District attorney: abduction and murder of Eliza Fletcher was “isolated attack by a stranger”
American heiress, teacher, and married mother of two children, Eliza Fletcher was attacked and abducted while jogging at the University of Memphis on Sept. 2.
On Tuesday, officials announced that they recovered the 34-year-old’s body in an abandoned house near the area where she was taken.
According to law enforcement, a man approached Fletcher and forced her into an SUV following a brief struggle. U.S. Marshals arrested 38-year-old Cleotha Abston on Sept. 3 after police detected his DNA on a pair of sandals recovered from the area of where Fletcher was last seen.
Memphis Police Department Chief Cerelyn Davis said during a press conference that “it’s too early to determine place and method of death” for Fletcher.
Regarding the abduction and murder of Fletcher Davis said, “While the outcome of this investigation is not what we hoped for, we are nonetheless pleased to remove this dangerous predator off the streets of Memphis.”
Abston has since been charged with first-degree murder and records show he was previously charged with especially aggravated kidnapping and tampering with evidence.
The young mother and kindergarten teacher was the heiress to the billion-dollar Orgill Inc. hardware fortune.
In a statement her family said, “We are heartbroken and devastated by this senseless loss. Liza was such a joy to so many — her family, friends, colleagues, students, parents, members of her Second Presbyterian Church congregation, and everyone who knew her,” the family said in a statement.
“Now it’s time to remember and celebrate how special she was and to support those who cared so much for her,” they said.
