But, police said, Cleotha Abston, who was released from prison in 2020 after serving two decades for kidnapping, hasn't said where Eliza "Liza" Fletcher is and ...
She told investigators Cleotha Abston did not live there, but "she saw Cleotha Abston cleaning the interior of the GMC Terrain with floor cleaner and stated that he was behaving oddly." Fletcher, a mother of two and teacher at St. Along with confirming the car from the license plate, surveillance footage also showed the car to have "noticeable damage" to the rear passenger-side taillight, which was also visible to Marshals at the apartment complex. Abston was also convicted of aggravated kidnapping just over 22 years ago, according to court records. Police questioned the owner of Majesty's Cleaning Service, where Abston worked, and she verified he drove the Terrain and also provided investigators with his cellphone number. He has not been charged in relation to Fletcher's disappearance. Another woman was interviewed, although it is not clear from the affidavit when or where she spoke to law enforcement. More than anything, we want to see Liza returned home safely," Fletcher's uncle, Mike Keeney said. Police say that video showed a black GMC Terrain passing by and then waiting for Fletcher to run past. "During this abduction, there appeared to be a struggle." Police did not give more information on Abston or any prior connection to Fletcher. Marshals found the car Saturday, parked at the address listed on an incident report from Thursday.
Memphis police found an unidentified body Monday about 20 minutes from where teacher Eliza "Liza" Fletcher was violently abducted three days ago, ...
According to the affidavit, a witness said she saw Abston at his brother's house after the abduction. Cleotha Abston, 38, was arrested Saturday after police found the GMC Terrain in a parking lot near his residence, according to the affidavit. She was last seen wearing a pink jogging top and purple running shorts, police said in an alert. Once both individuals were inside the SUV, the vehicle remained in a parking lot for about four minutes before driving away, according to the footage cited in an affidavit obtained by CNN. when a black GMC Terrain SUV passed by her, according to surveillance footage obtained of the incident. The investigation is ongoing," the tweet said.
Police said the body was found at 5:07 p.m. local time. Authorities have said Fletcher, 34, was jogging around 4 a.m. on Friday when a man approached her and ...
The deceased person has not been identified and no cause of death has been determined, Memphis police [said](https://twitter.com/MEM_PoliceDept/status/1566943980222386176). Mary's Episcopal School, an independent, private, all-girls school in Memphis. Fletcher is a junior kindergarten teacher at St. on Friday when a man approached her and forced her into a dark SUV after a brief struggle, which was caught on surveillance video. He is currently charged with especially aggravated kidnapping and tampering with evidence. Authorities have said Fletcher, 34, was jogging around 4 a.m.
Cleotha Abston faces charges over the disappearance of Eliza Fletcher but it has been revealed that he has a history of similar offences.
Mr Durand had told the court that Cobbins had been in the wrong place at the wrong time, and had tried to convince Abston to stop. Mr Durand died in 2013 but he had said in a statement to the court that he was "extremely lucky" to have been able to get away from Abston, adding: "It is quite likely that I would have been killed had I not escaped." In a statement published by the Commercial Appeal, he said: "My feelings about being the victim of this crime, and the feelings of those around me, are that I was extremely lucky that I was able to escape from the custody of Cleotha Abston.
Police released an affidavit in the arrest of a man in Eliza Fletcher's disappearance. Here's what we know.
Police said DNA from the footwear matched Abston based on a sample taken after he was previously convicted of a crime. By Monday afternoon, three new charges were added — identity theft, theft of property ($1,000 value or less) and illegal use of a credit or debit card. Curlin Street on the University of Memphis campus. - Investigators found a pair of slides at the scene. 2, jogging near the intersection of Central Avenue and Zach H. "During this abduction, there appeared to be a struggle."
Eliza Fletcher went missing during her regular 4am jog in the Tennessee city of Memphis.
Under the new law, which was passed this summer, those convicted of certain crimes would not qualify for release eligibility.
He was previously held in state prison after he forced [Kemper Durand](https://www.newsweek.com/victim-eliza-fletcher-abduction-suspect-lucky-escape-saved-my-life-1739973), a Memphis-based lawyer, into the trunk of his car at gunpoint. Additionally, soft-on-crime initiatives create more victims every day by pacifying criminals and by not holding them accountable. She was reported missing at about 7:45 a.m. by her husband when she did not return home. Law information website FindLaw reported that especially aggravated kidnapping involves a victim who suffered a serious injury, a kidnapping that was accomplished with a deadly weapon or something that the victim would believe is a deadly weapon, or if the suspect held the victim for a reward. A bill recently signed into law in Tennessee would have kept the man accused of abducting kindergarten teacher and heiress Eliza Fletcher in jail if it had been in effect after his first conviction for kidnapping.
Officials in Memphis, Tennessee, are working to identify a body found Monday amid the search for a schoolteacher who was abducted early Friday while out on ...
One witness said she saw Abston at his brother's house after the kidnapping, according to the affidavit. Fletcher was last seen wearing a pink jogging top and purple running shorts, police said. According to surveillance footage obtained of the incident, the Black GMC Terrain initially drove past Fletcher. The witness and his brother said Abston was behaving oddly as he cleaned the interior of his SUV and washed his clothes in the sink, the affidavit said. It is unclear whether he has an attorney. A man was then seen getting out of the SUV and "aggressively" running toward her before forcing her into the passenger seat of vehicle, according to the footage cited in an affidavit obtained by CNN.
A body has been found by police searching for missing heiress Eliza Fletcher after the kindergarten teacher was abducted while out jogging early on Friday ...
In June 2000, when Abston was just 16 years old, he forced Memphis-based lawyer Kemper Durand into the trunk of his car at gunpoint. Abston was eligible to have some time shaved from his sentence and On Monday, new charges were announced against Abston, apparently stemming from an unrelated incident just a day before Fletcher was abducted. Her family offered a $50,000 reward for information leading to her safe return on Friday night in a desperate bid to find her. He is due to appear in court today. Detectives have alleged this was the same car that was used by Fletcher's abductor, with court documents stating her blood had been found inside.
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A body found by police has been identified as Liza Fletcher, a hardware heiress and teacher who was snatched off the street while jogging.
He was released from prison in 2020. When he was just 16 years old, Abston forced Kemper Durand into the trunk of his own car at gunpoint. Our hearts are with the Fletcher, Orgill, and Wellford families.— St. We are heartbroken at the loss of our beloved teacher, colleague, and friend Liza Fletcher. * Now it's time to remember and celebrate how special she was and to support those who cared so much for her,'' her family said in a statement.
Police in Tennessee on Monday announced they'd found an unidentified body found near the area where Eliza "Liza" Fletcher disappeared last week.
Another woman interviewed by police said she saw Abston outside the home of his brother, Mario Abston. Police questioned the owner of Majesty's Cleaning Service, where Abston worked, and she verified he drove the Terrain and also provided investigators with his cellphone number. Along with confirming the car from the license plate, surveillance footage also showed the car to have "noticeable damage" to the rear passenger-side taillight, which was also visible to Marshals at the apartment complex. More than anything, we want to see Liza returned home safely," Fletcher's uncle, Mike Keeney said. Abston was released from prison in November 2020 after serving two decades for kidnapping. "During this abduction, there appeared to be a struggle." Abston was sentenced to 24 years in that case. That number was used to determine where Abston was at the time of Fletcher's abduction, confirming he was in the area at the time. [also the granddaughter of the late Joseph ](https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2022/09/05/eliza-fletcher-memphis-jogger-missing/7996067001/) [Orgill III, ](https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2022/09/05/eliza-fletcher-memphis-jogger-missing/7996067001/)a noted philanthropist who helped run the family-owned Memphis-based hardware supply firm Orgill Inc. [was charged with especially aggravated kidnapping ](https://www.commercialappeal.com/story/news/local/2022/09/04/1-charged-eliza-fletchers-disappearance-no-sign-teacher/7992733001/)in last week's disappearance of a Eliza "Liza" Fletcher, a 34-year-old woman [ who Memphis police said was abducted while jogging on Friday.](https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2022/09/05/eliza-fletcher-memphis-jogger-missing/7996067001/) [Man charged with kidnapping in disappearance of Memphis jogger Eliza Fletcher](https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2022/09/05/eliza-fletcher-memphis-jogger-missing/7996067001/) On the heels of a man being charged with kidnapping in the disappearance of Memphis school teacher in West Tennessee, police on Monday announced
Cleotha Abston, the convicted kidnapper charged with her abduction, is scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday.
They then drove the victim around for several hours before taking him to an ATM where they robbed him. Ms Fletcher’s family reported her missing when she failed to return home from her run. [Terms of use,](https://www.independent.co.uk/service/user-policies-a6184151.html) [Cookie policy](https://www.independent.co.uk/service/cookie-policy-a6184186.html) and [Privacy notice.](https://www.independent.co.uk/service/privacy-policy-a6184181.html) [Privacy policy](https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=en) and [Terms of service](https://policies.google.com/terms?hl=en) apply. They provided no additional details about the discovery. Those charges are unrelated to Ms Fletcher’s violent abduction. Following the police search of his home on Saturday, his brother Mario was also arrested and charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute heroin, one count with intent to distribute fentanyl and felony possession of a firearm. According to the affidavit, a witness and the suspect’s brother Mario Abston spotted Abston cleaning the inside of his car and washing his clothes in the sink in the hours after the abduction took place. A violent struggle broke out and the man forced Ms Fletcher into the passenger side of the vehicle. The Memphis Police Department (MPD) announced the discovery at around 5pm local time but said that the identity of the remains and cause of death were unconfirmed. [body](/topic/body) found in the search for [Eliza Fletcher](/topic/eliza-fletcher) has been confirmed to be the missing [Memphis](/topic/memphis) business heiress, according to a local report. Abston, a 38-year-old convicted kidnapper who was released from prison less than two years ago over the 2001 abduction of a Memphis attorney, was arrested on Saturday and charged with especially aggravated kidnapping and tampering with evidence.
Eliza Fletcher was last seen early on Friday jogging in Memphis. She was forced into a dark-colored S.U.V. and remains missing, the police said.
Fletcher is an heiress to the company’s fortune. “It is believed and supported by the facts and physical evidence that she suffered serious injury,” court records said. Cleotha Abston worked for a cleaning service, his employer confirmed to the police. The shoes were linked by DNA testing to Cleotha Abston, and video evidence also showed him wearing the shoes, court records said. A person who was biking in the area around 6:45 a.m. used in the abduction, court records said. He was charged with drug and weapon possession charges. Abston had been in the S.U.V. Video surveillance showed that a person exited the S.U.V. on Friday when she was forced into a dark-colored S.U.V., the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Fletcher, 34, who also goes by Liza, was last seen jogging near the University of Memphis campus at about 4:30 a.m. She was forced into a dark-colored S.U.V.
A body found in the investigation into the disappearance of Eliza Fletcher, the 34-year-old woman who was abducted during a run on Friday morning, ...
“During this abduction, there appeared to be a struggle,” the document said. He was charged with drug and firearms offenses, police A male then exited the car, ran toward Fletcher and forced her into the passenger’s seat, it said. “The Champion slides sandals were found in this area. During an arrangement Tuesday, a judge set his bond for $510,000. [charges were announced](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/missing-jogger-memphis-eliza-fletcher-kidnapping-charge-cleotha-abston-rcna46226) against a man in the alleged kidnapping case.
Eliza Fletcher, known as 'Liza,' was found deceased less than a mile from where Cleotha Abston, who's charged with her kidnapping, washed out a vehicle.
Along with confirming the car from the license plate, surveillance footage also showed the car to have "noticeable damage" to the rear passenger-side taillight, which was also visible to marshals at the apartment complex. Further, it is probable and apparent from witness statements that these injuries left evidence, e.g., blood, in the vehicle that the Defendant cleaned." Abston was also convicted of aggravated kidnapping just over 22 years ago, according to court records. Another woman was interviewed, although it is not clear from the affidavit when or where she spoke to law enforcement. The owner verified that Abston drove the Terrain and also provided investigators with his cellphone number. Police said that video showed a black GMC Terrain passing by and then waiting for Fletcher to run past. Abston also faces charges of especially aggravated kidnapping and tampering with evidence in the case. In 2019, she finished the St. "You will always find her celebrating big and small successes in the classroom." "We appreciate all the expressions of love and concern we have received. At the time, the identity of the deceased person and cause of death were unconfirmed, according to the tweet. "She knows each student individually and does whatever she can to excite them for learning," St.
A body found in Memphis has been identified as 34-year-old elementary school teacher Eliza Fletcher, an heiress to the Orgill company fortune, ...
[Man Charged in Abduction of Billionaire’s Granddaughter, Police Say](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/04/us/memphis-eliza-fletcher-abduction-suspect.html) (New York Times) [Officials are working to identify a body recovered after a Memphis schoolteacher was abducted. By Saturday night, Memphis police [found](https://www.commercialappeal.com/story/news/2022/09/03/eliza-fletcher-search-missing-memphis-teacher-enters-day-2/7974112001/) the SUV and detained Abston, after matching DNA found on a pair of slides at the crime scene to a DNA sample taken of him after a previous arrest, the Commercial Appeal reported. In a [video message](https://www.commercialappeal.com/videos/news/local/2022/09/03/eliza-fletchers-family-speaks/7990393001/) posted online in the Memphis Commercial Appeal on Saturday, members of Fletcher’s family offered a reward for her safe return, asking anyone with information on the crime to report it to the police. [Joseph Orgill III](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/04/us/memphis-eliza-fletcher-abduction-suspect.html), who founded [Orgill](https://www.forbes.com/companies/orgill/?sh=588014ef7f0d), the country’s largest independent hardware and home improvement product distributor, which Forbes reported is the 143rd largest private company in the U.S. The suspect is set to appear in court today](https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/06/us/memphis-missing-teacher-tuesday/index.html) (CNN) [Man charged in disappearance of Eliza Fletcher; police say still no sign of missing Memphis teacher ](https://www.commercialappeal.com/story/news/local/2022/09/04/1-charged-eliza-fletchers-disappearance-no-sign-teacher/7992733001/)(Commercial Appeal) Friday morning, appearing in surveillance footage to have been abducted by a man driving a black GMC Terrain SUV.
Surveillance footage captured Fletcher being forced into a black SUV while out jogging in the early-morning hours Friday.
Abston tried to flee but was detained by a team of U.S. They found him Saturday evening outside his last-known address, an apartment complex in front of which the SUV in question was parked. He will face murder charges on top of the kidnapping charges initially filed against him, police said.
Prominent Memphis businessman's granddaughter was forced into a car and kidnapped during an early morning jog on Friday.
Abston previously kidnapped a prominent Memphis attorney in 2000, the Commercial Appeal reported. Fletcher is the granddaughter of the late Joseph Orgill III, a Memphis hardware businessman and philanthropist. The judge ordered Abston detained in lieu of a $510,000 bond. A man charged with aggravated kidnapping and tampering with evidence in the nationally publicized case was arraigned on Tuesday. According to the arrest affidavit, security footage from the scene showed a black GMC Terrain passing and then waiting for Fletcher to run by. A series of searches over the Labor Day weekend led authorities to Fletcher’s body on Monday.
The 34-year-old was a school teacher and the granddaughter of a prominent Memphis businessman.
“This case not only proves that the recently passed Truth in Sentencing Act was necessary, but that it was long overdue,” Tennessee Lt. A police affidavit said officers noticed vehicle tracks next to the duplex's driveway, and they “smelled an odour of decay.” Abston previously kidnapped a prominent Memphis attorney in 2000 when he was just 16 years old. Several of Fletcher's relatives were in the courtroom along with more than 20 media members as Abston was issued a US$510,000 bond. Abston was released from prison in 2020 after serving 20 years for a previous kidnapping. US Marshals arrested Cleotha Abston, 38, on Saturday after police detected his DNA on a pair of sandals found near to where Fletcher was last seen, according to an arrest affidavit.
The 34-year-old was a teacher in Memphis, but also the granddaughter of a local billionaire.
He was released in late 2020. His company is now reportedly worth over $3bn (£2.6bn) and employs more than 5,000 people. The 34-year-old mother-of-two was a teacher in the area, and the granddaughter of a local billionaire.
A Facebook group is planning a run Friday at 4 a.m. to bring awareness to the missing Memphis jogger, mother, and teacher who was kidnapped & murdered.
Police in Tennessee said they had found the body of a Memphis heiress abducted during a pre-dawn run, confirming fears that Eliza Fletcher was killed after ...
"Liza was such a joy to so many ... In a Facebook post, St. A police affidavit said officers noticed vehicle tracks next to the duplex's driveway, and they "smelled an odour of decay". "This case not only proves that the recently passed Truth in Sentencing Act was necessary, but that it was long overdue," Tennessee Lt. In the earlier kidnapping, Abston forced Kemper Durand into the trunk of his own car at gunpoint, the Commercial Appeal reported. ... It is quite likely that I would have been killed had I not escaped," the Commercial Appeal reported. Mulroy noted that Abston served 85 per cent of his previous sentence and the DA's office had opposed parole. Mulroy has notably voiced his opposition to the truth in sentencing law, arguing it does not reduce crime and drives up Tennessee's prison budget. Davis said the body was found behind a vacant duplex. Several of Fletcher's relatives were in the courtroom along with more than 20 media members as Abston was issued a $510,000 bond. Abston was released from prison in 2020 after serving 20 years for a previous kidnapping. US Marshals arrested Cleotha Abston, 38, on Saturday after police detected his DNA on a pair of sandals found near to where Fletcher was last seen, according to an arrest affidavit.
A body found in a Memphis neighborhood Monday was confirmed to be a Tennessee woman who was abducted late last week, police said.
After several hours, Abston took Durand out and forced him to drive to a Mapco gas station to withdraw money from an ATM. At the station, an armed Memphis Housing Authority guard walked in and Durand yelled for help. The family offered a $50,000 reward for information in the case. Abston said he could not afford bond and he could not afford a lawyer. "Liza was a such a joy to so many … Durand died in 2013, seven years before Abston would be released in November 2020 at age 36. When he was just 16 years old, Abston forced Kemper Durand into the trunk of his own car at gunpoint. Memphis police had searched several locations with dogs, ATVs and a helicopter throughout the long Labor Day weekend. Relatives of Fletcher and more than 20 media members were in the courtroom. A large police presence was reported in the area where authorities reported finding the body just after 5 p.m. Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn Davis told reporters it was possible others would be charged in the case but as of Tuesday morning no one else has. Eliza Fletcher, 34, was seen on surveillance video being forced into an SUV while she was jogging near the University of Memphis early Friday morning.