Cleotha Henderson faces multiple charges ahead of court appearance

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) - Cleotha Henderson, 39, was back in court Friday for a 2021 rape charge.

The case was reset to February 3.

Henderson is facing multiple charges including aggravated rape, aggravated kidnapping, and unlawful carrying or possession of a weapon.

The victim, in that case, is Alicia Franklin who is currently suing the city of Memphis and the Memphis Police Department for failing to test her rape kit earlier.

Franklin says she gave MPD substantial evidence in her rape case last Sept., but it wasn’t until Sept. of this year that the rape kit was tested, with DNA matching Henderson’s DNA.

Henderson and his public defender will be in court about the matter later Friday morning.

Henderson’s court date also comes just days after the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation announced its proposal to use more than $2 million to hire more people to test backlogged rape kits.

The agency says there are 1,000 kits that need to be tested by next summer.

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