Tag: Shelby County

Kemper Bartlett Durand was a multifaceted American lawyer, artist, and musician born in Wisconsin. He had a prominent career, working as an assistant U.S. attorney and performing as a drummer. Durand faced a serious kidnapping incident in 2000 but advocated for leniency for his youthful abductors. He passed away in 2013.

Cleotha Henderson, an American from Memphis, has a criminal history involving theft and assault. He was sentenced to 24 years for aggravated kidnapping, released in 2020, but later allegedly committed rape and theft. In 2024, he received an 80-year sentence for kidnapping and raping Alicia Franklin and pleaded guilty to first-degree murder of Eliza Wellford Fletcher.

Eliza Wellford Fletcher was a teacher and accomplished athlete from Memphis, Tennessee, who was abducted while jogging on September 2, 2022. She was later found murdered. Her abductor, Cleotha Abston Henderson, was arrested and subsequently convicted of her kidnapping and murder, along with prior crimes.

Katherine Estes Potts Wellford was a prominent Memphis figure involved in community and Republican Party activities from the 1960s to 1970s. A Mary Baldwin College graduate and mother of five, she held various leadership roles and contributed to local organizations. She passed away in December 2014, leaving a lasting legacy.

Michael Eugene "Mike" Keeney is a Memphis lawyer and mediator. He graduated from Lambuth College and the University of Tennessee College of Law. Active in local boards, he supported political campaigns and participated in discussions on airport improvements.

Justin Smith Jr., a former Memphis police officer born in 1995, was involved in the January 2023 death of Tyre Nichols. He was fired, arrested, and charged with multiple offenses, including second-degree murder. Smith faced federal charges for excessive force and was found guilty of obstruction of justice, with sentencing scheduled for January 2025.