Lee Fletcher, a 25-year-old white female, was one of two victims found buried in the backyard of a residence in Onsted, Michigan. Her remains, along with those of 23-year-old Deborah Heneman, were discovered wrapped in plastic bags and bound with rope and electrical cords. The two women had reportedly arranged to meet someone in the parking lot of a Toledo restaurant in March 1974 and were never seen alive again.
Their disappearance remained a mystery until the bodies were unearthed in May 1975, following a confession from the suspect.
The man responsible for Lee Fletcher’s death was identified as Gary Addison Taylor, a Michigan-born serial killer with a long history of violent crimes against women. Taylor, born in 1936, had previously been confined to psychiatric institutions due to his compulsive and violent behavior, including assaults with a hammer and shootings. Despite repeated warnings from mental health professionals about his danger to society, Taylor was released under Michigan law, which required periodic certification of mental illness and dangerousness.
After his release, Taylor committed a series of murders across multiple states. He buried Lee Fletcher and Deborah Heneman in his backyard before fleeing Michigan. He later abducted and killed other women in Washington and Texas. Taylor was eventually arrested in Houston on charges of sexual assault and confessed to four murders, including that of Lee Fletcher. He was sentenced to life imprisonment in Washington in April 1976. Authorities in multiple states suspect him in as many as 20 unsolved homicides.
