Huge Break in Eliza Fletcher Case as Police Locate the Vehicle and Make an Arrest
Memphis police have arrested a man suspected of kidnapping Eliza Fletcher on Friday.
Fletcher, a Memphis, Tennessee, school teacher, was out for a jog when she was approached by an unknown person and then forced into a dark-colored SUV. Later, her phone and a water bottle were found at the site of the abduction.
Have you seen this woman or vehicle?
Eliza Fletcher was abducted this morning in midtown Memphis while running.
She was forced into a vehicle. There is no known direction of travel.
Tips? Call @MEM_PoliceDept at 901-528-2274 or 901-545-2677, or TBI at 1-800-TBI-FIND. 1/3 pic.twitter.com/HpTfQbKjAy
— Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (@TBInvestigation) September 2, 2022
Police believe the man responsible was Cleotha Abston.
On Sunday, police charged Abston with especially aggravated kidnapping and tampering with evidence, according to WREG-TV.
Police found Abston to be in possession of the SUV used to abduct Fletcher.
BREAKING: 38-year-old Cleotha Abston has been charged with kidnapping #ElizaFletcher.
The mother of two was abducted Friday morning while out jogging near the University of Memphis. She still hasn’t been located.
We’re live with the latest developments on @3onyourside pic.twitter.com/zZsxpjnfMO
— Bria Jones (@BriaJonesTV) September 4, 2022
Abston has a violent criminal history.
According to WREG-TV, Abston previously pled guilty to an especially aggravated kidnapping charge in 2000.
Abston was sentenced to 24 years in that case. He was only just released in November of 2020.
Fletcher herself has not yet been found. The search for the teacher remains active, police announced on Sunday.
Eliza Fletcher has not been located at this time. MPD Investigators and officers, along with our local and federal partners, continue searching for Mrs. Fletcher.
— Memphis Police Dept (@MEM_PoliceDept) September 4, 2022
Police later announced that a second individual, Mario Abston, had been arrested “in the same operation.”
However, Mario Abston is not believed to be connected to Fletcher’s case.
The 36-year-old was charged with various charges related to the possession and intent to sell fentanyl and heroin.
Mario Abston, 36, was charged w/ Possession of a Controlled Substance w/ Intent to Manufacture & Sell Fentanyl, Possession of a Controlled Substance w/ Intent to Manufacture and Sell Heroin, & Convicted Felon in Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Dangerous Felony.
— Memphis Police Dept (@MEM_PoliceDept) September 4, 2022
Fletcher’s family is offering a $50,000 reward for any information regarding Fletcher’s abduction and/or whereabouts.
She is the granddaughter of the late Joesph “Joe” Orgill III, a prominent Memphis hardware businessman and philanthropist, according to WREG-TV.
“We don’t know what’s going on, but everybody is desperately looking for her, and the police here are on it. You can see there is a lot of activity, so if you know anything or saw anything early this morning, we just ask that you come forward,” said Hart Robinson, a friend of Fletcher, according to WREG-TV.
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