A man accused of kidnapping Memphis runner Eliza Fletcher
Investigators searching for missing Memphis heiress Eliza Fletcher say they’ve found a body after conducting a search of a wooded area near suspect Cleotha Abston’s home.
Memphis police have not yet identified the remains.
Ms. Fletcher, a 34-year-old mother of two, was last seen around 4 a.m. Friday when she was violently abducted while jogging near the University of Memphis campus, police said.
Police charged Abston, 38, with aggravated kidnapping and tampering with evidence Sunday and is being held on $500,000 bond. He was expected to appear in court on Tuesday morning.
On Monday, officers from the Memphis Police Department were spotted in all-terrain vehicles searching a wooded area in south Memphis, about two miles from Abston’s home, according to WREG3.
Police say they identified Abston as a suspect after finding DNA on a pair of flip-flops found at the scene of the fight.
Mrs Fletcher, the granddaughter of the billionaire founder of Memphis hardware business Orgill, remains missing four days after she disappeared. His family has offered $50,000 for his return.
The heiress remains missing because the suspect refuses to talk to the police
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The suspect in Eliza Fletcher’s kidnapping left sandals at the scene of the kidnapping
The suspect accused of kidnapping a 34-year-old teacher in Tennessee was identified with the help of DNA from sandals found nearby.
Eliza Fletcher, mother of two and granddaughter of billionaire Joseph Orgill III, was kidnapped Friday during a 4 a.m. jog in her neighborhood near the University of Memphis campus.
Memphis police have arrested Cleotha “Pookie” Abston, 38, and charged her with “aggravated kidnapping and tampering with evidence.”
According to an affidavit, a pair of Champion slide sandals recovered near the scene of Ms Fletcher’s disappearance were linked to the suspect’s DNA. His phone was also found with the sandals.
Read on for the full story.
Heiress Eliza Fletcher Kidnapping Suspect ‘Left Sandals at Kidnapping Scene’
Fletcher was abducted near her home in Memphis
Bevan Hurley September 6, 2022 8:30 am
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Everything we know about the suspect in the kidnapping of Memphis teacher Eliza Fletcher
The man accused of kidnapping Eliza Fletcher is a violent felon who spent 20 years in prison for kidnapping and robbery, arrest records show.
Cleotha “Pookie” Abston, 38, was arrested Saturday and charged with aggravated kidnapping and tampering with evidence, Memphis police said in a tweet Sunday morning.
Read more about Abston’s lengthy criminal record below.
Cleotha Abston: Everything we know about the suspect in Eliza Fletcher’s kidnapping
According to authorities, the suspect in the missing heiress case spent 20 years in prison for kidnapping and robbery before being released in 2020.
Bevan Hurley September 6, 2022 7:30 am
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The suspect chased the missing heiress for 24 minutes before the abduction, according to police
The suspect accused of kidnapping missing heiress Eliza Fletcher was seen chasing her in his SUV 24 minutes before she was abducted, police say.
Cleotha “Pookie” Abston has been accused of abducting Ms. Fletcher, 34, as she jogged near the intersection of Central Avenue and Zach H. Curlin Street in Memphis around 4:20 a.m. Friday.
According to a police affidavit, Abston’s GMS Terrain was seen on surveillance footage in the area 24 minutes before the hijacking.
The footage then shows a man getting out of the dark colored SUV and aggressively forcing Ms Fletcher into the passenger side of the vehicle.
According to police, the suspect chased Eliza Fletcher for 24 minutes before the abduction
Cleotha Abston’s SUV was seen on surveillance footage 24 minutes before the heiress was kidnapped
Bevan Hurley September 6, 2022 6:30 am
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Everything we know about the kidnapping of Memphis teacher Eliza Fletcher
The desperate search for missing Memphis teacher and business heiress Eliza Fletcher has entered its fourth day as a 38-year-old man accused of kidnapping her refuses to reveal her whereabouts to authorities.
Eliza Fletcher, a 34-year-old mother of two, was run over while on a morning run near the University of Memphis campus friday
On Saturday, Cleotha Abston, 38, was arrested on suspicion of her kidnapping.
He was charged Sunday with aggravated kidnapping and tampering with evidence and is being held on $500,000 bond.
No motive has been given and there are no leads as to Ms Fletcher’s whereabouts.
Rachel Sharp has the full story.
Eliza Fletcher: Everything we know about the kidnapping of the Memphis teacher
Three days after being pulled over and stuck in a car in Memphis, the whereabouts of the mother of two are unknown.
Bevan Hurley September 6, 2022 5:30 am
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A relative of the suspect claims that Abston “100%” kidnapped the heiress
Nathaniel Isaac, 69, the uncle of suspect Cleotha Abston, has said he is “100 per cent sure he had something to do with her abduction”.
In an interview, Isaac criticized his nephew and highlighted his criminal background.
He said, “My whole fucking family is absurd. They always have been. They’re not loved by me because they’re crazy. It’s the truth. Go check the Abstons’ police records. You’ll find they’re all up to something. The my wife’s son got locked up. Mario is under arrest now for drugs and carrying a gun. And Cleo, I’m 100 percent sure he had something to do with her kidnapping. Can I prove it? No.”
Meanwhile, police are still searching for the missing Eliza Fletcher. And Mr. Abston is due in court today.
Maroosha Muzaffar September 6, 2022 05:02
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Kidnapping suspect Cleotha Abston faces new robbery charges as police search continues
A man accused of kidnapping Eliza Fletcher faces three new robbery charges as police continue to search for the missing heiress.
Cleotha Abston, 38, was charged Monday with identity theft, theft of property under $1,000 and fraudulent use of a credit card by Memphis police.
Abston, 38, was arrested Saturday and charged with aggravated kidnapping and tampering with evidence in connection with Ms. Fletcher’s disappearance, Memphis police said in a tweet Sunday morning.
Abston has refused to give police any information about Ms Fletcher’s whereabouts, according to a police affidavit.
The suspect in Eliza Fletcher’s kidnapping is facing new robbery charges as the police search continues
Cleotha Abston refuses to help police find Eliza Fletcher, who was last seen being violently forced into an SUV Friday morning.
Bevan Hurley September 6, 2022 4:30 am
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Police find body in search of missing Memphis teacher and heiress
Police searching for missing Memphis teacher and heiress Eliza Fletcher say they’ve found a body.
The Memphis Police Department (MPD) said Monday that officers had found a body at about 5:07 p.m. local time, although it stressed that “the identity of this person and the cause of death [are] not confirmed at this time.”
Read Io Dodds’ full story here:
Eliza Fletcher: Police find body in search of missing Memphis teacher
Identity has not yet been established
Maroosha Muzaffar September 6, 2022 4:30 am
1662431443
Everything we know about the suspect in the kidnapping of Memphis teacher Eliza Fletcher
The man accused of kidnapping Eliza Fletcher is a violent felon who spent 20 years in prison for kidnapping and robbery, arrest records show.
Cleotha “Pookie” Abston, 38, was arrested Saturday and charged with aggravated kidnapping and tampering with evidence, Memphis police said in a tweet Sunday morning.
Read more about Abston’s lengthy criminal record below.
Cleotha Abston: Everything we know about the suspect in Eliza Fletcher’s kidnapping
According to authorities, the suspect in the missing heiress case spent 20 years in prison for kidnapping and robbery before being released in 2020.
Bevan Hurley September 6, 2022 3:30 am
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The suspect chased the missing heiress for 24 minutes before the abduction, according to police
The suspect accused of kidnapping missing heiress Eliza Fletcher was seen chasing her in his SUV 24 minutes before she was abducted, police say.
Cleotha “Pookie” Abston has been accused of abducting Ms. Fletcher, 34, as she jogged near the intersection of Central Avenue and Zach H. Curlin Street in Memphis around 4:20 a.m. Friday.
According to a police affidavit, Abston’s GMS Terrain was seen on surveillance footage in the area 24 minutes before the hijacking.
The footage then shows a man getting out of the dark colored SUV and aggressively forcing Ms Fletcher into the passenger side of the vehicle.
According to police, the suspect chased Eliza Fletcher for 24 minutes before the abduction
Cleotha Abston’s SUV was seen on surveillance footage 24 minutes before the heiress was kidnapped
Bevan Hurley September 6, 2022 02:30 am
1662425886
Eliza Fletcher: Police find body in search of missing Memphis teacher
Police searching for missing Memphis teacher and heiress Eliza Fletcher had found a body.
The Memphis Police Department said Monday that officers had found a body at about 5:07 p.m. local time, though it stressed that “the identity of this person and the cause of death [are] not confirmed at this time.”
Eliza Fletcher: Police find body in search of missing Memphis teacher
Police searching for missing Memphis teacher and heiress Eliza Fletcher had found a body.
Graeme Massie September 6, 2022 01:58