A man from Tennessee, Cleotha Abston, pleaded guilty to kidnapping and killing Memphis mother Eliza Fletcher during her morning jog in 2022. Abston avoided the death penalty by pleading guilty to first-degree murder and will face life in prison without parole. Fletcher, 34 at the time of her death, was abducted while out on a run on September 2, 2022, with her body found three days later. Abston was arrested on September 3, 2022, after a multi-day manhunt. He was initially charged with aggravated kidnapping and tampering with evidence, with murder charges added later. Abston’s guilty plea was to avoid the death penalty due to overwhelming evidence against him. He was previously convicted of rape in 2021. Fletcher was a mother of two and a teacher, remembered as an avid runner who had qualified for the Boston Marathon. Her family described her as full of life and addressed Abston, stating that his actions were evil and had forever changed their lives. Abston’s attorneys advised him to plead guilty due to the evidence against him, including DNA matching from a rape kit from the 2021 case. Fletcher’s family expressed gratitude for the resolution and stated that nothing can diminish the anguish of her murder.
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Man from Tennessee admits to murdering Eliza Fletcher while she was jogging
