>They say we're not allowed to talk about this. Well, too bad!!

WE'RE NOT ALLOWED TO TALK ABOUT TRUMP EITHER SO THAT MEANS EVERYTHING WE
SAY IS TRUE.

THAT MAY BE TRUE BUT TRUMP WAS BLOWING OTHER MEN DURING THE 1970S TO STOP
BEING DRAFTED AND SENT TO VIETNAM. IT'S SAID THAT TRUMP HAS A PRETTY
GOOD TECHNIQUE AND GIVES GOOD HEAD.

HE CALLED IT HIS 'PERSONAL VIETNAM'. HE GOT VD FROM DOZENS OF NEW YORK
CITY RENT BOYS.

TRUMP, A WIFE BEATER, ALSO HAS AIDS FROM SEXUAL ACTIVITY DURING THE
1980S, ANOTHER ONE OF HIS 'PERSONAL VIETNAMS'.

Trump once said that avoiding STDs in his dating life in the '80s was
his �personal Vietnam."

Rating: Correct Attribution

Ahead of the 2024 U.S. presidential election, a comment made by former
U.S. President Donald Trump in the 1990s resurfaced on social media. On
Aug. 8, 2024, a post on X claimed that Trump had once referred to
avoiding sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) as his "personal Vietnam."

The post, which had been viewed 662,400 times as of this writing,
featured a 25-second clip from Trump's 1997 appearance on Howard Stern's
radio show. In the clip, Stern interviewed Trump, then a New York real
estate mogul, about his sexual escapades.

It is true that Trump made this remark comparing his avoidance of STD's
to "his personal Vietnam" during his appearance on "The Howard Stern
Show." As such, we rate this claim as "Correct Attribution."

A longer version of the clip has also been posted to YouTube.

In the video, Trump is seen in a studio being interviewed by Stern along
with his co-host Robin Quivers, with the two men joking about surviving
the '80s with their sexual health intact. During the conversation, Stern
first compared the situation to the Vietnam War, a comparison that Trump
echoed. Here is a transcript of that exchange:

Howard Stern: Now, getting back to dating, right? And when you gotta
say to a woman, "Hey, listen, you gotta go to my personal doctor, and I'm
gonna have you checked out," is that a tough thing to say to a woman, or
you just got the b***s to say it?

Donald Trump: You know? I tell you, it's amazing. I can't even
believe it. I've been so lucky, in terms of that whole world.

Howard Stern: You've never gotten a social disease.

Donald Trump: It is a dangerous world out there. It is scary. It's
like Vietnam, sort of like, you know, the Vietnam era.

Howard Stern: It is. It is your personal Vietnam.

Donald Trump: It is my personal Vietnam.

Howard Stern: You've said that many times.

Donald Trump: I feel like a great and very brave soldier.

In an earlier 1993 interview with Stern, the two men discussed Trump's
dating life during the 1980s' AIDS crisis. According to a 2016 BuzzFeed
News report:

"You know, if you're young, and in this era, and if you have any
guilt about not having gone to Vietnam. We have our own Vietnam. It's
called the dating game," he said during a discussion of Trump's well-
publicized germaphobia and the ongoing AIDs epidemic.

"It's pretty dangerous out there Robin. It's like Vietnam," Trump
said earlier in the interview.

"It is, it is," Stern said. "The dating scene is like Vietnam."

"Dating is like being in Vietnam," Trump said. "You're the equivalent
of a soldier going over to Vietnam."

Stern reflected on his 1997 radio interview with Trump in his 2019 memoir
"Howard Stern Comes Again," transcribing it on page 132, and affirming
that he was the one who first brought up Trump's "personal Vietnam," with
Trump repeating the line.

In a 2019 interview with ABC News' George Stephanopoulos, Stern recalled
his 1997 conversation with Trump, acknowledging that it was a tongue-in-
cheek, "joking scenario," not meant to imply that Trump was seriously
comparing his experiences to those of Vietnam veterans. The reference is
at the 1 minute, 30-second mark of the interview:

Trump, now 78, is running for another shot at the presidency in the
November 2024 election. Although he did not serve in the military, Trump
was of age during the Vietnam War era when males 18 and older were
eligible for the draft. He obtained four student draft deferments while
attending college, and was later disqualified from serving, except in a
time of war or national emergency, due to bone spurs in both heels. We
confirmed Trump's deferment history via Selective Service records
obtained from the U.S. National Archives by The Smoking Gun in 2011.

Snopes has previously reported on interviews conducted by Stern,
including fact-checking his recent interview with President Joe Biden,
and Trump's admission to Stern that he entered changing rooms of beauty
pageant contestants.
Sources:

- YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqJ2kCszGZc. Accessed 12 Aug.
2024.

---. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZCAupYSINI. Accessed 12 Aug. 2024.

"Donald Trump." Howard Stern, 2 Dec. 1997.

"---." Howard Stern, 2 Dec. 1997.

"Donald Trump Calls Avoiding STDs His 'Personal Vietnam.'" Peoplemag,
https://people.com/politics/trump-boasted-of-avoiding-stds-while-dating-
vaginas-are-landmines-it-was-my-personal-vietnam/. Accessed 12 Aug. 2024.

Donald Trump on the Howard Stern Show (January 11, 1993).
https://www.trumponstern.com/episode/auto-draft-32/. Accessed 12 Aug.
2024.

Kaczynski, Andrew. "Trump, Comparing Sex to Vietnam, Said in 1998 He
Should Receive the Congressional Medal of Honor." CNNMoney, 14 Oct. 2016,
https://money.cnn.com/2016/10/14/media/trump-stern-vietnam-
stds/index.html.

---. "Trump, Comparing Sex to Vietnam, Said in 1998 He Should Receive the
Congressional Medal of Honor." CNNMoney, 14 Oct. 2016,
https://money.cnn.com/2016/10/14/media/trump-stern-vietnam-
stds/index.html.

Kaczynski, Nathan McDermott, Andrew. "Trump In 1993 On Dating And STDs:
'The Equivalent Of A Soldier Going Over To Vietnam.'" BuzzFeed News, 28
Apr. 2016, https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/natemcdermott/trump-in-
1993-the-dating-scene-is-like-vietnam.

Krause, Alan. "Trump Dishonors the Military." Wednesday Journal, 9 July
2024, http://www.oakpark.com/2024/07/09/trump-dishonors-the-military/.

News, A. B. C. "Radio Legend Howard Stern Recalls Interviewing Trump:
'There Was No Filter.'" ABC News,
https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Culture/radio-legend-howard-stern-recalls-
interviewing-trump-filter/story?id=62993823. Accessed 9 Aug. 2024.

@RonBrownstein. X, 7 Aug. 2024,
https://x.com/RonBrownstein/status/1821209176363634725.

Stern, Howard. Howard Stern Comes Again. Simon and Schuster, 2019.

Tsintziras, Aya. "Donald Trump Revealed Truths About His Dating Life
During Scandalous Interviews With Howard Stern." TheThings, 3 Apr. 2024,
https://www.thethings.com/donald-trumps-dating-scandal-howard-stern-
interviews/.

"X.Com." X (Formerly Twitter),
https://x.com/KamalaHQ/status/1821715557395071238. Accessed 12 Aug. 2024.

A 10-year-old boy was arrested after recklessly driving a stolen vehicle across a crowded playground in north Minneapolis, nearly striking several children.

It happened Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, and the boy was booked into the Hennepin County Juvenile Detention Center on Thursday, Oct. 3 for probable cause second-degree assault.

Surveillance video captured the moment as Nellie Stone Johnson School staff worked frantically to move children out of the way of the juvenile driver, who swerved across the grass and sidewalk between the school and playground. Fortunately, no children were injured during the incident.

Police records reveal that the boy, whose identity is withheld due to his age, has an extensive history of criminal activity. Since May 2023, he has accumulated over 30 police entries including multiple arrests related to auto theft. He is also a suspect in more than a dozen other cases, ranging from robbery to assault with a dangerous weapon. The remaining entries primarily involve cases related to running away, police said.

Police officials expressed concern over the boy’s involvement in the dangerous crimes, especially at such a young age, and called for immediate intervention.

“It is unfathomable that a 10-year-old boy has been involved in this level of criminal activity without effective intervention,” Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said.

“Prison is not an acceptable option for a 10-year-old boy. But the adults who can stop this behavior going forward must act now to help this child and his family. This is only one example of the revolving door we're dealing with – arresting and re-arresting the same juveniles for auto-theft and other violent crimes. This is a complex issue, and we need every entity involved in intervention to come together immediately to establish short- and long-term solutions,” O’Hara said.

According to O’Hara, the boy’s family is cooperating with police and has asked for assistance in preventing further incidents.

The case remains under investigation as authorities assess the extent of the boy’s possible involvement in other crimes.

https://www.mncrime.com/latest/10-year-old-arrested-for-driving-stolen-car-on-school-playground

https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/604ba665d1f85a206a639c14/171750e5-cdac-4916-a29e-b57345ab3777/Marquises+Trevone+Hammonds-Ford.png?format=1500w
via Hennepin County Sheriff's Office

A 29-year-old man has been sentenced to 6½ years in prison for his role in a Minneapolis shootout that left off-duty firefighter Joseph Johns dead.

Marquise Trevone Hammonds-Ford, of Monticello, entered a guilty plea on Oct. 1, 2024, for one count of prohibited possession of a firearm.

As part of the plea, more serious charges of first-degree riot resulting in death and possession of a machine gun were dismissed.

Hammonds-Ford’s sentence was an upward departure from the guidelines, though still significantly lower than the maximum allowed, with the court citing the seriousness of his actions—specifically, firing a weapon multiple times in a crowded area.

While forensic evidence showed that Hammonds-Ford did not fire the bullet that killed Johns, investigators determined that he played a significant role in the incident by shooting into the air over a group of people, which escalated the confrontation into a deadly exchange of gunfire. It occurred near a bar in the northernmost section of the Seward neighborhood early Sunday, May 5, 2024.

Officers later found 63 bullet casings near the scene and determined seven different guns had been used in the gunfight.

The criminal complaint noted that investigation into the other suspects responsible for Johns’ death is ongoing.

Johns served as a firefighter in Eden Prairie and Eagan and was off-duty at the time. He had been at a nearby bar for a private party. Johns was attempting to direct traffic during the incident when he was struck by a bullet. Witnesses confirmed that he was not involved in any of the altercation leading up to the shootout.

https://www.mncrime.com/latest/man-sentenced-for-minneapolis-gunfight-that-killed-off-duty-firefighter

https://bringmethenews.com/.image/ar_266:100%2Cc_fill%2Ccs_srgb%2Cg_faces:center%2Cq_auto:good%2Cw_2560/MTkzODE4NjY2Nzc1NjE5MDEx/plymouth-suspects.webp
Left: Augustus Matthew Sirleaf Jr., 19, of Plymouth, and Right: Hans Madave, 19, from New Hope. Courtesy of Plymouth Police Department.

A 17-year-old Albertville boy had intended to purchase a pair of designer sneakers when he was fatally shot in a premeditated robbery in Plymouth last Monday, according to new charges filed in Hennepin County.

Augustus "A.J." Matthew Sirleaf Jr., 19, of Plymouth is charged in Hennepin County District Court with two counts of second-degree murder in connection with the shooting death of Rogers High School student Yaseen Johnson.

An 18-year-old Golden Valley man arrested in connection with the murder has since been released without charges, but remains under investigation, the Star Tribune reports. Hans Madave, 19, of New Hope, remains at-large.

Police were called to the shooting in a parking lot in the 9000 block of 37th Place North around 6 p.m. Monday, Nov. 14. Johnson was found dead inside a vehicle when officers arrived.

According to criminal charges filed Monday, the driver of the vehicle told investigators they'd come to the parking lot to buy shoes. When they arrived, Sirleaf and another man entered the vehicle.

The witness told police Sirleaf gave Johnson one of his shoes and Johnson gave Sirleaf half of the money. After Johnson looked at the shoe, he decided he liked them and gave Sirleaf the other half of the money.

The witness said that's when Sirleaf told Johnson to give the shoe back, according to charges. When Johnson refused, Sirleaf pulled out a gun and pointed it at Johnson.

The witness told investigators he saw Johnson flinch and heard ringing. When he looked over, he saw blood and ran from the vehicle.

In an interview with investigators, an 18-year-old suspect in the case told police he'd been on FaceTime with Sirleaf and Madave when Sirleaf told him he was planning a "lick," meaning robbery.

The man said he picked up Madave and went to Sirleaf's apartment, where the details of the robbery were planned. He then drove Sirleaf and Madave to the parking lot for the pre-planned meeting with Johnson and waited nearby, as they had planned.

When Madave came back to the vehicle, he told the 18-year-old suspect that Sirleaf had shot his gun. Moments after, Sirleaf got back into the vehicle and said he "had no choice but to shoot," charges state.

Surveillance footage from a nearby apartment complex captured Sirleaf and Madave running back to the car, according to charges. The three men went back to Sirleaf's apartment afterwards.

The Hennepin County Medical Examiner's Office determined Johnson died of one gunshot wound to the chest and two gunshot wounds to the head.

https://bringmethenews.com/minnesota-news/charges-planned-robbery-led-to-homicide-of-17-year-old-in-plymouth

https://patch.com/img/cdn20/users/22887410/20231114/103833/styles/patch_image/public/download___14103419149.jpg?width=640
Adrian Dominique Bell, 35, was sentenced Monday to 120 months in prison on charges of first-degree assault after he stabbed a correctional sergeant with a 5 ½ inch metal shank during an altercation, according to authorities. (Image via Minnesota Department of Corrections)

STILLWATER, MN — An inmate at the Minnesota Correctional Facility in Stillwater was sentenced to 10 more years in prison after stabbing and injuring a correctional sergeant in 2020, Washington County Attorney Kevin Magnuson announced.

Adrian Dominique Bell, 35, was sentenced Monday to 120 months in prison on charges of first-degree assault after he stabbed a correctional sergeant with a 5 ½ inch metal shank during an altercation, according to authorities.

"Inmate assaults on correctional officers are grave offenses that undermine the safety of our prison system and will not be taken lightly," Magnuson said in a statement. "We are grateful to the Minnesota Department of Corrections and the department's Office of Special Investigations for their dedicated efforts in bringing this case forward. Together, we remain resolute in our pursuit of justice for any acts of violence committed against our dedicated correctional staff."

Bell and another inmate became "confrontational" with correctional staff over the loss of privileges on June 12, 2020, investigators said.

During the argument, the other inmate lunged at a correctional sergeant and punched him in the head, according to authorities.

Additional correctional staff immediately responded and attempted to restrain the inmate.

During the physical struggle, Bell removed a shank from his pocket, ran up to the group, and stabbed a correctional sergeant in the lower torso, investigators said.

The shank fell from Bell’s hand and both inmates were able to be detained, according to authorities.

The sergeant and two other correctional staff injured in the fight were transported to Lakeview Hospital for medical treatment. All three were treated for visible injuries, including a puncture wound to the sergeant’s lower torso, investigators said.

During the attack, Bell was serving a 161-month sentence at MCF-Stillwater for attempted first-degree murder. He completed that sentence in 2021 but was immediately transferred from the state prison to the Washington County Jail for the duration of his trial.

Bell will now be transferred from Washington County Jail back into the custody of the Minnesota Department of Corrections to serve his new sentence.

https://patch.com/minnesota/stillwater/stillwater-inmate-gets-10-more-years-after-shank-attack-prison-sgt

https://media-cdn.socastsrm.com/wordpress/wp-content/blogs.dir/2421/files/2023/06/jayvon-james-boone.jpg
Stearns County Jail

(KNSI) – A St. Cloud man accused of raping a preteen girl multiple times has turned himself in to authorities.

Jay’Von James Boone has been charged with two felony counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct. In May 2022, a child under 13 told her parents that Boone had sexually assaulted her multiple times. The 18-year-old Boone is also accused of showing the girl pornography on his cell phone. A summons was issued for him to appear in court on June 26th, but he failed to show. A warrant was issued, and he was arrested three days later.

According to court records, a forensic interview was conducted with the girl at the Child Advocacy Center, where she described multiple acts committed against her stretching back to the fall of 2021. Prosecutors have filed a notice to seek an aggravated sentence.

Bail was set at $100,000. His next court appearance is August 25th.

Court records didn’t indicate why it took more than a year after the alleged crime to charge Boone.

https://knsiradio.com/2023/06/30/man-accused-of-raping-preteen-girl/

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Robert S. Epps Jr.Contributed

ST. CLOUD — A Stearns County judge on Wednesday, May 29, sentenced a 22-year-old St. Cloud man to four years in prison for raping a girl at knifepoint inside Apollo High School in 2019.

Robert S. Epps Jr. was charged in 2021 with one felony count of third-degree criminal sexual conduct for the assault. He initially pleaded not guilty but amended his plea in March as part of a deal that ensures Epps sees prison time in exchange for dismissing other assault-related cases going through the judicial process.

According to court documents, a former classmate of Epps told police Epps, then 18, followed her into a bathroom during a basketball game at Apollo High School in December 2019 .

The girl, then 15, said Epps pushed her against the wall of a bathroom stall, placed his hand on her throat and held a pocketknife to her stomach, threatening to cut her if she didn't have sex with him. He then threw her to the floor and raped her, documents state.

The agreement, approved by Judge Michael Jesse, stipulates Epps must register as a predatory offender for his lifetime, undergo 10 years of conditional release and pay restitution.

The agreement also wrapped up other cases against Epps, including a separate felony count for criminal sexual conduct with an underage victim in Stearns County and a felony count for criminal sexual conduct in Benton County. He is scheduled to be sentenced in Benton County on June 27 .

https://www.stcloudlive.com/news/local/st-cloud-man-sentenced-to-4-years-for-raping-girl-in-high-school-bathroom

Lakeville, MN (KROC-AM News)- Police in Lakeville have arrested the man suspected of shooting and killing a pregnant woman outside of an Amazon warehouse over the weekend.

A news release from the Lakeville Police Department says officers responded to the report of a 31-year-old woman suffering from a gunshot wound in a vehicle outside of the online retailer’s Lakeville warehouse shortly before 7p.m. Sunday. She was pronounced dead by the Hennepin County Medical Examiner Sunday night.

The woman was taken to Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis where she died from her injuries. Staff there also delivered the woman’s baby Sunday night. The condition of the infant is unknown. The Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office plans to release the woman’s identity at a later time.

UPDATE to LPD Case Number LA23000098 pic.twitter.com/e82SjSYG9F

— Lakeville Police (@LakevillePD_MN) January 9, 2023
Officers arrested 32-year-old Dontae McCray of Minneapolis on suspicion of second-degree manslaughter in connection with the woman’s death. He's described as a male acquaintance of the woman.

He’s currently being held in the Dakota County Jail. Police say McCray was an employee at the Amazon warehouse. The investigation remains ongoing.

https://krocnews.com/pregnant-woman-killed-in-shooting-at-amazon-warehouse-in-minnesota/

Four cases were presented Wednesday against a St. Paul man who, authorities say, has been sneaking into East Side bedrooms at night, stealing items and attempting to sexually assault two residents, including a 14-year-old girl.

https://i2.wp.com/www.twincities.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Deputie-3-e1633637681554.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&ssl=1
Dawada Steven Deputie

Dawada Steven Deputie, 33, was charged Wednesday in Ramsey County District Court with one count of attempted second-degree criminal sexual assault, one count of attempted third-degree criminal sexual assault, two counts of fifth-degree criminal sexual conduct, two counts of first-degree burglary and two counts of third-degree burglary.

According to the criminal complaints, between Sept. 21 and this Monday, Deputie entered three apartments in the 1200 block of Hazelwood Street and one house in the 1800 block of Stillwater Avenue, usually by climbing through windows.

On Sept. 21, police were called to an apartment on Hazelwood where a woman said she was in her bed just before midnight when she saw a man, later identified as Deputie, standing in her room, illuminating it with the flashlight feature on a cellphone. She seemingly scared him away, checked her house, closed an open window and relocked her front door. About 45 minutes later, he returned, got into bed with her and attempted to rape her. She fought back and he ran off.
On Sept. 30, about 4 a.m., police were called to an apartment on Hazelwood where a woman reported a man, later identified as Deputie, in her apartment. She said several items were stolen.
On Sept. 20, about 2 a.m., police are called to a home on Stillwater Avenue where a man caught Deputie climbing in though a bathroom window. He confronted him and Deputie fell out the window and fled.
On Monday, just before midnight, police were called to an apartment on Hazelwood. A woman reported waking up and finding a man, later identified as Deputie, on the ground beside her bed attempting to sexually assault her 14-year-old granddaughter, who had been sleeping in the bed next to her. He had removed her underwear when the grandmother woke and chased him out of the apartment.
Police learned later that a woman living in a neighboring apartment building told police she was sleeping on the living room couch when a man, later identified as Deputie, broke the living room window, shattering broken glass all over her.

She and her mother ran next door for help.

The man in that apartment went out to look for the suspect and found him hiding by the trash-collection area between a used bed and a bin. He and an friend chased the man and were able to grab him. Deputie got away from them but was soon caught by police, the complaint states.

When caught, Deputie said, “I’m gonna need a lawyer,” the complaint states. As of Wednesday, no lawyer was listed for him.

Deputie has an extensive criminal record with about 78 parking or traffic convictions, 18 convictions related to his suspended or revoked driver’s license, 18 convictions for not paying a parking meter, four convictions for not having vehicle registration or insurance, two public nuisance convictions, and convictions for speeding, violating a restraining order, disorderly conduct and drugs.

As of Wednesday, Deputie was in the Ramsey County Adult Detention Center. He appears before a judge Thursday.

https://www.twincities.com/2021/10/06/st-paul-man-who-repeatedly-broke-into-east-side-homes-over-two-weeks-is-arrested-charged/

https://patch.com/img/cdn/users/93165/2014/01/raw/4584108918c31df5609a2b5b79091bc0.png?width=640
Sheikh Nyane, 36, pleaded guilty in November to first-degree attempted murder.

A St. Paul man who repeatedly stabbed his ex-wife’s lawyer in her Fridley office was sentenced Friday to 16 years and eight months in prison, the Star Tribune reported.

Sheikh Nyane, 36, pleaded guilty in November to first-degree attempted murder. The charge arose from Nyane’s stabbing of Fridley attorney Terri Melcher on June 11, 2010. In the courtroom, Nyane told Melcher that his actions that day were “evil.”

https://patch.com/minnesota/fridley/man-gets-16-years-for-stabbing-fridley-lawyer

https://www.commercialappeal.com/gcdn/presto/2018/09/06/PMCA/861b92fe-8069-4df6-8cd3-90361419caed-Lester_Tolliver.JPG?width=300&height=416&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp
Lester Tolliver SCSO

A Memphis man has been indicted for allegedly raping a woman at her Parkway Village area apartment in 2003.

Lester Tolliver, 55, is charged with aggravated assault and is in jail on a $500,000 bond.

Investigators said that on Dec. 1, 2003, the 19-year-old victim was in her apartment off Getwell Road, north of Knight Arnold Road when she heard someone turning the doorknob in an attempt to get in.

She told police at the time that she ran to the backdoor, but the suspect was standing there. He forced her back into the apartment and locked the door.

He then took her to the bedroom, where he raped her.

In 2014, the rape kit was tested and in September 2015 Tolliver was identified as the suspect.

Tolliver was convicted of attempted rape in 1995, has a pending rape case and has five pending aggravated rape cases from 2003.

https://www.commercialappeal.com/story/news/local/2018/09/06/memphis-rape-suspect-lester-tolliver/1215072002/

The victim who claims she was raped by Eliza Fletcher's alleged killer also filed a lawsuit against the owners of the apartment complex where it happened.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The victim who claims she was raped by Cleotha Henderson (aka Abston), Eliza Fletcher's alleged killer, has filed an amended lawsuit against the city of Memphis.

The original suit was filed Sept. 20, 2022, for failing to investigate the 2021 case and as a result, failing to prevent Fletcher's death. The amended lawsuit was filed Oct. 3.

She has also filed suit against the Lakes of Ridgeway apartments and its owners/management, saying they failed to provide adequate security which allowed for the rape to happen.

Original lawsuit against the City of Memphis
The original lawsuit against the city said the Memphis Police Department failed "to investigate the rape adequately and with due diligence, and the failure to utilize existing evidence on a timely basis to effect an arrest of the man who kidnapped and raped (the victim) in time to stop him from committing at least one other violent felony."

According to the lawsuit, the victim met with Henderson after texting with him for about a month after they met on a dating app. The man the victim knew as "Cleo" was Cleotha Henderson, the suspect in the Sept. 2, 2022 abduction and murder of Eliza Fletcher.

The lawsuit said when the victim met "Cleo", she was allegedly kidnapped at gunpoint before she was allegedly raped in a car outside a vacant apartment.

Immediately afterward, the lawsuit said the victim sought medical attention for the alleged rape and she reported the crime. That's when the rape kit was gathered.

Officers from the Memphis Police Department were assigned to investigate the case and the officers who processed the crime scene "took no physical evidence directly from the crime scene itself," the lawsuit said.

A few months after the victim was allegedly raped, she called the Memphis Police Department asking for an update and she was told that "there was no updated information to give her," the lawsuit said.

The TBI's DNA analysis from that rape kit returned as a match to Henderson's as Fletcher's murder was being investigated, the lawsuit said.

The lawsuit said, "Cleotha Abston should and could have been arrested and indicted for the aggravated rape of (the victim) many months earlier, most likely in the year 2021, based on all of the information set forth in the preceding paragraphs of this Complaint, and the abduction and murder of Eliza Fletcher would not have occurred."

ABC24 reached out to the city of Memphis and the Memphis Police Department for comment. Both the city and Memphis police said they will not comment on pending litigation, as is standard practice.

Amended lawsuit filed
The amended lawsuit filed on Oct. 3 not only claims police had enough information to arrest Henderson months earlier based on the victim's information on a first name, a phone number, and the dating app - it said MPD also spoke with the suspect's girlfriend.

The amended portion said Henderson's girlfriend told investigators the day after the rape that he had access to two cars, one of which matched the description of the car the victim gave them. According to the amended lawsuit, the girlfriend also gave police the suspect's full name, and where he had moved to, which was near where the rape occurred.

The lawsuit claims MPD brought the victim in for a lineup, and showed her 10 photos, but the one of the suspect was at least a decade old. According to the lawsuit, MPD said they would need a more recent photo for her to look at, but failed to get one.

The lawsuit claims that based on information MPD had gotten during the investigation, they should have known Henderson was dangerous and presented a threat to the victim and the community at large.

Lawsuit against apartment complex
In a $2,000,000 lawsuit against the apartment complex, the victim said Henderson claimed he was a maintenance man at the complex.

The suit said after agreeing to meet for a date, Henderson had her believe they were at his apartment, but when they went inside she realized it was vacant, and that's when he pulled a gun. The victim said he took her to a car outside, where he raped her.

That lawsuit claimed the apartment management was negligent for a lack of security, and leaving the vacant apartment accessible for Henderson, and that the area behind the apartments where the rape happened should have been secured.

The suit also claimed apartment management allowed Henderson as a convicted felon to live long-term with a family member without a background check, endangering other residents and guests. The lawsuit also said management hired Henderson to do maintenance, allowing him access to the vacant apartment.

https://www.localmemphis.com/article/news/crime/rape-victim-sues-memphis-tennessee-eliza-fletcher-murder-death-negligence/522-f00692fb-4b99-4810-9624-b575a3b43ec6

The Shelby County Sheriff's Office responded to a shooting with injuries in Cordova on Sunday Oct. 13.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A 16-year-old is facing charges after a shooting in Cordova left a teen boy dead Sunday, Oct. 13, deputies said.

Deputies with the Shelby County Sheriffs Office (SCSO) responded to a shooting with injuries in the 10070 block of Mill Hill Avenue around 2:40 p.m.

They found a 16-year-old boy on the ground with a gunshot wound. Emergency personnel from Shelby County Fire took him to Regional One Health in critical condition. Deputies later said he died upon arrival.

Investigators said another 16-year-old boy has been arrested and charged with first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, possession of a firearm during commission of a dangerous felony, tampering with evidence and evading Arrest.

https://www.localmemphis.com/article/news/local/cordova-shooting-leaves-teen-critical-scso-says-a-possible-suspect-has-been-detained/522-ff6dbc80-9ac1-4d3b-916f-cf91625695ea?ref=exit-recirc

Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy said the conviction in the 1988 cold case highlights the need for a crime lab in Memphis.

https://media.tegna-media.com/assets/WATN/images/ef1d2a24-aa97-48ab-ba33-cf40fe34ef53/ef1d2a24-aa97-48ab-ba33-cf40fe34ef53_1920x1080.jpg
Credit: Shelby County Sheriff's Office
Tony Stafford

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — After being convicted in a rape which happened 35 years ago, a Memphis man learned Thursday he will spend 25 years in prison for the crime.

Tony Stafford was found guilty Feb. 6, 2024, of the rape of an 18-year-old woman in 1988. During his sentencing hearing March 7, he was sentenced to 25 years in prison, according to court records.

Shelby County District Attorney D.A. Steve Mulroy said at the time of the rape, no suspects were identified. Then in 2015, rape kit swabs and clothing were sent out for testing, and results came back in 2016. That was uploaded to the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), and in 2018, Tony Stafford was identified as the suspect. The D.A. said Stafford had prior convictions for sex offenses in Washington County, Tennessee, and Utah.

Mulroy said this case highlights the need for a crime lab in Memphis, where rape kits can be tested. Currently, all rape kits and forensic testing is done at the TBI crime lab in Jackson, Tennessee.

“Given the volume and the demand we have in Shelby County, it makes sense to have a local crime lab,” said Mulroy. “And this lab could also offer services that are supplemental to the TBI Crime Lab in Jackson, including rapid DNA testing and cell phone digital forensics.”

Mulroy said the backlog of continues in Shelby County, and a local crime lab could help alleviate that issue.

“This case exemplifies the need to test all sexual assault kits in a timely manner,” said Dru Carpenter, who led the prosecution of Safford. “Justice was delayed for thirty-five years but was not denied in this case.”

The D.A.’s office said it will continue to push for testing older rape kits “in hopes of seeing more cold cases prosecuted like the Safford verdict.”

https://www.localmemphis.com/article/news/crime/man-convicted-in-35-year-old-rape-in-memphis/522-adbcc463-f2e8-4496-8b6e-2cd92a7f0582