, and investigators were working extremely quickly and luckily, and what would change everything for the case. they were also able to pull surveillance footage from a nearby building, and to their horror, they were able to pinpoint the exact moment when Eliza vanished, because she was seen being dragged into a car. Now around 4.20am, Eliza was running near the University of Memphis campus when she passed a parked black car. In an instant, a man could be seen emerging from the driver's seat and running aggressively toward her.

Starting point is 00:13:35 A struggle ensued and Eliza fought back against her attacker, but the man was able to overpower her. He then forced her into the passenger's side and the two remained inside the car for about four minutes until it drove off. And that's a long time, Ford, like what was happening in those four whole minutes that they sat there when somebody could have witnessed them, somebody could have been around and seen this occur, but they just sat there for four minutes like what was going on in that car. occur, but they just sat there for four minutes. Like what was going on in that car? Well, I mean, as you can imagine, this is probably where a struggle was occurring.

Starting point is 00:14:10 And you know, the fact that it was 420 in the morning, I think that's why her attacker was so bold in being able to just like grab her like that because at 420 in the morning, it's still very, very early. Yeah, some people may be getting up to go to work, but I think this was just an opportunity for this person. Absolutely, but it's just crazy too, because the fact that there was surveillance footage of this literally happening, her abduction is caught on camera. It's not like, oh, we have footage of her walking past

Starting point is 00:14:41 this business, and then one minute minute later a car speeds past. It's like the abduction is caught on camera. What was this guy thinking? You're in an open public area with cameras. Well, yeah, and what's even more interesting here is that when they did review this footage, investigators also spotted the car drive past her before her abduction. So it seems like he knew that she was the target. So it seemed like he was waiting for her to run past the car so that he could pray on her because he actually did circle back around and then he parked.

Starting point is 00:15:14 His vehicle was also spotted meandering the streets in the same area around 20 minutes prior, as if he were maybe hunting for a victim. So the thing here that's the question is, was it just anybody or was she the one that he was, like, praying on, was it just like anybody walks past or runs past, I'm gonna take him? Well, that was really the question, especially at this point, again,

Starting point is 00:15:39 like I hate to keep bringing up Richard, but people had wondered, did somebody put, or did he put a hit out on her? Was she being targeted? Like, once this footage came out, that is what was going through everybody's minds. Or was this a crime of opportunity, like you mentioned before? But again, like multiple cameras caught this guy. Like, how could he be so stupid?

Starting point is 00:16:01 Luckily he was, but seriously? I'll throw out the old piece of shit. There we go. There you go. So the car that he was driving was determined to be a black 2013 GMC terrain SUV. And though they were able to identify the make and model of the car, they could not make out the full license plate number. However, they were able to note that it had a damaged tail light, which would have set it apart from others.

Starting point is 00:16:28 So please pull the grainy photograph of Eliza's attacker from the footage to release to the public, just in a desperate attempt to find her alive. But they also had another tangible lead. The sandals that were found discarded near Eliza's phone and her water bottle. Which like why were those even there? Yeah, so weird. Like it makes sense for her phone and water bottle, maybe they were thrown out the window just to, you know, get them out of the car

Starting point is 00:16:53 so that, you know, please weren't able to track her phone, you know what I mean? But why the sandals? I don't know, but I'm glad that they were there because they were determined to have male DNA on them, so they were processed immediately to see if there was a match in the system. And guess what? There was.

Starting point is 00:17:09 And because of this DNA that they were able to collect, her husband was cleared before he was really even suspected. Because on the shoe was male DNA from a convicted felon and repeat offender, a Memphis man named Cleotha Abston Henderson. He was already well known to law enforcement and the DNA match was just undeniable. So when detectives discovered this match, they began searching for Cleo-tha and spotted him driving a car that was an exact match to the one that was in the surveillance video, right down to the broken tail light.

Starting point is 00:17:44 And though it was reported that he initially attempted to flee from police, they were able to catch up with him, and on Saturday, September 3, 2022, just over 24 hours after Eliza's abduction, police descended upon Cleotha's brother's apartment and arrested Cleotha for the aggravated kidnapping of Eliza Fletcher. And I just can't believe this happened so quickly, again, because of the shoes. And the fact that they were able to collect the evidence from the shoe

Starting point is 00:18:12 or the DNA from the shoe, and then have it tested and match it in under 48 hours is insane. And just going back to when we were talking about those slides that were found, the strange thing here is that those slides weren't found where she was abducted. They were found in front of somebody's house, in somebody's yard. Because you can imagine, maybe if that was the place of her abduction, that during a struggle,

Starting point is 00:18:38 those slides could have fallen off very easily. But why were they in a different location? Well, it seems like they were probably also tossed from the vehicle. I just don't know why. Like, I can't figure that out. But yeah, that was in a different spot. It was on her route.

Starting point is 00:18:51 We're also going to post a map of the route that she would have taken. It's like a pretty straight line. It would have been a total of an eight mile run, four miles there. And then if she had turned around there, it would be four miles back. And she was abducted like right outside

Starting point is 00:19:06 of the University of Memphis. So obviously, police frantically continued their search for Eliza because at this point, they're hoping that she's still alive somewhere and that Cleofa had not killed her, but the clock is ticking. So the area where she disappeared at this point was just crawling with law enforcement officers

Starting point is 00:19:28 meticulously combing through brush, wildlife areas, dumpsters, and bodies of water, however large or small. And of course, Cleotha just feigned ignorance despite the undeniable evidence linking him to Eliza. Detectives interviewed Mario, Cleoth's brother, whose house Cleotho was actually arrested from, and surprisingly, Mario offered them some helpful information. When asked about his brother's whereabouts

Starting point is 00:19:57 over the past 24 hours, Mario noted something odd. Cleotho had come over the previous morning in the hours immediately following Eliza's kidnapping to clean out his car at his brother's apartment like he'd even washed the clothes that he had been wearing and it took him around an hour to clean out his car. And a witness in the neighborhood that police spoke with also was able to confirm this and said that Cleoza had been acting strangely, just very agitated and paranoid after Eliza's disappearance.

Starting point is 00:20:30 And there is footage of him cleaning out his car. It's kind of off in the distance. You can just see his figure and his car from up the street, but you can see him cleaning it out and see how much time he spent doing that, which I said was around an hour. And Mario agreed that he had been acting really strangely. So because of this, there was reason to believe that there was evidence at Mario's apartment like maybe things that he had taken out of his car and put into his brother's apartment. So police served him with a search warrant, hoping to get their hands on more evidence to

Starting point is 00:21:03 build a case against Cleo-tha. This actually wound up leading to Mario's arrest as well because inside the home, they recovered heroin, fentanyl, and a semi-automatic handgun, which was illegal for Mario to have as a convicted felon. So Mario was arrested and charged with possession of controlled substances with intent to manufacture, deliver, and sell, as well as possession of a firearm. And meanwhile, Eliza's family is in the news and pleading for information for Eliza's safe return, because even though the apprehended Cleotha so quickly, the hours were just pain-staking,

Starting point is 00:21:43 because nobody knew if she was hurt somewhere or if she was already deceased. And as investigators continued stacking evidence against Cleotha, they discovered that the car that he had been driving was not registered to him, but to a woman named Gwendolyn Brown. When questioned, Gwendolyn verified that it was in fact her car, but denied having anything to do with Eliza's abduction. When she was questioned by a local news station, Gwendolyn would not elaborate on the nature of their relationship, but did confirm that she knew Cleo-tha and that the GMC did belong to her. Police also found that her residence had a shattered window, but the cause and whether or not it was related to Eliza's abduction was unknown.

Starting point is 00:22:29 The morning after Cleoth's arrest, which was Sunday, September 4, the Memphis Police Department tweeted that Cleoth had been arrested in connection with Eliza's abduction, and pending more investigation would be charged with kidnapping and tampering with evidence. But there was still no sign of Aliza until the following day. At 5.07 pm on the evening of Monday, September 5, 2022, a body was discovered discarded in the tall grass alongside an abandoned apartment building. This duplex was situated just a thousand feet from Mario's apartment in the long-view garden's apartment complex of South Memphis,

Starting point is 00:23:10 and only about seven miles or 11 kilometers from where she was abducted. A thorough search of the area provided Eliza's purple Lulu Lemon brand running shorts, thrown in the trash nearby. Investigators suspected immediately that the body belonged to her, but they wanted to be sure before they made any announcements. And the following day, it was confirmed by DNA, the police chief announced that sadly,

Starting point is 00:23:36 Aliza had been found. She had died from a gunshot wound to the back of the head, and had also suffered blunt force injuries to her leg and a fractured jaw. In addition to his kidnapping charges and a charge of tampering with evidence, 1 tbc 1 tbc 1 tbc 1 tbc 1 tbc 1 tbc 1 tbc

Starting point is 00:24:14 1 tbc 1 tbc 1 tbc 1 tbc 1 tbc 1 tbc 1 tbc Before that quick break, he explained to us that Aliza had been found with a gunshot wound to the back of her head, along with blunt force injuries to her leg and a fractured jaw. And again, it really is just crazy how this all unfolded,

Starting point is 00:24:46 like within just a couple days of going missing, police found her body and her supposed killer, and even though I wouldn't feel differently if it took years to uncover both, and I know I asked this all the time, but like, what was gained here? It feels like from her cause of death that she was probably killed very quickly,

Starting point is 00:25:04 almost like maybe he panicked and didn't know what to do and It makes me wonder if that happened within the four minutes that they were in the car like I have no idea That has not been released yet and then you just have to wonder like if this wasn't to hit What was the purpose of this? Why did it happen like suddenly in two days two young boys don't have a mom a man man doesn't have a wife, parents don't have a child, and someone's going to prison for life. Yeah, and I think, you know, just in my opinion, and I know this will probably come up in trial, but the fact that her running shorts were found not on her body indicates to me

Starting point is 00:25:42 that the motivation was probably sexual assault. Right, yeah, it could have been for sure. You know what I mean? Especially with what's to come that's definitely possible. And I say someone's going to prison for life. He has not yet. So I'm just saying I see that happening in the future. But it's just so frustrating to look over these details.

Starting point is 00:26:01 And I remember when the case happened happened just knowing that she has these two little boys and it's just all so messed up. So it goes without saying that Memphis mourned the loss of such a vibrant member of their community. And her tight-knit family and especially her beloved husband and her sons just really reeled from the shock of such a sudden and senseless end to a beautiful life. Her family released the following statement, quote,

Starting point is 00:26:31 quote, We are heartbroken and devastated by this senseless loss. Liza was such a joy to so many. Her family, friends, colleagues, students, parents, members of her second Presbyterian Church congregation, and everyone members of her second Presbyterian Church congregation, and everyone who knew her. Now it's time to remember and celebrate how special she was and to support those

Starting point is 00:26:52 who cared so much for her. We appreciate all the expressions of love and concern we have received. We are grateful beyond measure to local, state, and federal law enforcement for their tireless efforts to find Liza and to bring justice to the person responsible for this horrible crime. The deck of the vacant building behind where she was found was quickly adorned with flowers, balloons, teddy bears, and letters with kind words from the community.

Starting point is 00:27:23 Both her school and her church issued a loving statement on her behalf and her school dedicated to performance of this little light of mine to her memory. One week to the day after her abduction and murder, friends, family, and community members gathered to run together along her route. And they entitled this event, Let's finish Liza's run,

Starting point is 00:27:45 and it drew over 2,000 people. And that really just goes to show you how loved and cared for she was in this community if over 2,000 people show up to run this route for her. Yeah, and how shocking it was, like even though Memphis is a city, there's crime in every city, including Memphis, it's still just, like people just couldn't believe that this happened.

Starting point is 00:28:09 So as her family tried to make sense of what had happened, police were focusing on building a case against Cleo-tha, who continued to deny his involvement. But his past crimes were disturbing and plentiful. Cleo-tha's criminal history began when he was just 11 years old and was placed in a juvenile detention center after committing a robbery. And between the ages of 11 and 16, he was arrested 16 more times. So among a plethora of petty crimes, he was also convicted of unlawful possession of a weapon and aggravated assault, and he was also a member of a gang.

Starting point is 00:28:52 At 16, he attacked and raped a man and was placed in custody of the Shelby County Youth Services Bureau. After being with them for six months, he was released back to his mother's custody. And then it just took two weeks for him to offend again, and this time he was tried as an adult. At just 16 years old, Cleoth the kidnap to prominent Memphis defense attorney named

Starting point is 00:29:16 Kemper Durand at gunpoint, and strangely, Kemper actually worked at the same law firm as Eliza's uncle. After shoving him in the trunk of his car, Cleotha drove around to find an ATM in order to have Kemper pull money out for him. When they found one, Cleotha let Kemper out of the car, and he was able to yell for help as he withdrew money. And Cleotha was then arrested. This is just like a crazy, zany scheme done by a 16-year-old.

Starting point is 00:29:47 This time the court was fed up that he had reoffended, and like I said before, he was then tried as an adult. Kemper noted in his victim impact statement that Cleotha felt absolutely no remorse. He was sentenced to 24 years in prison, but he attempted to appeal this charge due to ineffective counsel, but he was denied. He did, however, receive an early release, serving 20 years of his 24-year sentence, and was released in November of 2020. Which means, since he abducted and murdered Eliza less than two years later, if he had served his full sentence, she would probably be alive today. And we've seen this happen in way too many cases where some days in prison, they get released

Starting point is 00:30:31 early and then they end up killing somebody. And it's just so unfortunate every single time. But it also is very telling in this case that, you know, you were just talking about all the crimes that he committed, how many times he was arrested and just throughout his young life. And the fact that after 20 years in prison, that's a long-ass time, that after 20 years, it's, you reoffend, you know, and people like us, people who are not criminals, people who have never been to prison think

Starting point is 00:31:05 why would you do anything that would make you go back and i think that's kind of a normal question ask but it is crazy to think and as we're going to detail as well aliza was not his first crime out of prison so it's this guy is not gonna stop and he should not have been released yeah and also you know the sad thing about this is that like Cleotha and his brother Mario, Cleotha's dad, Cleo Henderson, also has a lengthy criminal record.

Starting point is 00:31:32 And he's also currently serving time for a second degree murder that he committed in 2010. So basically, it's just a family of assholes. We're gonna touch on that too, in a bid, because it gets frustrating. So like I just touched on, Cleotha had a bit of a crime spree actually the day before Eliza's murder. So on Thursday, September 1st, 2022, Cleotha reported to his job which was working for a

Starting point is 00:31:59 cleaning service and that day, he was at the Melco Cordova Cinema Movie Theater. An employee of the movie theater, who was also on duty at the time, noticed later that day that two of her credit cards were missing, and that charges had gone through at two different area gas stations, amounting to over $900. Cleo, who was also seen on surveillance footage at the movie theater wearing the exact same champion brand-sline sandals that were later responsible for linking him to Eliza's abduction and murder.

Starting point is 00:32:32 The movie theater employee reported this incident and Cleoth's manager at the cleaning service confirmed that he was employed by her and that he was there that day. In addition to the charges that he was already facing for his heinous crime against Eliza, new charges of identity theft, theft of property, and credit card fraud were added. And then, another victim of Cleothas came forward, claiming that he had raped her a year before Eliza's abduction and murder, which would have also been after he was released early from prison. Which means that also shouldn't have happened.

Starting point is 00:33:12 So Memphis woman Alicia Franklin met Cleotha, who had simply called himself Cleo on a dating app during the summer of 2021. They chatted back and forth for a few weeks and eventually agreed to meet up. The night they had planned, Cleotha asked Alicia to pick him up from his apartment and when she arrived, he invited her inside. But when she went in, she said she could tell immediately that it was not his apartment, but rather an abandoned residence, the same abandoned residence where Eliza was found. Like he's just loooring her to this place where he can commit a crime against her.

Starting point is 00:33:52 Yeah, so after this, Alicia explains that Cleotha pulled a gun on her and held it to her neck, threatening to kill her if she tried to run away. He then covered her face and forced her into the car where he assaulted her. She tried to break free, but he continued to threaten her with violence if she struggled. Alicia was even four months pregnant at the time, but telling him that didn't deter him at all. Because this guy is a fucking monster obviously. So terrified, Alicia later said quote, I just didn't see him letting me go. Minutes later, he walked her at gunpoint back into the vacant apartment, then he fled,

Starting point is 00:34:31 and Alicia drove herself to the hospital and reported the crime. They did a rape kit on her, and would have easily been able to match Cleo's DNA to the crime, given that, you know, he was already a convicted felon. And that same night, when she was able to speak with police, she was able to offer his first name as he portrayed himself on the dating app, his phone number, and also a description of his car. She also brought them to the crime scene, but somehow they still stalled and fumbled this case.

Starting point is 00:34:59 In fact, his DNA from Alicia's rape was not entered into the national database until after Alisa's body was recovered. So Alicia firmly believes that if due process had been followed then as well, Alisa would still be alive today. So Alisa was failed twice. Yeah, it's unreal. I mean, the fact that Alisa had this happen to her, she had so much information. This wasn't like she was attacked at random like Eliza was. She met this guy on a dating

Starting point is 00:35:32 profile. The dating profile had all of his information, obviously the app had his information, probably his phone number, maybe even his address. And she has his phone number. She has his first name. She has the information that they would need even his DNA and they're still not doing anything with it. And if they had, he could have gone back to prison before he would have ever encountered Eliza. So yeah, she was failed twice with the first time being them releasing him at 20 years and not 24.

Starting point is 00:36:02 Alicia said, quote, they had more than enough evidence that night that they interviewed me to get him off the streets, but they didn't. She even leveled a lawsuit against the city for their handling of the case, but it was unfortunately dismissed by a judge. Alicia and her lawyer are still fighting for retribution from the city. Her lawyer described, quote, from the time of Eliza Fletcher's murder, Alicia Franklin has had trouble sleeping, eating, and working. It is haunted her constantly that,

Starting point is 00:36:34 if I had just pushed the police to do their job, I could have saved her life. Which is so sad because Alicia did everything she could and she is a victim in this too. It's not, it's not on her. It's definitely not on her. So the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation maintains that they still did nothing wrong,

Starting point is 00:36:50 and that it was simply staff shortages that led to the delay. Thankfully, charges for Alicia's rape were added to the charges that he was facing for the assault and murder of Eliza. Which is great, but like, should have happened earlier. Absolutely agree. So as with everything else that he was being accused of,

Starting point is 00:37:07 Cleoth depleted not guilty. But Cleoth's family seems to stand by him when he proclaims his innocence. Of course they would. Yeah. So when a local Memphis news station sought to speak with family members, Cleoth's uncle agreed to be interviewed. And when questioning Cleoth's involvement, the newscaster, referring to his kidnapping charge,

Starting point is 00:37:28 explained, quote, they said he had done it before, to which Cleoth's uncle responded, so I mean, if he did it before, how many years ago? Oh God. Why are they all trash? Well, it gets worse. So despite all of this, his mom, Vergie Abston, also stands by him and believes him when

Starting point is 00:37:47 he says he had nothing to do with it. She told the press, quote, I talked to him and he said he didn't do it. He said, they're trying to put me in some stuff, mom. I believe him. I don't believe he did it. If it comes out of his mouth, that's what I believe. He's just a good person. Kind, lovable. Yeah, such a kind, lovable man who has raped multiple people, committed crimes of assault, and now murder.

Starting point is 00:38:12 And at 16, literally kidnapped a district attorney and put him in the trunk of his car and then drove to an 80. Like, come on. Super lovable, awesome son of yours. I just hate when family members are in denial like this. Like, if he had no prior record and no violent tendencies, it'd be different, but he's been committing crimes most of his life and surely She knows that but if but if he says he didn't do it must not have right? I mean he did 20 years in prison and His mom really my his mom is not saying anything about that, and was arrested 16 times between the ages of 11 and 16 and you think you have this angel child on your hands?

Starting point is 00:38:49 No. No. Well, frustratingly, Virgie claims her son was simply dealt a bad hand and that he was taken advantage of in juvenile detention, not understanding the legalities of what was happening to him and what he should or shouldn't say or do, explaining quote, they held Cleo in the Juve. not understanding the legalities of what was happening to him and what he should or shouldn't say, or do, explaining quote, they held Cleo and the Juve.

Starting point is 00:39:09 They railroaded him, had him sign the papers without no parent around, without our consent. We didn't know he signed no papers, we didn't know nothing. Though police were praised for their prompt response and thorough investigation into Eliza's disappearance, they, rightfully so in my opinion, were also harshly criticized for allowing Cleothe to be released in the first place and for fumbling the brutal rape of Alicia. On January 25, 2023, Cleothe Abston was formally indicted with aggravated kidnapping, first-degree murder, and tampering with evidence. On February 3rd, Klee-Otha, no shock here, pleaded not guilty, but prosecutors countered

Starting point is 00:39:54 with their own surprise. They would be seeking the death penalty. The district attorney released the following statement, quote, The decision comes after careful consideration in conducting a detailed legal review of the facts and circumstances of this case. Before filing the notice, DA Mulroy and members of his team met with Mrs. Fletcher's family regarding this decision. The family supports filing the death penalty notice

Starting point is 00:40:23 and is determined to see that justice is served. This is not a decision taken lightly nor as a matter of course. It is a grave decision involving a punishment I've publicly opposed as a policy matter. But as DA, I must enforce the law despite personal opinion. After careful consideration of the facts in this case and similar cases, I believe this is what justice demands. And this came as a surprise to many, but even the judge himself noted that the murder was

Starting point is 00:40:54 heinous, atrocious, and cruel. In the district attorney agreed, saying, quote, you often see heinous, atrocious, and cruel aggravating factors found in cases in which torture was involved. We are alleging that applies in this case. Because it is now a death penalty trial, Cleoza is entitled to two attorneys as opposed to one, and was just appointed two new council members due to an apparent conflict of interest with his first attorney. As of right now, Cleo is set to appear in court again on September 15th, 2023. The day we're releasing this is August 29th, but a

Starting point is 00:41:31 trial date has not yet been set. So it's hard because there might be one set at his court hearing in a couple weeks from now from when we're recording this, but so we were going to wait, but if there is a trial, it probably won't be until next year. So whenever that does happen, hopefully a lot will come out, maybe he'll even confess a lot more about the crime itself will be released. So we'll just do an update episode then because it'll probably be next year at some point. Alicia Franklin continues to fight for accountability in her case, for her sake, and for Eliza's. According to Eliza's family, she would have been shocked at the impact she had on her community. They wrote in her obituary quote, the outpouring of love and grief would have

Starting point is 00:42:19 surprised Eliza, who never thought or acted as if she were something special, though she certainly was. Thank you so much everybody for listening to this episode of Going West. Yes, thank you guys so much for listening to this episode, and on Friday, we'll have an all new case for you guys to dive into. Remember to follow us on socials, because that is where we will post updates for this case. Obviously, you guys can totally follow it yourselves,

Starting point is 00:42:55 but after his next court hearing in a couple weeks from now, we will go ahead and post that on our socials, whatever happens. If there's any news, like if a trial is set, if you're listening after this and you miss the post, you can also Google it, but hopefully there will be more information out in this case. Like I said, maybe even a confession or more evidence

Starting point is 00:43:15 that just gives the public and of course the family more information on why this happened and how it happened. So stay tuned. All right, guys, so for everybody out there in the world, don't be a stranger. Thank you. you

Going West: True Crime - Eliza Fletcher // 335

There aren't comments yet for this episode. Click on any sentence in the transcript to leave a comment.