Cleotha Abston Wiki and Biography; What Happened To Eliza Fletcher

Cleotha Abston Wiki

Cleotha Abston is a covicted kidnapper who spent 20 years in jail for the kidnap of Kemper Durand in 2000. After his release, he is the prime suspect in the kidnap of Eliza Fletcher who was last seen jogging on September 2, 2022.

Eliza Fletcher Wiki

Eliza Fletcher, a mother of two and a kindergarten teacher from Memphis, was abducted on Friday while out for a morning run. Her family refers to her as Liza. After Fletcher’s perplexing kidnapping on Friday, 38-year-old Cleotha Abston was taken into custody. Eliza Fletcher hasn’t been located yet, though.

The Memphis Police Department (MPD) is still searching for Fletcher and is offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to her whereabouts.

Cleotha Abston: Who is He? Alleged kidnapper is apprehended

The Memphis Police Department has detained a man in relation to the disappearance of teacher Eliza Fletcher.

Cleotha Abston, 38, was detained and charged with Especially Aggravated Kidnapping and Tampering with Evidence following Fletcher’s puzzling kidnapping on Friday, Memphis police announced early Sunday.

“The investigation into Eliza Fletcher’s kidnapping is still ongoing. All leads are being pursued in the investigation, according to the police force.

According to police, Fletcher was “abducted and forced into” a black SUV on Friday while out for a routine early-morning run near the University of Memphis. The car has been found, and police are now searching for the woman.

Later on Saturday, Memphis police reported that the car had been located, but the mother, 34, and kindergarten teacher were still missing.

“The alleged vehicle has been located, and the male occupant has been detained. They claimed that Eliza Fletcher has not been found.

Authorities claim that a second man was arrested on Sunday, but this arrest was unrelated to the woman’s kidnapping.

Update: Reportedly, the man accused of abducting a Memphis mother-of-two was seen “cleaning the interior” of a GMC Terrain, which law enforcement has dubbed a “vehicle of interest” in the case.

According to an arrest warrant for Cleotha Abston made public by the Memphis Police Department on Sunday, two witnesses saw the suspect “washing his clothes in the house’s sink.”

Kemper Durand was kidnapped by Cleotha Abston twenty years ago.

Cleotha Abston 2000 Kidnap; What Happened

On May 25, 2000, around two in the morning, Durand was walking back to his car from a party on Beale Street when a lone shooter came up from behind, took his money, and pushed him into the trunk. After about two hours, the kidnapper Cleotha Abston drove around and picked up friends before leading Durand into a Mapco station to use an ATM. As a Memphis Housing Authority officer in uniform entered, Durand shouted that he had been kidnapped. The kidnappers then fled.

Attorney Kemper Durand observed last week’s sentencing of two juveniles involved in the case with some regret, sixteen months after being kidnapped at gunpoint and thrown into the trunk of his car.

Minutes before the start of his trial, Abston entered a guilty plea and was sentenced to a 20-year prison term without the possibility of parole. Durand claimed that he had previously turned down a 15-year deal for the same crime because he did not want to sign his name to impose the punishment on himself. Abston has a long history of theft and violent crimes against children.

After hearing the second defendant’s sentence, Durand paused. Marquette Cobbins, who was 17 years old at the time, took part. He was one of the friends that Abston rescued from Durand’s captivity. He had previously been charged with disorderly conduct and had a truancy violation in his court record.

Durand claimed that he was actually sitting on the porch when Abston dropped by. Any child who could grow up where he did with only two minor run-ins, in my opinion, is definitely made of very good stuff.

In a letter to the district attorney, Bill Gibbons, Durand asked for probation for Cobbins with the following conditions: completion of high school; payment of $195 to Durand for the cash in Cobbins’ wallet; payment of towing fees for his car; and participation in a mentoring program.

Cobbins’ request was denied, and he subsequently acknowledged aiding a kidnapping. He was given a seven and a half year sentence and stated that he will be eligible for parole in 18 months.

Durand claims to be horrified by both how terrible he feels about it and how slowly justice is being administered.

According to Durand, Cleotha Abston had already completed nearly 16 months of her sentence. It’s possible that this contributes to the jail’s overcrowding.

He may have also been detained a few months ago on unrelated theft charges.

He has been charged with the same offense not even a year after his release.

What Happened To Eliza Fletcher

On September 2, at around four in the morning, Fletcher, a dedicated runner who has qualified for the Boston Marathon, goes for a run. She reportedly follows her usual route close to the University of Memphis, according to the authorities.

She was “abducted and pushed into a mid-sized, dark-colored SUV” at about 4:20 in the morning as she ran down a stretch of Central Avenue.

When Fletcher didn’t come back from her run, the University of Memphis and her husband, Richard Fletcher III, both called MPD at 7:45 a.m. to report her missing.

The police found a few of Fletcher’s possessions on Central Avenue. They also learned that Fletcher was pushed into an unidentified SUV by a man after a fight.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation eventually determined that the vehicle was a GMC Terrain.

According to MPD, there is no connection between Fletcher’s kidnapping and reports from the start of the semester that someone had been harassing University of Memphis women’s cross-country team members while they ran in the area, as stated in the Friday afternoon news.

Officers later took a white Jeep Grand Wagoneer from in front of Fletcher’s home, according to FOX 13 Memphis.

How To Recognize Eliza Fletcher

Green eyes and blonde hair are described as characteristics of white lady Fletcher. She weighs about 137 lbs. and is approximately 5’6″ tall. She was dressed in a pink athletic top, purple running shorts, and a matching headband with her hair in a bun.

It is best for anyone with information about the kidnapping to contact Crime Stoppers at 901-528-CASH.