MEMPHIS, Tennessee — The Eliza Fletcher case is still fresh in the minds of family and people who live in homes near where she was found deceased.
Suspect Cleotha Henderson is facing a 1st-degree murder and kidnapping charges.
“It’s been emotional and it hurts because it could have been anyone of us. She’s a mother of two small kids,” said Memphis mother who regularly visits the neighborhood. "Then my sister-in-law’s grandbaby, she taught her.”
The St. Mary’s junior kindergarten teacher's abduction and murder has chilled not only people in the mid-south but around the world.
“I’ve been out here ever since I found out that she was missing,” said the Memphis mother.
Fletcher’s kidnapping hit the Memphis mom hard. She felt like she and her goddaughter had to do something, both requesting to remain unnamed.
“My god mom just kept saying you need to check the abandoned houses and yall need to check the grave sites,” said the goddaughter.
The Memphis mom and her goddaughter said they too searched the area for Fletcher on Sunday, Sept. 4, unknowingly pulling up in the driveway of a home close to where Fletcher's body would be found just one day later.
“I pulled in this very driveway Sunday, and my goddaughter was like don’t get out the car. It’s too dark,” recalled the Memphis mom.
“We pulled into the driveway not knowing this is where the lady was, and my god mom was like do you want to get out here and check over?" the goddaughter said. "I was like no. I was scared.”
Authorities found Fletcher's body after nearly 3 full days of searching with K9 dogs, air units, authorities in armored trucks, and help from the FBI and TBI.
“She told them to check and I’m guessing they didn’t," said the goddaughter. "It really hits home because we were in the driveway where this lady was. If it was me, I would want somebody to know.”
Now, both the Memphis mom and her goddaughter are asking that the abandoned homes be torn down and the grass on the properties be cut and maintained.
“They need to cut all this grass down," the goddaughter said. "All these abandoned houses, they need to get rid of them.”
They said grass in some yards has grown to over 6 feet tall, and it gives suspected murderers an easy spot to hide their crimes.
Walker Homes neighbor Mary Murphy has also decided to fight against poorly maintained lots, hoping to put an end to the problem before things get worse in her community.
“Did somebody have to die to get a bright light shown on it?” questioned Murphy. "This woman has lost her life on a piece of property that you knew, somebody knew that it was abandoned.”
The city confirmed that neighbors have been calling about abandoned homes and lots on Victor St. for years.
The women said these abandoned houses are havens for crime and an attraction for suspected murderers to dump bodies.
They’ve had enough.
“The city needs to do better," said the Memphis mother. "As far as, if people got property and they can’t get their taxes paid, demolish.”