The suspect in Tennessee’s missing jogger case is expected to appear in court Tuesday, a day after a body was discovered near the abduction site.
Cleotha Abston, the suspect, was arrested Saturday after police discovered the vehicle used to abduct Eliza Fletcher at Abston’s last known address.
POLICE FIND BODY IN SEARCH FOR MISSING BILLIONAIRE HEIRESS ELIZA FLETCHER
“The individual who was detained has been officially charged in connection with the abduction of Eliza Fletcher,” the Memphis Police Department tweeted Sunday. “At this point in the investigation, Cleotha Abston, 38, has been charged with Especially Aggravated Kidnapping and Tampering with Evidence.”
UPDATE: The individual who was detained has been officially charged in connection with the abduction of Eliza Fletcher. At this point in the investigation, Cleotha Abston, 38, has been charged with Especially Aggravated Kidnapping and Tampering with Evidence.
— Memphis Police Dept (@MEM_PoliceDept) September 4, 2022
“Especially Aggravated Kidnapping” is a class A felony that carries a sentence between 15 and 60 years behind bars, according to WHSV-3. Abston served about 20 years of jail time for a previous kidnapping of a lawyer and was released in 2020. He is now being held in jail on $500,000 bail.
Police were led to Abston after his DNA was discovered on a pair of sandals that was left near the scene. Police said Fletcher “suffered serious injury” in a struggle with her kidnapper, leaving blood in the SUV that the defendant cleaned, according to an affidavit seen by NBC News.
Surveillance footage showed Fletcher, 34, was abducted on Friday while jogging at around 4 a.m. at the University of Memphis campus and engaged in a struggle before the kidnapper threw her into an SUV, the affidavit indicated. The struggle resulted in the kidnapper losing his sandals and Fletcher’s phone.
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Fletcher is the granddaughter of magnate Joseph “Joe” Orgill III, whose family hardware business is described by the company’s website as “the world’s largest independent hardlines distributor with annual sales of $3 billion.” Her husband is Richard “Richie” Fletcher III, and they have two children.
Fletcher’s family had offered a prize of $50,000 in cash for information that would result in her rescue. “We look forward to Eliza’s safe return and hope that this award will help police capture those who committed this crime,” the family said.
Abston’s brother was also detained Sunday. However, his charge was unrelated to Fletcher’s kidnapping, Memphis police said.
