Man sentenced to life for killing teacher Eliza Fletcher, who was kidnapped during her morning run

Tennessee man charged kidnapping and killing a kindergarten teacher He pleaded guilty to first-degree murder during a morning run two years ago, authorities said Monday.

Cleotha Abston, 40, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for murder on September 2, 2022. Eliza Fletcher, 34, the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office said in a statement.

Fletcher, a mother of two, was out jogging near the University of Memphis when Abston forced her into his vehicle. His body was found three days later with a gunshot wound to the head.

The prosecutor’s office said Abston was linked to Fletcher’s death through security video and forensic evidence.

Fletcher’s family described Abston’s actions as “evil”.

“We have no idea what happened to you and turned you into someone so filled with a desire to hurt people,” the family said in a statement the district attorney released Monday. “Whatever it is, it doesn’t excuse or explain what you did. You changed our lives forever and nothing will ever be the same.

“You killed Liza even though she did nothing to deserve it,” the statement continued. “He didn’t hurt you. In fact, he would be the first person to help if you needed it.”

Abston, who was previously sentenced to 20 years in prison for kidnapping a Memphis lawyer and was sentenced this year to 80 years in prison in a separate rape case, was scheduled to go on trial in February, the Associated Press reported.

Prosecutors had stated that they would seek the death penalty for Fletcher’s murder.

Abston’s attorney, Juni Ganguli, said he recommended Abston accept a deal with prosecutors.

“We had been meeting with him regularly over the last few months, telling him that we needed to solve this case, that we could not expect to be successful by holding a trial,” Ganguli said, according to the AP. he said.