The kidnapping and murder of Tennessee heiress Eliza Fletcher on Saturday, September 3, 2022, led to the arrest of previously convicted felon Cleotha Abston by the U.S. Marshalls.
An arrest complaint states that Abston was caught after DNA recovered on a pair of sandals found at Eliza Fletcher’s last known location identified them as being his.
Police suspect that someone who lived at the house where Abston was staying owned the car that was used in the kidnapping. The same vehicle was seen in the kidnapping’s security film. Abston was allegedly seen washing the interior of the car, according to witnesses.
— Memphis Police Dept (@MEM_PoliceDept) September 6, 2022
On September 2 at around 4 am while out for a jog close to the University of Memphis, Eliza Fletcher, 34, was viciously abducted. Almost 36 hours after Abston was taken into custody for aggravated kidnapping, her death was discovered on Monday, September 5.
Allowing animal Cleotha Abston out of prison resulted in the death of Eliza Fletcher. This is what "criminal justice reform" leads to. pic.twitter.com/r6KzdN24L3
— Carmine Sabia (@CarmineSabia) September 6, 2022
A man in an SUV targeted Fletcher for kidnapping, according to surveillance footage of the incident. He waited for her, brutally forced her inside the vehicle, and then sped off.
After extensive searching, the body of the missing woman was found close to where the leading suspect, Cleotha Abston, was last seen. The police have stated that it is too early in the inquiry to determine precisely where and how Fletcher died. But according to Abston’s arrest statement, Fletcher may have “suffered major harm” as a result of the struggle.
According to the authorities, neither the kidnapping nor the murder involved Fletcher knowing Abston beforehand.
How about instead of saying “she shouldn’t have been jogging at 4:30 in the morning”…we say that no one should be fearful of being abducted or killed on a run. She did nothing wrong. #bebetter #ElizaFletcher
— Donna Auter (@dkauter) September 5, 2022
The police claim that Cleotha Abston refused to assist with the inquiry and withheld any information regarding what specifically happened to Fletcher. He apparently tried to run away when law enforcement officers showed up at his home to take him into custody.
He is currently being held at the Shelby County Jail under a $500,000 bond.
According to Fox 8, there is no indication in the online court records about a lawyer who can speak on Cleotha Abston’s behalf. On Tuesday, September 6, his arraignment was scheduled.
I can’t stop reading about this Eliza Fletcher story. School teacher and mom of two young boys in Memphis is out on an early morning jog & appears to have been kidnapped & murdered by a serial felon. Crime is out of control in this country.
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) September 6, 2022
Cleotha Abston previously committed a severe kidnapping offence for which he was sentenced to 20 years in prison; he will be freed in 2020.
What a beautiful person, a school teacher singing to her students.
Eliza Fletcher was killed by a career criminal. Lives like hers are lost because we care more about criminals than law abiding citizens.
pic.twitter.com/hdVAXSJGDB— Ryan James Girdusky (@RyanGirdusky) September 6, 2022
The late Joseph Orgill III, a Memphis billionaire who was active in philanthropy and the hardware industry, had a granddaughter named Eliza Fletcher. Eliza was Richard Fletcher’s wife and a kindergarten teacher at St. Mary’s Episcopal School. She was also the mother of two little boys.
Her family had initially promised a $50,000 prize for any details that could provide law enforcement authorities a tip while the hunt for her was still ongoing.
Read More: Eliza Fletcher, Tennessee school teacher missing after she was kidnapped during morning jog
