Guilty plea in Eliza Fletcher abduction, murder

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — In a surprising turn of events, Cleotha Abston, the man charged with kidnapping and killing Eliza Fletcher , pleaded guilty Monday to charges including the murder of the mother and teacher in September 2022.

Judge Lee Coffee told Abston that he will be sentenced to life in prison without parole, plus additional years to be served consecutively with the life sentence.

Abston, who at times has also gone by the last name Henderson, lowered his head when speaking to the judge but showed no reaction after pleading guilty to the kidnapping and murder.

District Attorney Steve Mulroy read in court a statement from the victim’s family, which was directed at Abston:

“We have no idea what happened to you to turn you into someone so filled with a desire to hurt people. Whatever it was, it does not excuse or explain what you have done. You have changed our lives forever, and nothing will ever be the same. Your actions were evil. There is no other word for it. You murdered Liza, even though she did nothing to deserve it. She did not hurt you. In fact, she would’ve been the first to help if you needed it.”

► The Eliza Fletcher case: Full coverage

Fletcher was jogging along Central Avenue in the early morning hours of Sept. 2, 2022 when she was forced into an SUV. A security camera caught footage of the vehicle and its driver, which led police to Abston.

Fletcher’s body was found near an abandoned home a few miles from where she was abducted.

She had two children.

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“We want Liza’s life and the way she lived her life to be a lesson in bringing glory to God,” Mulroy said, reading the statement from Fletcher’s family. “We want memories of Liza and everything about her to help heal our city. That is our hope. Memphis is worth healing.”

In April, Abston also was found guilty in a separate case , the rape of a woman in 2021.

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