Eliza Fletcher
Teacher and heiress Eliza Fletcher was abducted while jogging near the University of Memphis and murdered. Cleotha Abston, who had a prior kidnapping conviction, was sentenced to life.
- Status
- Conviction
- Type
- Homicide
- Date
- September 2, 2022
- Location
- Memphis, Tennessee
- Age
- 34
- Gender
- Female
- Decade
- 2020s
- Open
- Partly resolved
- Charges or trial
- ClosedConviction
At least one person was convicted in connection with the case.
Case background and investigation
On September 2, 2022, Eliza Fletcher, a 34-year-old junior kindergarten teacher and granddaughter of a Memphis billionaire, was abducted while jogging near the University of Memphis campus around 4:30 a.m. Surveillance footage showed a man approaching her and forcing her into a dark SUV.
The suspect was identified as Cleotha Abston (later known as Cleotha Henderson), 38, who had previously served 20 years in prison for kidnapping a prominent Memphis attorney in 2000. DNA evidence from a pair of sandals found near the abduction site matched Abston.
Eliza's body was found on September 5 behind a vacant duplex in South Memphis. Abston had been arrested two days earlier, on September 3.
Abston pleaded guilty to first-degree murder, kidnapping, and rape in 2024 and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. The case reignited debates about the parole system and women's safety while exercising.
Timeline
-
September 2, 2022Eliza Fletcher abducted while jogging in Memphis.
-
September 3, 2022Cleotha Abston arrested.
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September 5, 2022Her body found; Cleotha Abston arrested.
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February 6, 2024Abston pleads guilty; sentenced to life without parole.
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November 18, 2024Abston pleads guilty to first-degree murder and especially aggravated kidnapping; sentenced to life without parole.
Sources
References used for this entry. ColdCaseIndex is an index of public information. To report an error, email info@coldcaseindex.com.
About this entry
This case is recorded as conviction and is kept in the index for its historical and investigative significance. At least one person was convicted in connection with the case.
To report an error on this page, email info@coldcaseindex.com.
Entry last updated September 29, 2026.
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