According to Memphis Police, a 38-year-old man has been accused of abducting teacher Eliza Fletcher, who is still missing.
A day after authorities disclosed they had discovered a “vehicle of interest” in the kidnapping of Fletcher, a married mother of two boys whose wealthy philanthropist grandpa, came the news of Cleotha “Pookie” Abston’s arrest.
What happened to teacher Eliza Fletcher?
On September 2, at around four in the morning, Fletcher, a dedicated runner who has qualified for the Boston Marathon, goes for a run. She reportedly follows her usual route close to the University of Memphis, according to the authorities.
She was “abducted and thrown into a mid-sized, dark-colored SUV” at about 4:20 in the morning as she ran down a stretch of Central Avenue.
When Fletcher didn’t come back after her run, the University of Memphis and her husband, Richard Fletcher III, both called MPD at 7:45 a.m. to report her missing. The cops found a couple of Fletcher’s possessions on Central Avenue. They also learned that Fletcher was shoved into an unidentified SUV by a man following a fight.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation eventually determined that the vehicle was a GMC Terrain. According to MPD, there is no connection between Fletcher’s kidnapping and reports from the start of the semester that someone had been harassing University of Memphis women’s cross-country team members while they ran in the area, as claimed in the Friday afternoon news.
Officers later confiscated a white Jeep Grand Wagoneer from in front of Fletcher’s home, according to FOX 13 Memphis.
Where was the kidnapping held?
Abston, 38, was accused of tampering with evidence and particularly aggravated kidnapping. The Shelby County Jail is where he is being detained.
On Friday morning, Fletcher was out jogging close to the University of Memphis when attackers in an SUV shoved her inside and took off.
Police arrested the partner of Cleotha Abston
Police claimed to have detained a second individual, who appears to be a relative of Abston, but they do not think he is associated with the kidnapping of Fletcher. Mario Abston, 36, was charged with drug and firearms offences instead.
“At this time, Eliza Fletcher has not been found. The search for Mrs. Fletcher is still ongoing, according to MPD investigators and officers as well as our regional and federal colleagues, Memphis police stated.
Fletcher earned a teaching degree from Belmont University after graduating from the Hutchinson School in Memphis in 2006. Eight years have passed since her marriage.
A $50,000 reward has been given by her family for her safe return. The family-founded, $3.2 billion-plus hardware supply juggernaut Orgill was run by Fletcher’s grandfather.
Identifications gave by Eliza Fletcher
Green eyes and blonde hair are characterised as characteristics of white lady Fletcher. She weighs about 137 lbs. and is approximately 5’6″ tall. She was dressed in a pink athletic top, purple running shorts, and a matching headband with her hair in a bun.
It is ideal for anyone with information regarding the kidnapping to contact Crime Stoppers at 901-528-CASH.
Who is Cleotha Abston?
The Memphis Police Department has detained a man in relation to the disappearance of teacher Eliza Fletcher.
Cleotha Abston, 38, was detained and charged with Especially Aggravated Kidnapping and Tampering with Evidence following Fletcher’s unexplained kidnapping on Friday, Memphis police revealed early Sunday.
“The investigation into Eliza Fletcher’s kidnapping is still ongoing. All leads are being pursued in the inquiry, according to the police agency.
According to authorities, Fletcher was “abducted and forced into” a black SUV on Friday while out for a routine early-morning run near the University of Memphis. The automobile has been found, and police are now searching for the woman.
Cleotha Abston also kidnapped Kemper Durand in past 20 years
Attorney Kemper Durand observed this week’s sentencing of two adolescents involved in the case with considerable sadness, sixteen months after being kidnapped at gunpoint and thrown into the trunk of his car.
On May 25, 2000, about two in the morning, Durand was walking back to his car from a party on Beale Street when a lone shooter came up from behind, took his money, and pushed him into the trunk.
After nearly two hours, the kidnapper Cleotha Abston drove about and collected up pals before dragging Durand into a Mapco station to use an ATM. As a Memphis Housing Authority officer in uniform entered, Durand cried that he had been kidnapped. The kidnappers then fled.
Minutes before the commencement of his trial, Abston entered a guilty plea and was sentenced to a 20-year prison term without the chance of parole. Durand said that he had previously turned down a 15-year penalty for the same crime because he did not want to write his name to impose the punishment on himself. Abston has a long history of theft and violent crimes against children.
Durand claims to be disturbed by both how terrible he feels about it and how slowly justice is being administered. According to Durand, Cleotha Abston had already completed nearly 16 months of her sentence. Perhaps this is a contributing factor to the jail’s overcrowding.
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