Cleotha Abston Pleads Guilty to Kidnapping and Murder of Memphis Teacher Eliza Fletcher

Cleotha Abston, a 40-year-old Tennessee man, pleaded guilty on Monday to the kidnapping and murder of Eliza Fletcher, a 34-year-old kindergarten teacher from Memphis. Abston entered guilty pleas to first-degree murder and especially aggravated kidnapping in connection with the abduction and death of Fletcher, which occurred on September 2, 2022.

Fletcher was abducted while jogging near the University of Memphis around 4:30 a.m. She was forced into an SUV and her body was later found behind a vacant duplex in the South Memphis area. The investigation led to Abston’s arrest after his DNA was detected on sandals found near the scene of the abduction.

Abston’s guilty plea was part of a deal negotiated with the prosecution to avoid the risk of facing the death penalty. His attorney, Juni Ganguli, recommended the plea due to the overwhelming evidence against him and the likelihood that a jury would have opted for the death penalty. The agreement was supported by Fletcher’s family.

As a result of the plea, Judge Lee Coffee sentenced Abston to life in prison without the possibility of parole. This sentence brings a formal end to a case that has deeply shaken the Memphis community. Fletcher’s family released a statement addressing Abston, expressing their grief and condemning his actions as “evil” and “malevolent”.

Abston has a history of criminal charges dating back to the 1990s and was previously sentenced to 80 years in prison in May for raping a woman in September 2021. The delay in processing the sexual assault kit in that case led to legislative changes in Tennessee regarding the testing times for sexual assault kits.[