Memphis heiress Eliza Fletcher's body identified by police
Authorities have not announced an official cause of death for kindergarten teacher Eliza Fletcher who was attacked while on an early morning jog. Fox News' Charles Watson reports on new charges against suspect Cleotha Abston.
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Cleotha Abston, the man accused in the murder of Memphis teacher Eliza Fletcher, carried out what is believed to have been an "isolated attack by a stranger" when he abducted the young mother early Friday, officials said Tuesday.
The Memphis Police Department joined Tennessee officials from the district attorney general’s office, the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for an 11:30 a.m. press conference related to the most recent developments in the horrifying case. Officials revealed that they discovered Fletcher's remains at about 5:07 p.m. Monday in the "rear of a vacant duplex apartment" near the area where she was abducted.
Officials said it was too early to determine the place and method of Fletcher's death. A police department spokesperson would not comment to Fox News Digital when asked about any significance or connection between Abston and the vacant building near where Fletcher was found.
Deputy Attorney General Steve Mulroy said investigators had "no reason to think this was anything other than an isolated attack by a stranger." He did not divulge a possible motive. Investigators said they "have not gotten very much information" from the suspect, who will be arraigned Wednesday morning on the new charges.
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"Any kind of violence, of course, is unacceptable, but repeat violent offenders deserve a particularly strong response," Mulroy said.
Fletcher's family asked that the public and the media "avoid intrusive questioning and respect their privacy," officials added.
Abston appeared in court earlier in the day on Tuesday, just moments after the Memphis Police Department confirmed that the body found near the crime scene late Monday had been identified as the missing teacher and young mother. He wore a green jail-issued jumpsuit, a white undershirt and a face mask as he appeared before the judge.
A court-appointed attorney was enlisted to represent him. The judge scheduled a second court date for Wednesday, Sept. 7, at 9 a.m. local time.
Abston was charged Tuesday morning with first-degree murder, in addition to his previous charges, records show. During Tuesday's hearing, prosecutors announced additional charges of premeditated murder and murder in perpetration of kidnapping.
Cleotha Abston appears before a judge in Memphis, Tennessee, on Sept. 6, 2022. (Adam Saves for Fox News Digital)
Abston was previously charged with especially aggravated kidnapping and tampering with/fabricating evidence. Late Sunday, officials added three more charges against him: identity theft, theft of property of $1,000 or less, and illegal possession of a credit or debit card of $1,000 or less, records show.
Bail was previously listed as being set at $500,000, but grew to $510,000 overnight. It was not immediately clear if the bail amount would increase further in light of the new charge.
Fletcher, 34, was abducted while she was running near the University of Memphis early Friday morning. Agents with the U.S. Marshals Service arrested Abston, 38, on Saturday after matching his DNA to a pair of sandals found near the scene, police documents state.
Surveillance footage showed a black GMC Terrain "passing and then waiting for the victim to run by," according to a Memphis Police Department affidavit. "A male exited the black GMC Terrain, ran aggressively toward the victim, and then forced the victim Eliza Fletcher into the passenger side of the vehicle … there appeared to be a struggle."
Eliza Fletcher kidnapping suspect Cleotha Abston (Memphis PD/TBI/Shelby County Jail)
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The affidavit later added: "The vehicle then sat in the parking lot with the victim inside for approximately four minutes before it drove off."
Eliza Fletcher's family attends a vigil at Second Presbyterian Church in Memphis. (Fox News Digital)
The "violent" abduction was caught on video and allegedly showed Abston "waiting for, then rushing toward the victim, then forcing the victim into the vehicle, where she was confined and removed and continues to be missing."
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Eliza Fletcher is from a prominent Memphis family, the granddaughter of a well-known philanthropist and business owner. (Liza Fletcher/Instagram)
"It is believed and supported by the facts and physical evidence that she suffered serious injury," the police affidavit states. "Further, it is probable and apparent from witness statements that these injuries left evidence, e.g., blood, in the vehicle that the Defendant cleaned."
This image provided by the Memphis Police Department shows Eliza Fletcher on her early morning run prior to her abduction on Sept. 2, 2022. (Memphis Police Department)
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People who knew Abston reported that they saw him just before 8 a.m. Friday behaving oddly and cleaning the interior of his GMC Terrain with floor cleaner. They also reported that he washed his clothes in the sink of their home.
Fox News' Kim Wagner contributed to this report.
