A killer unexpectedly pleaded guilty to kidnapping and murdering an heiress elementary school teacher during her morning run.
Cleotha Abston, 40, admitted Monday morning in a Memphis court to the murder of Eliza Fletcher, 34, in September 2022.
The career criminal was branded “evil” by Fletcher’s family when he was sentenced to life in prison without parole for first-degree murder and aggravated kidnapping.
It was a surprising turn of events, as Abston was due to stand trial in February 2024 and prosecutors had said they would seek the death penalty.
The mother of two, a member of a multimillion-dollar Tennessee software family, disappeared during an early morning run after Abston forced her into a car.
Cleotha Abston, 40, admitted to the September 2022 murder of Eliza Fletcher, 34, in a Memphis court on Monday morning.
The mother-of-two was forced into Abston’s car while out on an early morning run and died.
Abston lowered his head while speaking in court but showed no reaction after pleading guilty, he said. WREG-TV.
“We have no idea what happened to you to turn you into someone with such a desire to hurt people,” Fletcher’s family said in a statement read in court.
‘Whatever it is, 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 didn’t hurt you. In fact, she would have been the first to help you if you needed it.
Fletcher was abducted from a street while jogging before dawn near the University of Memphis in September. January 2, 2022 and forced him into a van. His body was found days later near an empty duplex.
Abston, who is also called Cleotha Henderson, was arrested after police detected his DNA on sandals found near where Fletcher was last seen.
Eliza Fletcher pictured with her husband Richie and their two children. The family described her as a “special” woman who was taken from them in a “senseless” way.
Abston, who is also called Cleotha Henderson, was arrested after police detected his DNA on sandals found near where Fletcher was last seen. An autopsy report showed Fletcher died from a gunshot wound to the head.
“We have been meeting with him periodically over the last few months and telling him that we have to resolve this case, that we cannot move forward with a trial and expect it to be successful,” said Juni Ganguli, Abston’s attorney.
In a statement, Fletcher’s family said they “miss the bright light of Liza’s life every day.”
Fletcher was last seen running in Memphis and a man approached her and forced her into a van after a brief struggle, police said.
Abston was sentenced to 80 years in prison on May 17 for raping a woman a year before he was charged in Fletcher’s death.
He was convicted in April of raping the woman while pointing a gun at her in September 2021.
Abston, whose history of criminal charges dates back to the 1990s when he was a minor, was not charged in the 2021 rape case until after he was charged a year later with killing Fletcher due to a long delay in prosecution. from the sexual assault kit.
After Fletcher’s death, the Legislature passed a law requiring the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation to issue a quarterly report on sexual assault kit testing times.