Neighbor calls Benzie County homicide 'preventable'
BENZIE COUNTY, Mich. (WPBN/WGTU) -- The man accused of killing his 72-year-old neighbor in Benzie County on Friday had numerous and recent run-ins with law enforcement.
A neighbor said the alleged murderer never should have taken place.
'It's just really sad that it had to come to this,” Teresa Wolf said. “Her death was absolutely preventable and unnecessary."
Wolf lives across the street from accused murderer Jeffrey Stratton, she believes on the day of the crime, he shouldn't have been here, he should have been behind bars.
"I first met Jeffrey Stratton probably the first week that we moved here, which was summer of 2020,” Wolf said.
But she knew early on something didn't seem right.
"Part of me wants to believe you know, there's good in everybody,” Wolf said. “But there was just always an underlying feeling that you know, keep my eyes open."
Stratton is charged with open murder in the death of 72-year-old Linda Henry at her home on Cinder Road.
But this wasn't his first appearance in 85th district court.
According to court records, Stratton has a number of charges against him dating back to 2020, including felony assault, fleeing and eluding, and a more recent criminal sexual conduct.
Wolf said last Monday, four days before Linda's murder, Stratton showed up at her house.
"I won't share the details of exactly what went on. But he engaged in criminal sexual conduct with my 14-year-old daughter,” Wolf said.
Wolf said she called Michigan State Police. Stratton was arrested on an outstanding warrant and released the next day.
"And that's when the fear set in,” Wolf said.
She filed a personal protection order against Stratton but claims he showed up on her property around 12:30 Friday morning, trying to get inside.
"At which point I frantically called 911 and let them know that he was violating the conditions the no contact order on his bond,” Wolf said.
But Stratton wasn't arrested. The PPO she filed for wasn't in effect yet.
"I knew at that moment no one was going to be responsible for mine and my daughter’s safety but me,” Wolf said. “Needless to say, I didn't sleep that night."
It was later that day that Stratton allegedly killed Linda.
"Had the original Personal Protection Order gone through, it would not have been left up to the discretion of the officers whether or not to pick him up on that bond violation,” Wolf said. "They would have had to pick him off and my neighbor lady would still be alive."
Wolf's personal protection order that she filed for on Tuesday was denied, but she filed another one that was approved by the courts on Friday at 3:15 p.m., about an hour after deputies discovered Linda's body.
