MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The man arrested for the kidnapping and murder of Memphis mother, teacher and jogger Eliza Fletcher in Sept. 2022 pleaded guilty to the crime Monday.
Cleotha Abston pleaded guilty to first degree murder and aggravated kidnapping, among other felony charges, Monday during a hearing inside the Shelby County courthouse. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole as a result of the plea. He was previously facing the death penalty if convicted at trial.
Abston was previously set to face trial for Fletcher's murder in February 2025.
Originally expected by the end of 2024, the trial in the Fletcher case was previously pushed back because Abston got two new lawyers who they said they need more time to go through the evidence. The previous public defender for Abston withdrew from the case due to a conflict of interest.
“We had been meeting with him regularly for the past few months and had been telling him that we need to settle this case, that we cannot go forward with a trial and expect to succeed,” said Juni Ganguli, Abston's lawyer, according to the Associated Press.
Abston was sentenced in May 2024 to 80 years in prison in another case, after being found guilty for the 2021 rape of Alicia Franklin. According to court records, a motion for a new trial was filed in that case.
The D.A.'s office said Fletcher's family supported the plea, and during sentencing, District Attorney Steve Mulroy read a statement from them addressed to Abston:
"We have no idea what happened to you to turn you into someone so filled with a desire to hurt people. Whatever it was, 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 did not hurt you. In fact, she would’ve been the first to help if you needed it."
A spokesperson for Fletcher's family released the following statement on their behalf:
"We miss the bright light of Liza’s life every day.
Liza meant so much to so many, and her smile radiated happiness, energy, and comfort. Her husband, her children, her parents, her brother, the rest of her family, her friends, her students, her school families, her fellow teachers, her church community, and so many others were moved by countless examples of her faith, kindness, and compassion.
No legal resolution and no sentence can diminish the anguish of Liza’s murder. We accept the outcome that her murderer has pled guilty to all charges, will wake up in prison for the rest of his life, and cannot harm anyone else.
We are very grateful for the determination and professionalism of law enforcement and the District Attorney’s Office. We especially want to recognize Deputy District Attorney Paul Hagerman for his tireless work on Liza’s behalf.
There are no words to adequately express the totality of Liza’s loss or her life. We hope that her amazing light continues to remind us of her faith in Christ’s power and His glory."
Eliza Fletcher's murder
Eliza Fletcher was running on the University of Memphis campus when Memphis Police said she was forced into a vehicle after a struggle about 4 a.m. Sept 2, 2022. Investigators said her body was found Sept. 5 behind a vacant home after a massive search lasting more than three days.
U.S. Marshals arrested Abston a day after the abduction after police said they detected his DNA on a pair of sandals found near where Fletcher was last seen, according to an arrest affidavit.
The 2021 rape case
Cleotha Abston was convicted April 12, 2024, of aggravated rape, aggravated kidnapping and possession of a weapon in commission of a felony in the widely-publicized 2021 case, which highlighted significant delays in rape kit testing in Memphis cases.
During a hearing on May 17, Abston waived his right to a sentencing hearing and agreed to the maximum sentence of eight decades behind bars for all counts in the Franklin case. The sentence broke down to 40 years for the rape, 20 years for the kidnapping, and 20 years for the gun charge, all to run consecutively.
Judge Lee Coffee said when determining that the sentence would run consecutively for the counts, he took into account Abston's long criminal history and several disciplinary incidents while he has been in custody, including indecent exposures and possessing drugs and weapons.
By waiving the sentencing hearing in the Franklin case, the judge said Abston would not be able to appeal his sentence, but could still appeal the trial and verdict itself. Court records show a motion for a new trial in that rape case was filed in June 2024.
Other charges
Abston also faces charges of identity theft and of being a convicted felon in possession of a handgun in other cases. He also previously kidnapped a prominent Memphis attorney in 2000 when he was 16 years-old. He spent 20 years in prison for that crime.