Man admits to kidnapping and killing Memphis teacher Eliza Fletcher, who was kidnapped during her morning run

A Tennessee man admitted Monday to kidnapping and then killing a Memphis school teacher while she was out for an early morning jog.

Cleotha Abston Criminal charges were filed for first-degree murder and aggravated kidnapping, especially in cases of kidnapping and death. Eliza Fletcher.

Abston, who sometimes uses the last name Henderson, bowed his head as he spoke to the judge but showed no reaction after pleading guilty, according to CBS affiliate WREG-TV. reported.

Abston, 40, was scheduled to appear in court in February. Prosecutors said so would seek the death penalty Had Abston been convicted of first degree murder. Instead, Judge Lee Coffee sentenced Abston to life in prison without parole after he pleaded guilty.

Fletcher was grabbed from the street while jogging before dawn near the University of Memphis on September 2, 2022, and was forced into an SUV. His body was found days later near a vacant duplex.

The murder of Fletcher, a 34-year-old kindergarten teacher and mother of two, shocked the Memphis community and sparked an outpouring of support for her family. Runners in Memphis and several other cities Running events were organized in the early morning hours It is a tradition that continues in the city on the anniversary of his abduction, in his honor a week after his abduction.

Fletcher’s family said in a statement that they “miss the bright light of Liza’s life every day.”

“Liza meant so much to so many people and her smile radiated happiness, energy and comfort,” her family said. “Her husband, children, parents, brother, the rest of her family, friends, students, school families, fellow teachers, church community, and many others were touched by the countless examples of her faith, kindness, and compassion.”

Abston was arrested after police detected Fletcher’s DNA on sandals found near where he was last seen. One autopsy report It showed Fletcher died from a gunshot wound to the head. He also had injuries to his right leg and a fracture to his jaw.

“We had been meeting with him regularly over the last few months, telling him that we needed to resolve this case, that we couldn’t expect to be successful by holding a trial,” said Abston’s attorney, Juni Ganguli.

Abston was sentenced to 80 years in prison on May 17 for raping a woman, a year before he was charged with Fletcher’s death. In April, he was convicted of raping the woman at gunpoint in September 2021.

Abston, whose criminal history dates back to the 1990s and his childhood, was not charged in the 2021 rape case until a year later when he was charged with Fletcher’s murder due to a long delay in processing the sexual assault kit. After Fletcher’s death, the Legislature passed a law requiring the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation to issue quarterly reports on sexual assault kit testing times.

WREG-TV reported that District Attorney Steve Mulroy also read a statement from the victim’s family toward Abston in court:

“We have no idea what happened to you to turn you into someone so filled with desire to hurt people. Whatever it was, it doesn’t excuse or explain what you did. You changed our lives forever, and nothing will ever be the same. Your behavior was bad. He deserves it.” “You killed Liza even though she didn’t do anything. In fact, BT would be the first one to come to help if you needed it.”