A 31-year-old Michigan man faces an open murder charge after allegedly strangling his 73-year-old grandmother during an argument about employment and school, then burying her body in their backyard. New details emerged at a preliminary hearing on March 31. Ronald Savoy Fleming claims self-defense after she approached him with a knife.
Ronald Savoy Fleming is accused of killing Theadra Fleming at their home in the 1300 block of Warner Street, Ypsilanti Township, on or before May 17, 2024. Deputies conducted a welfare check that day after family reported not hearing from her. They found Fleming at the home but no sign of his grandmother, leading them to a shallow grave in the backyard where her body was buried, wrapped in a quilt. A medical examiner ruled the cause of death as strangulation. The shovel next to disturbed dirt drew investigators' attention. A responding deputy testified that as he was leaving, he felt compelled to return and dig, uncovering the body. At the March 31 preliminary hearing in Washtenaw County district court, Detective Heather Morrison detailed Fleming's account to investigators. She testified that Theadra Fleming pressured him about getting a job and attending school, escalating to her allegedly lunging with a knife. Fleming said his grandmother clawed at his face, so he grabbed her throat with both hands until he felt her neck snap, according to the testimony reported by MLive. Fleming was found incompetent to stand trial initially and spent about a year at a state forensic psychiatric center before being deemed fit. He is held without bond, with a next court date of May 26. Theadra Fleming was a retired registered nurse and avid quilter who volunteered in her community.