Who abducted and killed Memphis teacher, a billionaire-heiress Eliza Fletcher?

A 34-year-old woman was killed after she was kidnapped during morning jog. The Memphis Police Department identified the deceased as that of Eliza Fletcher, the heiress of a hardware company valued at over USD 3 billion. Fletcher , a mother of two, was abducted during her morning jog on Friday near the campus of the University of Memphis.

At around 04:00 local time, CCTV footage revealed her being approached by a man, followed by a physical confrontation with Fletcher being forced into an SUV. Later that day, her family filed a missing person report and offered a reward of USD 50,000 for any information.

The police found DNA evidence from a pair of sandals found at the scene of the kidnapping, belonging to a 38-year-old ex-convict – Cleotha Abston. He was soon arrested on Saturday.


Officers found the car from the CCTV footage at Abston’s address. A witness reported having seen Abston cleaning his car’s interior with a carpet cleaner. An unnamed source claimed to have seen Abston washing his clothes in his brother’s sink.

While Abston tried to run at the arrival of US Marshals, he was quickly apprehended.

The authorities found a body Monday evening near a vacant duplex apartment at the 1600 block of Victor. Abston was then charged with aggravated kidnapping and evidence tampering.

Fletcher's body was identified on Tuesday. Additional charges of first-degree murder and first-degree murder in perpetration of kidnapping have now been levied.

Records show that Cleotha Abston had served nearly 20 years in prison for kidnapping an attorney at gunpoint in 2000. He was released in 2020.

FAQs

1. What are the charges against Cleotha Abston?
Aggravated kidnapping, evidence tampering, first-degree murder, and first-degree murder in perpetration of kidnapping.

2. Does Abston have a violent history?
Abston served 20 years in prison was kidnapping an attorney at gunpoint in 2000.

3. Does Eliza have any kids?
She is survived by two boys