Chilling Surveillance Video of Suspected Killer Released in Kidnapping, Murder of Memphis Jogger
Eliza Fletcher’s body was found Monday in tall grass behind a vacant home after she was abducted while out jogging last week.
Chilling surveillance video shows 38-year-old Cleotha Abston while he was cleaning out the SUV he allegedly used to abduct a Tennessee teacher, according to prosecutors. The suspected killer was also spotted on surveillance camera driving in the Memphis neighborhood.
Eliza Fletcher’s body was found Monday in tall grass behind a vacant home after she was abducted while out jogging last Friday.
Abston has been charged with first-degree murder and appeared back in court on Wednesday for his arraignment. The hearing was interrupted over a dispute he had with his public defender, but the judge ordered the details sealed.
Eliza Fletcher lived in an historic district of Memphis with her family.
She comes from a wealthy family who owns a hardware company worth billions, but chose to dedicate her life to her students as a kindergarten teacher at an all-girls private school. She was also the mother of two sons — aged 7 and 5.
Fletcher’s 2014 wedding was a big event in Memphis. A 9-page spread in Memphis Magazine called the affair "truly magical...there has been no other wedding like this in Memphis."
The suspect is being held without bond and may potentially face the death penalty if convicted.