Every run tells a story, and sometimes, those stories take a dark turn. Join me, Alexa, alongside my co-host Cherish, as we intertwine the exhilaration of running with the sobering realities of safety for women in the great outdoors. We kick off with heartfelt personal experiences, celebrating our running milestones, and then pivot to the stark statistics that cast a long shadow over female runners. The conversation gets real as we talk about the practical steps we've taken to stay safe, such as skipping the headphones and bringing my loyal dog Huckleberry for company.
The heart of our episode lies in the tragic tale of Eliza Fletcher, whose passion for running was met with a sinister end on the streets of Memphis. We share the poignant details of her case, from her family's anguish to the relentless efforts of law enforcement. Cherish and I delve into the chilling discovery of evidence, leading to the arrest of Cleotha Henderson, and reflect on the broader implications of his prior criminal record slipping through the cracks of the justice system. It's a stark reminder of the dangers that lurk, and the importance of vigilance and community in seeking justice.
As we emerge from our podcast hiatus, the anticipation for what lies ahead is palpable. We're not just recounting stories; we're forging a space for you to engage with us, sharing your thoughts on the complex web of Henderson's past and the safety of our running paths. Prepare for a season of suspenseful tales, as Cherish and I are back on the trail, uncovering the mysteries that await.
Every run tells a story, and sometimes, those stories take a dark turn. Join me, Alexa, alongside my co-host Cherish, as we intertwine the exhilaration of running with the sobering realities of safety for women in the great outdoors. We kick off with heartfelt personal experiences, celebrating our running milestones, and then pivot to the stark statistics that cast a long shadow over female runners. The conversation gets real as we talk about the practical steps we've taken to stay safe, such as skipping the headphones and bringing my loyal dog Huckleberry for company.
The heart of our episode lies in the tragic tale of Eliza Fletcher, whose passion for running was met with a sinister end on the streets of Memphis. We share the poignant details of her case, from her family's anguish to the relentless efforts of law enforcement. Cherish and I delve into the chilling discovery of evidence, leading to the arrest of Cleotha Henderson, and reflect on the broader implications of his prior criminal record slipping through the cracks of the justice system. It's a stark reminder of the dangers that lurk, and the importance of vigilance and community in seeking justice.
As we emerge from our podcast hiatus, the anticipation for what lies ahead is palpable. We're not just recounting stories; we're forging a space for you to engage with us, sharing your thoughts on the complex web of Henderson's past and the safety of our running paths. Prepare for a season of suspenseful tales, as Cherish and I are back on the trail, uncovering the mysteries that await.
Music hey everyone, Alexa here and welcome to Murder in the Mountains. It has been a long time, but we're back and we have a new co-host, Cherish. Sometimes, and she's in for a treat today. She doesn't know it yet.
Speaker 2:
I'm so excited.
Speaker 1:
I'm glad so. This week's case focuses on a specific type of victim runners.
Speaker 2:
Same sitting. Santu and I have been running quite a bit together, so yes, I have always wanted to be a runner, quote unquote.
Speaker 1:
I'd see those girls like running down the road all effortless and fit as Cherish, and I would call them gazelles. Sometimes we're just plopping along, looking more like well-to-beasts, but it's fine, we'll get there. I was like I want to be you. You know, and I've never played sports growing up and I definitely never just ran for the heck of it. But we're here, we're, I'd say we're runners. Now we're runners.
Speaker 2:
You know it's in. We're well on our way to being runners, for not yet.
Speaker 1:
Exactly so I somehow wrote Cherish into being my running partner and she just ran her first 10K race and I just ran my first half marathon and we have what I feel like are a hundred races already lined up for 2024. So we'll see how they go. And sometimes living in the mountains are runs, aren't just on the road, there in the mountains they're running trail runs. And it doesn't go unnoticed that I am a host of a true crime podcast and have told literal stories about people getting murdered in the woods. And yet here we are running in the woods. So I never go alone. Cherish is insane and has ran the trails alone, but that was before she was also on a true crime podcast, so this may or may not deter her. We shall see.
Speaker 2:
It probably was, but you know we'll see.
Speaker 1:
According to a research study done by Adidas, where an equal number of men and women were surveyed, 9 out of 10, or 92% of women said they feared for their safety while running outdoors. 50% of women said they're afraid of being physically assaulted while running, and only 28% of men said they have the same fear.
Speaker 2:
It's chronically, but as men or a lot schrinder faster like they get away from somebody. So I see the difference.
Speaker 1:
And also men just aren't typically victims of random, you know, just like jump assaults like that, maybe like a mugging or you know other violence, but not like sexual violence or something like that. You know what I mean. That's true. 38% of women say they've experienced physical or verbal harassment while running and over half said they've experienced one of the following 56% said they received unwanted attention, 55% said they have heard sexist comments or received unwanted sexual attention, 53% said they've been honked at and 50% of women said they've been followed, which is terrifying.
Speaker 2:
I think to those statistics are largely based in bigger populations, women that are running in the parks and things like that, because when we trail run we don't come across very many people often, so maybe that's why I'm not as scared to run by myself is because they're few and far between that I come across somebody.
Speaker 1:
Well, that one time that we were running and we got lost very quickly. When we finally got on the right trail, there was this one man and I was like this is it? This is the end. And we did not have Huckleberry with us on that time, of course. So the survey reports that 62% of men know that women have safety concerns about running outdoors, but only 18% of men believe they have a responsibility to help women feel safer while running. So, while a woman running literally anywhere is not her asking to get attacked, any more than a woman being raped while wearing whatever the heck she wants is not her asking for it, there are things that can be done to help increase safety, such as alternating your running routes, being alert and taking in your surroundings and having spatial awareness. Whenever Cherish and I run on mountain trails, we don't wear headphones, against her wishes. Sometimes, when I'm running alone, I only wear one earphone, and in both cases we ring my dog, huckleberry, who runs ahead of us and checks the trail and will absolutely alert if there's anybody.
Speaker 2:
He probably doubles, triples the miles that we run, but he keeps us safe. He does keep us safe.
Speaker 1:
So, as we know, even when you do everything in your power to keep yourself safe, killers are going to kill. It's just what they do, and we're going to talk about one such case today.
Speaker 2:
Let's get into it.
Speaker 1:
Eliza Fleckscher was a 34-year-old mother of two boys and wife to Richard Fleckscher. The third, her grandfather, was Joseph Orgill or Orgill not sure how you pronounce it, sorry the third, who founded the Memphis hardware supply company named, of course, orgill or Orgill, however you pronounce it. Fleckscher is worth $3.2 billion and, according to its website, is the world's largest independently owned hardline distributor, providing retailers across North America and in more than 60 countries throughout the world access, over 75,000 products and industry-leading retail services. So kind of a big deal. And instead of joining the family business, however, eliza became a locally beloved kindergarten teacher and also an avid marathon runner. As many people, especially working mothers, have to do. Eliza got up early to be able to squeeze in her run. Her usual run time was 4 am. Cherish and I are both busy mothers and I don't think you would ever and I think it's safe to say never catch us getting up that early to run.
Speaker 2:
Yeah you about could not pay me enough money to get up and run. At four o'clock. I struggle to get out of bed and get the kids to school. I hate a clocking change.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, so props to those who can and do, because that's just a dedication that I do not have. So on the morning of September 2nd 2022, eliza whose family and friend called her Eliza headed out to run her usual route near the University of Memphis campus in Memphis, tennessee. Eliza had a bright clothes a bright pink top and bright purple shorts and began her usual 8.2 mile route. When Eliza didn't return home from her run by 7 am and she couldn't be reached by phone, her husband, richard, reported her missing. Upon filling out the missing person's report, police got to work trying to locate Eliza Flexure, which is amazing, because a lot of times we hear she's an adult. She's allowed to go missing or wait 48 hours or whatever excuse departments use.
Speaker 2:
I was going to say this 48 hour one. I'm surprised that they didn't pull back.
Speaker 1:
And I'm glad they didn't. I mean, it's just crazy Anyway, but I'm glad her husband reported her missing quickly and the police jumped on it. So they began looking at surveillance footage along the route and what they found was disturbing to say the least. At 4.20 am, cameras show Eliza being forcefully dragged into a black GMC terrain with a busted tail. Light Footage also shows the same vehicle multiple times in the 5 am hour, and they were able to get a partial plate. When investigators went to the scene of the abduction, they found a shell casing and a pair of champion brand slides and were able to get DNA off of it. So it looks like the slides were kicked off during a struggle.
Speaker 2:
Who are the slides to kidnap somebodies?
Speaker 1:
Doesn't seem like a great part of the uniform. I mean, dexter has a killing uniform, I guess. Maybe he wasn't thinking about it, I don't know.
Speaker 2:
I was going to say, maybe it wasn't planned, maybe they just seen her. It was like I slept. I slept, we kicked my slides off.
Speaker 1:
They did see the same car, kind of patrolling the area, if you will, before he abducted Eliza, so it's like he was just strolling the streets looking for a victim, so but I'm happy that he lost his slides. It's great for the case. So they were able to get DNA off of the shoes and they also found Eliza's water bottle and cell phone at the scene. When detectives ran the DNA on the slides they got a max to a man named Cleotha Henderson, also known as Cleotha Abston. Lucky for the police he was a convicted felon, so his DNA was in the system. Like, what a lucky break. Glad you lost your shoes, buddy.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, he didn't think that went through. I don't think.
Speaker 1:
And we're happy about that. So in only 24 hours after Eliza disappeared, investigators closed in on Henderson when US Marshals spotted an SUV matching the description of the suspects the partial plate and the busted tail light, and all in a parking lot close to Henderson's home. When they approached him, he fled but was quickly caught and interrogated. But he wasn't talking. He would not tell anyone what happened to Eliza, but the evidence against him was far from circumstantial. Cell phone data also placed Henderson at the scene of the abduction and the champion's slides found at the scene were tied to him through both DNA evidence and surveillance footage, as we discussed, and there was blood found in the SUV that matched Eliza's.
Speaker 2:
Oh, no, eliza, though Correct.
Speaker 1:
No Eliza. Witnesses, including Henderson's own brother, said that they saw him behaving oddly, washing his clothes in the sink and also cleaning out his SUV, including shampooing the carpets, the day of the abduction. On September 4th 2022, two days after Eliza's flexure was reported missing, cleota Henderson was charged with especially aggravated kidnapping and tampering with evidence, theft of property under $1000 in fraudulent use of a credit card. He was held on a $500,000 bail and scheduled to appear in court on September 6th. While all of this is going on, behind the scenes, volunteers and police were searching the area for any sign of Eliza. They were searching parks, bodies of water, dumpsters, you name it.
Speaker 1:
Just after 5pm on September 5th, three days after Eliza went missing, police noticed tire marks in tall grass leading to a vacant apartment not far from Henderson's brother's home and where he was seen cleaning the car. When approached, detectives immediately smelled the distinctive scent of decomposition and they found Eliza's body. Police discovered the pink shirt and purple shorts Eliza was seen wearing the day of her abduction in a trash can nearby. Once the body of Eliza flexure was discovered, cleota Henderson was charged with first degree murder and first degree murder and perpetration of a kidnapping, and his bail was revoked. So now that we know he's a murderer, let's talk about exactly who Cleota Henderson is. At the time of his murder, cleota was 38 years old, but this was far from his first crime. In fact, less than two years prior to his murder, henderson had just been released from prison after serving 19 years for kidnapping. So just note that that puts him at 18-19 years old when he went to prison for kidnapping.
Speaker 2:
So he's basically spent majority of his adult life in prison for kidnapping gets out and is like, hey, let's see if I can get away with it this time.
Speaker 1:
Correct. So no rehabilitation, it seems, was done those almost 20 years behind bars. From the age of 11, he was in the juvenile system and was known to be part of the Lemoine Garden gangsters gang, also known as LMG. Between 1995 and 2000, he was arrested 16 times, including for the alleged rape of a man when he was 14. Theft, aggravated assault and unlawful possession of a weapon At the age of 16, he kidnapped a man at gunpoint, which is what finally put him away for the 19 years.
Speaker 2:
So he didn't just target women, it was mid and women vote.
Speaker 1:
Correct Equal opportunity.
Speaker 2:
Okay.
Speaker 1:
On May 24, 2000, around 2 am, Henderson approached Kemper Durand, who was an attorney, in his vehicle. He got out and forced him into the trunk of his car. He then drove Durand around for several hours before taking him to an ATM where he robbed him. He was saved when he yelled for help from a passerby, causing Henderson to flee the scene. Cleo the Henderson was later arrested and pleaded guilty in 2001 to especially aggravated kidnapping. He was sentenced to 24 years in prison and was released in November 2020 after serving 19 years.
Speaker 2:
That's a really long time and then just to get out and do it again. But I was also thinking. I have listened to several other podcasts and a couple of the stories that I've listened to recently have been about these younger kids, and you mentioned that he was part of a gang. I feel like that's kind of a running trend when it comes to acts of violence like that. It's like almost a rite of passage into some of these gangs. It's weird.
Speaker 1:
A lot of gangs will have like an initiation and you have to do basically whatever the higher ups tell you to do like a specific crime in order to get officially initiated. I don't know if that's raping another man or I mean I don't know how they're picking to use what the you know crime is. But he was 14 when he did that, so that very well could have been an initiation crime, but that's wild to be if that was his first crime to be a first crime.
Speaker 2:
I don't know. I definitely agree. All right, I agree.
Speaker 1:
So, even though he got out early, an even earlier release date was denied after the victim told police he believed Henderson has shown absolutely no remorse for the crime. He was just, you know, cold-blooded, didn't care. During his time behind bars, prison records show that Henderson was accused of 19 separate instances of indecent exposure, so obviously he has a problem.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, clearly there's something going on. There's like a misfire or something. But also to have that many incidents as in prison and they're still like we'll let you out early.
Speaker 1:
Exactly so. This is also infuriating. One year after his release and one year before Fletcher's murder, henderson allegedly raped a woman in September of 2021. Alicia Franklin claims that she met Henderson on a dating app in 2021 and they made plans to go to dinner. He then held her at gunpoint, blindfolded her and threatened to kill her before forcing her into the back seat of his car where he raped her. Alicia Franklin reported the assault to police immediately and did a rape kit, but Henderson was not arrested at the time because of a long delay in processing the rape kit.
Speaker 2:
I feel like delay or not, with his past history, those accusations like he should have at least been obtained and can't? That's just crazy to me.
Speaker 1:
I mean they can only keep you for like 48 hours, I think without cause, even though I mean cause would be I identified him. I feel like, even if you don't have the DNA I don't know, I'm not a lawyer, I don't know how it works but I feel like a ID and like, hey, I have him on my dating app, this is him, this is who I met. It's not like a stranger, you know what I mean. Like could have been enough. I don't have any idea, but the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said it generally takes between 33 and 49 weeks for a rape kit to be tested and reports that the lab in Jackson, Tennessee, receives on average 350 sexual assault requests each month, which contributes to the long wait times.
Speaker 2:
That is absolutely insane to me, that wait time Like, oh somebody raped me, but now I have to wait this extended period of time to see any kind of justice and prove that it actually happened. That's crazy.
Speaker 1:
That is crazy because there's what? 52 weeks in a year, so it's like almost an entire year.
Speaker 2:
You spend an entire year looking over your shoulder.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, Like he didn't kill me, but he very well, could you know, and that time does shut me up, come after me.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, exactly, come after me to shut me up, to make sure that I can't tell my story.
Speaker 1:
So Henderson's DNA was in the system from his prior convictions, but her alleged rapist DNA was not entered into the National Law Enforcement Database until September 5th 2021, which was three days after Eliza Fleckscher's abduction Literally three days later. Had it been three days earlier, she may still be alive.
Speaker 2:
Could have absolutely been prevented.
Speaker 1:
So he was charged for the 2021 rape. You know like, once he was arrested for Eliza and all that came to you know be. He was also charged for a robbery, which took place on September 1st 2021, which was one day before Fleckscher's abduction. He pled guilty to all charges not Eliza's, but the rape of Eliza and the robbery. But Eliza Franklin, to put it lightly, is furious. She said not a day goes by that she doesn't think about how Eliza's murder could have been stopped if there wasn't such a long wait time to process rape kits. But one good thing did come out of this On September 29th 2022, legislation was passed that said that 25 additional forensic texts would be hired immediately to help aid in the faster turnaround time of sexual assault kits, so that, hopefully, crimes like the murder of Eliza Fleckscher can be prevented.
Speaker 2:
Is that just in Tennessee, I wonder, or I wonder if that's like in each state.
Speaker 1:
I'm pretty sure it's just Tennessee, but there, you know, should be legislation because nationwide, yeah, because I wouldn't say that. I mean I feel like that'd be a lot of money to have 25 in every state, but I mean I don't know there should be, because this is nuts.
Speaker 2:
I mean, maybe some other states are better about getting them back quicker. I don't know, maybe that's something we should look into for another podcast is how quickly other states get stuff like that back.
Speaker 1:
I've always heard that there's like a backlog and stuff and obviously it's not like TV where they're just like beep, boop, beep, there's a match, you know it's. I mean, it takes forever and obviously if there was something that could have been done I guess to catch Henderson they would have. It's still infuriating because it was literally three days after.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, that would literally be alive if I knew that I had reported something and then they just took forever and forever, and forever to process it. And then, three days before your stuff comes back, somebody else falls victim to the same person.
Speaker 1:
Exactly so. Back to Eliza. In autopsy determines she suffered two blunt force traumas to her right leg and was shot in the back of her head from an indeterminate range. So I, but nothing I like saw said anything about her being sexually assaulted, which was interesting. I wonder if that was. Maybe this is all speculation under if maybe that was his intention, but she fought like heck and he ended up having to kill her before he got the chance. You know what I mean.
Speaker 2:
Like she tried to run away from him or something, and that's why she was shot from pond.
Speaker 1:
Exactly, and why, you know, because she had trauma to her legs, you know her head, like everything. So I feel like he got her into the car and maybe she was just he could not overpower her the way he hoped and so he didn't get the chance. Because it's just interesting that he raped Alicia. Franklin had attempted to rape another man, had the indecent exposure, so obviously he has sexual aspects to his crimes, but nothing I read show that anything like that happened to Eliza.
Speaker 2:
She probably really did put up a fight then, considering the history and he lost his slides.
Speaker 1:
Let us not forget that, literally, he came out of his shoes, so it was not an easy just snack and grab, you know. Then, january 25, 2023, henderson was indicted by a grand jury on charges of first-degree murder, aggravated kidnapping and tampering with evidence, and he pled not guilty during his arraignment on February 3, 2023. During a hearing in court on July 6, 2023, judge Lee Coffey and Shelby County DA Steve Mulroy filed notice with the court that prosecutors will seek the death penalty against Cleotha Henderson. As of this recording, no trial date has been set, but the judge promised to set a date by the end of this year, 2024. I'm not going to say that this case is a slam dunk by any means, because I'm not an attorney, but the evidence is overwhelming and just a disclaimer, cleotha Henderson is considered innocent until proven guilty. I'm just reporting the facts as they have been presented.
Speaker 2:
So for all of the evidence that they have and his history and all of the things, and for him to still plead not guilty.
Speaker 1:
They do that all the time, I guess I don't know why. A lot of times they'll plead guilty to take the death penalty off the table, you know. So they know that they're going to get life. Maybe you know, but if they're found guilty they'll get death. So sometimes that happens, but as far as I know that has not happened this time.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, maybe he's hoping to lesser his sentence by pleading not guilty, but I don't know. That's just weird to me.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, that's just. And then he pled guilty to the other, you know to Alicia Franklin and to the robbery, but not to Eliza Fletcher. But that's his right.
Speaker 2:
Where the evidence was astronomical. Like you lost your sides, my God.
Speaker 1:
Correct. I mean they have his DNA in both Alicia's and Eliza's, you know. But you know it's his right. If he wants to get a child, let him get a child, you know.
Speaker 2:
Don't see it playing in his favor, but we shall see. We'll definitely have to keep up with this one.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, I will let everybody know any updates that I see come along.
Speaker 1:
But the brutal murder of a mom of two and kindergarten teacher, and yet another woman murdered while running, sparked a lot of outrage because, to put it bluntly, it is BS that women have to live in fear when leaving the house to run, jog or do literally anything. So to support Eliza Fletcher and female runners everywhere, groups of women gathered in different Tennessee towns, such as Memphis, nashville and Chattanooga, to honor Eliza Fletcher and a run they named let's Finish Eliza's Run. Many of them wore pink shirts and purple shorts and they started the run at 4.20 am when Eliza was abducted and ran 8.2 miles, her typical distance. One organizer, danielle Heinemann, said we want to stand up and say it's okay for women to run at 4 o'clock in the morning and it's okay for women to run in whatever type of clothing they feel comfortable in. She said we shouldn't have to be shunned to running on a treadmill or have to run with a man. I also wanted to finish what Eliza started, which is to finish her run, and that is the case of Eliza Fletcher.
Speaker 2:
I don't know if you can see it, but I literally have cold chills like that warmest my heart. It's such a tragic thing that happened to her, but it's awesome that it brought women together and I wonder if that's a run that they're going to continue to do, like do an annual run for her, because if so, we definitely need to sign up for it.
Speaker 1:
I thought the exact same thing. That I mean, because we're not that far from Tottenuga, we could just, you know, pop on over and I would absolutely do that run, because, I mean, this was just two years ago. I mean not even because it's just now 2024. So absolutely insane. But it would definitely be interested to see if that's an annual thing, because I agree I would 100% be for supporting that.
Speaker 2:
In your end all of our lady friends that are listening. If you ever want to run with this, you're always more than welcome. It will keep us from running alone, so maybe we don't get snatched.
Speaker 1:
Yes, well, yes, always run with a buddy, but that's like what? That's. What they're saying is like we shouldn't have to, you shouldn't have to, which is true, but also, I just enjoy running with a buddy because it makes it suck a lot less.
Speaker 2:
That makes it a lot less miserable. I know that the few times that I ran without you I'm like it's just stupid. But you are correct, it shouldn't be that way in an ideal world. It wouldn't be that way. In an ideal world you could let your kids go ride their bicycle up and down the street like you used to could. But with times have changed, people change and it's crazy out there.
Speaker 1:
Cherish and I had planned to do this trail run. It was a 10 K trail run and, just you know, super convenient. Her baby got sick and she wasn't able to join. It was pouring rain I mean pouring rain, monsooning, essentially. So the trail was a creek, my feet were soaked and I was like you know what. I don't even think Cherish being here would have made this better, but maybe a little bit. All the other runners that left me definitely did not make a thing.
Speaker 2:
Not gonna lie, I was not upset about missing her on that one. It was cold, it was rainy. The pictures and videos you showed me tip for 10, did not look like a good time.
Speaker 1:
But by golly she got a T-shirt because she'd already paid for it. She better not even wear that T-shirt. She didn't earn it. She didn't earn it. Yeah, I would die. But we do have lots planned, including keeping up the podcast. We did take quite the hiatus off, but you know we're here, we're back and better than ever. I'm just gonna say We'll see.
Speaker 2:
Well, I'm excited to be on with you. I look forward to future podcasts. Every time we run just disclaimer Every time we run we're like little psycho pasts in the woods because we talk about murder mysteries, like we'll be running, we'll be three miles in and I'll be like did you hear about this one? So that's what we do we talk about murder mysteries, we run and I enjoy it.
Speaker 1:
Well, everybody, if you want to let us know your thoughts on this case, on Cherish, you know. If you want to say she sucked, say she sucked. If you have not yet. If you want to leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, give a five star rating and I will post pictures on our Instagram at Murder in the Mountains and come back next week for a new episode. See ya.