Cleotha Abston, Eliza Fletcher Suspicions: 5 Fast Facts You Need To Know (2023)

FacebookCleotha Abston e Eliza Fletcher

Cleotha Abston is the Memphis criminal accused of kidnapping and murdering preschool teacher Eliza Fletcher, who was kidnapped there.Tennesseewhile jogging in the early morning of September 2, 2022.

On September 6, 2022, authorities identified a body discovered in Memphis as Fletcher, 34,The announcement was made by the Memphis Policeon September 6, 2022. They have now added murder charges against Abston.

At a press conferenceOn September 6, 2022, Memphis Police Chief C.J. Davis, said, "Today is a very sad day in the city of Memphis." He offered his condolences to the family and friends affected by Fletcher's "heinous" kidnapping and murder. At 5:07 pm on September 5, police discovered human remains in the back of an empty duplex apartment in the 1600 block of Victor Street. The body was later positively identified as Fletcher, Davis said.

The chief of police said it was too early to determine the location and cause of Fletcher's death.

A review of Abston's criminal records by Heavy reveals that he served years in prison for kidnapping a defense attorney at gunpoint. The man was stuffed into a trunk but escaped the thief after Abston drove the lawyer to a gas station to withdraw cash from an ATM, according to a 2000 article in the Commercial Appeal newspaper, accessed via Newspapers.com .

police statementin the Fletcher kidnapping case, he paints a chilling scene in which Abston is accused of waiting for the passing victim, then running him down and forcing him into his vehicle. He was later seen cleaning the van. Cleotha Abston "refused to provide investigators with the victim's whereabouts," the affidavit said.

prison recordsCleotha Abston Positions

The statement describes the kidnapping as "violent", with the suspect "waiting and then running towards the victim". Authorities believe Fletcher, 34, "suffered serious injuries" that likely "evidence, e.g., Blood, on the vehicle that the defendant cleaned."

According to Shelby County Jail records,The suspect calls herself Cleotha "Pookie" Abston.a facebook pagefor Pookie Abston from South Memphis says he is also known as "Wild Child". The profile picture is a weapon with the phrase "Wild Mob" written on it.

Here's what you need to know:

1. A new statement describes how police found Fletcher's body

FacebookPookie Abston's Facebook profile picture.

the amended statementprovided more disturbing details about Fletcher's death.

Authorities searched for Fletcher near East Person Avenue and Victor Street on Sept. 5, 2022, according to FBI data. A police officer noticed tall grass south of an empty house, vehicle tracks in the grass, and smelled "a smell of decay".

Immediately to the right of the stairs, the officer spotted "an unconscious woman lying on the floor".
About 100 feet north of 1591 S. Orleans Street, officers found a discarded garbage bag with purple Lululemon shorts matching the ones Fletcher wore for jogging.

Video analysis captured the suspect's vehicle on the morning of the hijacking between 5:48 am and 5:52 am as it was driving to various locations.

Neighborshe told the Daily Mailthat Abston was a "weird pervert" who stalked women, watched them, and tried to convince them to have sex with him for $100.

People Labeled Cleotha Abston 'Savage'on another Facebook page, in which he wrote about getting out of prison after 20 years. "364 DAYS LEFT, CAN'T WAIT TO SEE MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS AFTER 20 YEARS!" she wrote in 2019. On this page she shared a photo of a gun with the name "Cleo Real".

Facebook

Abston's arrest followed a sudden flurry of activity in the kidnapping investigation, including the discovery of the suspect SUV, a search of a Memphis apartment complex, and the recording of the crime scene near a local McDonald's.

Fletcher was forced into a dark mid-size SUV while jogging near the University of Memphis campus.Memphis Police wrote in a press release.

The city took over his kidnapping.

The University of Memphis Police Department said in a security alert that Fletcher "walks regularly on Central Avenue" and at 7 a.m. "was reported missing after failing to return home." His "cell phone and water bottle were discovered outside a university-owned home in the 3800 block of Central."

2. Police say Cleotha Abston left Champion sandals with her DNA on them after she "aggressively" ran into Fletcher and forced her into the passenger side of the van

Facebookcleotha abton

The police statement reveals chilling details. It says September 2, 2022 at 7am. M., the Memphis Police Department responded to a missing persons report in the 1500 block of Carr Avenue. Richard Fletcher reported that his wife went for a run around 4 am. and did not return home.

Around 6:45 am, a citizen who was riding a bicycle found his cell phone and a pair of Champion sandals lying on the street in the same place. Investigators then obtained video footage showing a black GMC Terrain driving by waiting for Fletcher to pass.

A man left the scene and "aggressively ran towards the victim", forcing her into the passenger side of the vehicle. There was a fight and this is where the champion's rapiers were found. The vehicle then stopped in a parking lot with the victim for about four minutes.

Police obtained a partial tag from another video and sent the Champion sandals for a DNA test on Friday and got the result: Cleotha Abston (Henderson) in the CODIS database.

Authorities then worked to confirm Abston's whereabouts "before, during and after the kidnapping". They received surveillance footage of him with the same slides at Teatro Malco the day before the kidnapping. They discovered that he resided in the 5700 Block of Waterstone Oak Way, an active utility site in the name of Gwendolyn Brown, on which a black 2013 GMC Terrain is registered.

They also found a September 1, 2022 police report from Abston that listed his address as Waterstone Oak Way. The statement does not explain this report.

The owner of Majesty's Cleaning Service confirmed that she hired Abston and that he drives a GMC Terrain.

Police determined that Abston's cell phone was near the area where Fletcher was being forced into the compound at the time of the abduction.

On September 3, 2022 at 10:45 am to 2:00 pm, members of the US Marshals Service located the GMC terrain.

Officers arrested Abston when they saw him standing in a doorway. He tried to run away but was stopped.

A woman told police she saw Abston around 7:50 am. M. on the day of the kidnapping. He was in another house, that of his brother Mario Abston. He cleaned the interior of the GMC Terrain with a floor cleaner and "was acting weird".

Mario Abston testified that he saw Cleotha Abston cleaning the interior of the car with floor cleaner. The two also saw Abston doing his laundry in an indoor sink. Mario said that Abston is "acting really weird".

said the policethat Abston was charged in connection with Fletcher's disappearance on his Facebook page.

“The arrested person has been formally charged in connection with the kidnapping of Eliza Fletcher. At this point in the investigation, Cleotha Abston, 38, has been charged with particularly aggravated kidnapping and tampering with evidence," they wrote.

"Eliza Fletcher has not been located at this time. MPD investigators and officials, along with our local and federal partners, continue to search for Ms. Fletcher.

They commented:

A second person currently not believed to be connected to Fletcher's kidnapping was also arrested during this investigation. Mario Abston, 36, was charged with possession of a controlled substance with intent to manufacture and sell fentanyl, possession of a controlled substance with intent to manufacture and sell heroin, and a felon convicted of possessing a firearm while committing a dangerous crime charged with crimes .

This is still an active and ongoing investigation.

We continue to ask the community for help. Anyone with information about this investigation should call CrimeStoppers at 901-528-CASH.

No Facebook, Abton referred to Mario as his brother.

He shared a YouTube video of a rap video created by Mario. It has since been removed.

3. Abston was accused of kidnapping a defense attorney named Kemper Durand in 2000

Facebookcleotha abton

Shelby County, Tennessee, Court Records Reviewed by Heavy Show Abston was charged with "particularly aggravated kidnapping" in 2000. He pleaded guilty, court records show. In November 2001, he received 24 years in prison.

According to research by FOX13,Cleotha Abston was eligible for release after serving 85% of her 24-year sentence and got out "sometime in the last two years".

He was also indicted for aggravated robbery. His sentence on this charge was 11 years, but it appears to have been concurrent with and stemming from the same crime.

shelby coCleotha Abston Court Records.

The May 2000 Commercial Appeal article states that Abston was 16 years old at the time of the kidnapping. He was one of three minors, one as young as 12, accused of stealing and hijacking the car of Memphis defense attorney Kemper Durand.

The story goes that Abston was mistaken for the shooter.

Durand was confronted shortly before 2am. as he walked out of the Handy Awards ceremony. The gunman "took out his wallet and ordered Durand into the trunk of his 1992 Mercedes-Benz, where he spent the next two hours," according to the story, which is available at Newspapers.com. The gunman then "got the other two suspects".

They tried to withdraw money from ATMs and took Durand to a gas station.

Durand managed to call a Memphis Housing Authority security guard at the store. The thieves walked "while the guard called 911," the report said.

Abton was arrested following a tip to CrimeStoppers.

Laut Memphis flyer:

Durand went to his car around 2am. M. on May 25, 2000, after attending a party on Beale Street, when a lone gunman approached him from behind, grabbed his wallet and forced him into the trunk. The kidnapper, Cleotha Abston, drove and picked up friends and after about two hours she accompanied Durand to a Mapco station to withdraw money from an ATM. A uniformed Memphis Housing Authority officer entered, Durand shouted that he had been kidnapped, and the kidnappers fled.

Durand is already dead. He is remembered as a tenacious advocate who fought for the rights of the wrongfully convicted.in an article of honour.

Fletcher's uncle Mike Keeney worksfor the same law firmused by the now deceased lawyer who was once kidnapped by Abston.

On Facebook, "Pookie" Abston is still friends with one of the accomplices in the Durand incident.

Just before Fletcher was taken away, there was a kidnapping similar to the Durand incident in Memphis. In this case, a mother and child were kidnapped from a Target store and forced to withdraw money from an ATM.Fox News report. You made it out alive. Police are still looking for suspects in this case, but have released two photos of the suspects and there is no indication that the cases are linked.

When Fletcher was kidnapped, the Memphis Police Department quickly released photos of the suspect SUV.

"Authorities were able to obtain video footage of the suspect's vehicle," he said.The Memphis Police Department wrote.

On Saturday, Sept. 3, police said they located the van near an apartment complex in southeast Memphis and arrested a man inside. It is unclear if this man was Abston. The SUV was damaged in a collision with an ATF vehicle. Police then searched the apartment complex.

4. Shared expression graphics on Pookie Abston's Facebook page; Fletcher has posted pictures of his family on social media and has written about his love of true crime podcasts.

FacebookPookie Abston's Facebook page.

There's not much to see on Pookie Abston's page other than weapon art and a few profanities. "What part of the shit don't you understand," says one.

Another post reads: "Pssst... this is weed. It's really, really strong.

On the second Facebook page, which bears the name of Cleo Real, she wrote: “Don't lose your queen bee if she chases a butterfly and ends up with a cockroach. Let's spray! 😄"

In 2019, he wrote, "I'm a prisoner in my own head, I feel these walls are talking to me."

Another post read, "Mfs always see my parents and they be on some wats with pookie wild wats like they really fuck with a nigga but don't fuck with no nigga." I was out all the time and I have a FB page MF if you fuck with me you would have left me straight and walked out of here with it. I did this shit myself. I scream F. *** Your N**** and B**** maintain the same energy when you release me.

On her Facebook page, Fletcher posted pictures of her husband, Richie Fletcher, and their two young children. Her last post in 2021, plus a profile picture of her family,Lee, “I need a new family doctor. Can anyone recommend a good and easy doctor or NP consultation?

Other photos show their wedding.

Fletcher's Facebook posts were equally typical. "Need TV show recommendations...? I'm up for older or newer shows," read one. In one post, he told friends that he was looking into a new true crime podcast.

she also wroteon running: "Long distance runners, what do you think is the best form of cross training?"

She wrote, "Best podcasts to listen to while running. I liked Up and Vanished and Dr. Death. I like happy hour and I'm going to do another one."

Their Instagram page is full of photos of their husbands and children, bike rides, family outings, etc. She recently wrote on Instagram,

The crowd woke me up with handmade cards, balloons and breakfast. I love my family. I am an imperfect mother. Every day I work to move from rigidity to flexibility, from shame to grace, from perfection and criticism to acceptance and appreciation. I want to be a mother who is a safe place for her children to sit and be themselves and fail at learning. As a climber for these guys, I'm re-teaching my inner child at the same time. I have @fletch_livves to thank for going through this process with me and loving me at the same time. #to give up

Check this post on Instagram

A post by Liza Fletcher (@lizawfletcher)

@fletch_livves is the Instagram page of her husband, Richie Fletcher, a long-distance cyclist. March,He wrotee Instagram"8 years making out with this hot babe! I wouldn't want it any other way.

In February,wrote Richie Fletcher, “The kids and I had so much fun chasing Mom into the mountains as she ran her first 50km!”

5. Abston also has a long juvenile record for robbery and aggravated assault; He was accused of stealing a woman's wallet the day before Fletcher's kidnapping.

Prison Shot/Facebookcleotha abton

According to a 2001 article in the Memphis Flyer, Abston also has "a long juvenile history of robbery and aggravated assault".

The Commercial Appeal reported that Abston "also appeared in juvenile court records in 1996, 1997, 1998 and 1999 on charges of robbery, aggravated assault, aggravated assault with a weapon and rape".

Laut Fox 13 MemphisOn Thursday, September 1, 2022, the day before Fletcher's abduction, a woman told the Memphis Police Department "that her CashApp and Wisely Card were being used at gas stations without her knowledge or consent" .

He left his wallet at the Malco Theater and police discovered that a member of the cleaning service, Abston, had stolen his wallet, according to Fox13.

It is unclear why he has not yet been arrested for this crime.

Nathaniel Isaac, Abstons Onkel,calledDaily Mail:

"My whole family is crazy. They always have been. I don't like them because they're crazy. It's the truth. Check the Abstons' police records.
You will find that everyone is a perpetrator of something. My wife's son was arrested. Mario is now in jail for drugs and weapons. And Cleo, I'm 100% sure it had something to do with her kidnapping. Can I try? NO."

Fletcher insteadacts as a teacherat St Mary's Episcopal School under the name Liza Fletcher.

After the news of Abston's arrest, Eliza's familyheld a press conferenceand spoke publicly about the kidnapping for the first time.

Liza's uncle Mike Keeney read a statement from, among others, her husband, brother and parents. Richie Fletcher, her husband, and the other family members flanked their uncle.

“First of all, we would like to thank everyone for their prayers and great support. Liza has touched many people's hearts and it shows. We want to thank the Memphis Police Department, Shelby County Sheriff's Department, TBI, FBI and all other law enforcement agencies who are working tirelessly to find Liza."

“The family has met with the police and we have given them all the information we have. More than anything, we want Liza to come home safely. The family has offered a reward for any information leading to her safe return. We think someone knows what happened and can help. If you have any information about this crime or Liza's whereabouts, please call the police at 901-545-COPS or CrimeStoppers, 901-528-CASH.”

In a city surveillance alert prior to the arrest, Memphis police described Eliza W. Fletcher, 34, as a "missing adult."

The alert states that a "man approached her around 4:30 am in the middle of Central Avenue and, after a brief struggle, appeared to flee with her in an unidentified vehicle." Police discovered this after receiving surveillance video showing the kidnapping.

"The victim fled early in the morning, was abducted and forced into a medium-sized dark pickup truck," police wrote.

They said Fletcher was a white female, 5'6", 137 pounds, with brown hair, green eyes, hair tied in a bun, wearing a pink shirt and purple shorts. The suspect was described as an unknown male. Those with information are encouraged to call the Memphis Police Department at 901-545-COPS (2677) Others have described her hair as blonde.

Police said they were not aware of any connection to a dark-colored SUV harassing members of the University of Memphis women's cross-country team.

According to the commercial resource, Fletcher comes from a well-known family in Memphis. She is "the granddaughter of the late Joseph 'Joe' Orgill III", who is described by the publication as a "Memphis hardware entrepreneur and philanthropist who supported causes including Dixon Gallery and Gardens and Church Health".

obituary of orgillHe says he had nine grandchildren at the time of his death.

She married Richard Fletcher III in 2014.This reports Memphis Magazine. That article described the wedding as "a memorable Memphis wedding". Richard Fletcher III is also called Richie Fletcher.

The magazine described Fletcher as "a 'natural' girl, close to nature, athletic and warm, and the plans for her wedding emanated from her personality and style". The story states that Fletcher's parents, "Adele and Beasley Wellford, were delighted to give their daughter the woodland-themed wedding she envisioned".

InstagramLiza Fletcher and her husband Richie Fletcher.

The story continued: “The wedding ceremony took place at the nearby Second Presbyterian Church, where the happy couple actually met; the officer was the Reverend Mitchell Moore. Continuing the naturalistic theme, Austin Scarlett's elegant Liza wedding dress was painted with pale lilac flowers.

George Robertson, the senior pastor of Second Presbyterian Church, who married Fletcher and her husband, told the Commercial Appeal: "She and her husband Ritchie are very active and outstanding leaders of our church. They have two boys who come to me every week and give me hugs.”

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