Eliza Fletcher was jogging when she was abducted and her body was later found. So far, police have obtained one suspect in this case. Here’s what we know so far.
What happened to Eliza Fletcher?
On Sept. 2, Fletcher was jogging near the University of Memphis campus. According to The Associated Press, she was abducted and forced into a dark-colored GMC Terrain.
She was running early in the morning and did not come home, leading her husband to believe she was missing. Her cellphone and water bottle were found outside a university house. Her family offered a $50,000 reward for return.
On Monday, Fletcher’s body was found behind a vacant duplex. The Associated Press reported that shorts that matched available descriptions of her shorts were found in a nearby trash bag. Then, on Tuesday, police announced that the body was Fletcher’s.
Who was Eliza Fletcher?
According to The New York Times, Fletcher was a junior kindergarten teacher at St. Mary’s Episcopal School in Memphis.
The New York Post reported that she is the granddaughter of Joseph “Joe” Orgill III, who ran a hardware supply company that currently employs more than 5,500 people called Orgill Inc.
What is going on in the case?
According to CNN, police found a pair of shoes with DNA that matched Cleotha Abston at the abduction site.
- The New York Times reported that the police detained Abston on Saturday.
- In 2001, Abston was sentenced to 24 years in prison for the abduction of Kemper Durand, as well as on a charge of aggravated robbery. The formal charge for abduction was “especially aggravated kidnapping.”
- The Memphis police tweeted that Mario Abston, brother of Cleotha Abston, was also arrested, but this was not believed to be in relation to Eliza Fletcher’s case.
Mario Abston, 36, was charged w/ Possession of a Controlled Substance w/ Intent to Manufacture & Sell Fentanyl, Possession of a Controlled Substance w/ Intent to Manufacture and Sell Heroin, & Convicted Felon in Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Dangerous Felony.
— Memphis Police Dept (@MEM_PoliceDept) September 4, 2022
CNN reported that on Tuesday, Abston was arraigned for charges of aggravated kidnapping and tampering with evidence. On Wednesday, Abston was arraigned for charges of “first-degree murder, premeditated murder and murder in perpetration of a kidnapping,” per Fox News. His bond, which was set at $510,000, was revoked by the judge following the Wednesday morning hearing,