Tennessee Teacher Eliza Fletcher’s Body Has Been Found Days After Abduction

Tragedy has struck a Tennessee teacher.

Eliza Fletcher was out for a jog Friday morning around 4:20 a.m. near the University of Memphis at the intersection of Central Avenue and Zach H. Curlin Street, when a dark-colored GMC Terrain pulled up next to her. A man then exited the SUV and “ran aggressively toward the victim, and then forced the victim Eliza Fletcher into the passenger’s side of the vehicle,” according to a police affidavit. The document noted “there appeared to be a struggle,” and the vehicle remained in place for around four minutes after the abduction before taking off.

Crazy…

Following an investigation into the event, Memphis Police Department discovered a pair of “Champion slide sandals” and Fletcher’s cell phone on a street near the location of the disappearance. DNA testing was conducted on the sandals which resulted in a match with Cleotha Abston, a man who was believed to be cleaning a GMC Terrain within walking distance just a few hours before the abduction, according to police. The 38-year-old was then arrested and initially charged with especially aggravated kidnapping and tampering with evidence. However, a Monday morning confirmation has changed everything about the case: A deceased body found Sunday approximately seven miles from the abduction site has been confirmed as Eliza’s.

Memphis police took to Twitter early Monday morning to reveal the shocking news:

“The deceased victim that was located yesterday in the 1600 block of Victor has been identified as 34-year-old Eliza Fletcher.”

Absolutely heartbreaking. The tweet continued:

“Additional charges for 38-year-old Cleotha Abston have been added for First Degree Murder and First Degree Murder in Preparation of Kidnapping.”

See the full tweet (below):

pic.twitter.com/DZYErLW9Hz

— Memphis Police Dept (@MEM_PoliceDept) September 6, 2022

An official cause of death has not yet been announced for the mother, but Abston is being held without bond and will appear in court Tuesday. He reportedly has not entered a plea and does not have an attorney at the time. According to WREG, which cites Shelby County court records, Abston has previously pleaded guilty to a 2000 especially aggravated kidnapping charge where he was sentenced to 24 years in prison, but was let out in November of 2020.

How sad this man was given a second chance at life and ended up doing the exact same thing again, and actually took it a step further by allegedly committing murder.

Eliza was a wife, mother of two, and a teacher at St. Mary’s Episcopal School. She regularly jogged in the area she was abducted from. She was also the granddaughter of the late billionaire Joseph “Joe” Orgil III, a local Memphis hardware businessman.

Rest in peace, Eliza.

[Images via (c) Memphis Police Department & NBC News/YouTube]