Global Courant
The chief prosecutor in Memphis has told the court that his office plans to seek the death penalty for a felon accused of abducting a jogging woman from the street and murdering her in September.
Cleotha Abston, also known as Cleotha Henderson, is a violent ex-con with a history of brutal crimes.
He was released from prison early and allegedly raped at least one other woman before the murder of Eliza Fletcher, 34, who, according to police, was dragged near the University of Memphis campus around 5:30 a.m. and shot while jogging near the University of Memphis campus. on September 2, 2022.
The office of Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy will seek the death penalty if Abston is convicted, Judge Lee Coffee said at a hearing Thursday.
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Left: Eliza Fletcher in a photo released by the Memphis Police Department. Right: Cleotha Abston will appear in court for his arraignment on Tuesday, September 6, 2022. (Memphis Police Department, Adam Sabes/Fox News Digital) (Memphis Police Department, Adam Sabes/Fox News Digital)
The OM did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In the past, Mulroy, a progressive Democrat, has spoken out against the death penalty. However, Abston’s case isn’t the first time he’s announced his intent to seek the death penalty for a crime that rocked the city.
Shortly after Abston’s arrest, 19-year-old Ezekiel Kelly was arrested in an unrelated shooting that reportedly left four dead and three injured in a livestream attack that led to a citywide lockdown, authorities said.
Liza Fletcher laughs with her two little boys on Easter morning. (Liza Fletcher/Instagram)
“The facts of this case compel me to seek the maximum sentence the law provides, regardless of my personal beliefs,” Mulroy said in March when he announced his office would also seek the death penalty for that defendant, according to the Tri-State Defender. . .
In an interview with Fox News Digital weeks after Fletcher’s kidnapping, the prosecutor distanced himself from other progressive prosecutors who he said “might have tarnished the brand” and that he was learning from their mistakes.
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Abston was only 16 when he began serving a 20-year sentence for kidnapping another victim at gunpoint.
His criminal past began when he was younger – with charges such as aggravated assault and rape. He told investigators he dropped out of school after ninth grade, according to court documents obtained by Fox News Digital, but they found no evidence that he attended high school at all.
From left: Cleotha Abston, his attorney Jennifer Case, prosecutor Paul Hagerman and Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy are in court in Memphis, Tenn, on Thursday, July 6, 2023. Memphis prosecutors say they will seek the death penalty against Abston, who is accused of kidnapping a schoolteacher during her early morning run and murdering her. (AP Photo/Adrian Sainz)
Abston received his first rape charge at the age of 14. At age 16, he kidnapped prominent Memphis lawyer Kemper Durand (now deceased) at gunpoint, threw him in the trunk of his own car and drove him around to several ATMs, demanding he withdraw cash, court documents show . Abston pleaded guilty in that case and served approximately 20 years of a 24-year prison sentence.
Police at the home in Memphis where they found Eliza Fletcher’s remains. (Michael Ruiz/Fox News Digital)
On the morning of September 2, 2022, Abston reportedly camped near the campus entrance for about 24 minutes before Fletcher’s jogging route took her to the area. Police say surveillance cameras caught him sprinting out of a GMC Terrain SUV and grabbing her violently. In the ensuing struggle, he lost his Champion brand slides on the spot and police found his DNA on them, according to an arrest affidavit.
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An avid runner, teacher and mother, Fletcher was reported missing by her husband later that morning after she failed to return home.
Photo provided by the Memphis Police Department shows Eliza Fletcher (Memphis Police Department)
Police found her remains dumped behind a vacant house near Abston’s brother’s apartment days later. Witnesses told investigators they saw him washing the SUV in the parking lot with a chemical detergent.
ELIZA FLETCHER KIDNESS: TIMELINE OF THE MEMPHIS TEACHER’S DISAPPEARANCE
A neighbor told Fox News Digital that the house had been empty for more than 15 years.
According to court documents, Abston is a repeat offender with juvenile convictions including rape and aggravated assault.
Global Courant
At age 16, he was charged as an adult in another kidnapping case, in which he later pleaded guilty to kidnapping prominent Memphis attorney Kemper Durand at gunpoint and driving him to ATMs to withdraw money.
Abston is due back in court on August 4 at 9 a.m
Lisa Bennatan, Matt Leach, Ramiro Vargas and The Associated Press of Fox News contributed to this report.
Michael Ruiz is a reporter for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to michael.ruiz@fox.com and on Twitter: @mikerreports
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