MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Friday, Sept. 9, 2022, marked exactly a week since police said Cleotha Henderson abducted Eliza Fletcher while she was on her morning run.
After all of the doom and gloom, people came together to celebrate Fletcher’s life by finishing her run for her on the route that she always took.
“I feel like I was going to decide and I thought I have to finish. This is where it matters most... is to finish it for her,” participant Beth Trouy explained.
It was a senseless murder that led to the beloved jogger’s death, impacting many.
“I used to live right down the street. I used to do that route. I thought of her and I imagined how many times I’ve run that same route,” Trouy expressed. “It was just devastating to me. Even just thinking about her on that route crushes me.”
She was someone’s mother, wife, daughter, niece, teacher, and friend. This hits home for many.
“I was at not such a great place in my life and she was sunshine. Her smile lit up, and she wanted to encourage everybody. We got paired up on a couple of runs. We ended up at the same pace and just really enjoyed getting to know her. She was just a blessing to my soul and a lot of other people as well,” Participant Christy Sales stated.
Many people met at 4 a.m. on Friday on Central Avenue and Belvedere Boulevard in Memphis to run, walk, bike, and jog the same route Eliza took every morning at 4:30.
About 3,000 people locally and in other states signed up to participate across the world at the same time Eliza used to run. Wesley Moss said it was important to show up.
“What you have to understand about men is, she was attacked by a man, so we still have to come and show support because not all men are represented by his actions,” Moss explained. “We have to be greater. We have to think clearer, and instead, he should’ve been out here running with her.”
This run also happened in Texas, where Eliza was a Baylor graduate.