MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The trial for the man charged with kidnapping and killing Memphis mother and teacher Eliza Fletcher in 2022 is now set for February 2025, according to court records.
Cleotha Abston, who also goes by Cleotha Henderson, is charged with first-degree murder, especially aggravated kidnapping, tampering with evidence, and unlawful possession of a weapon in the Fletcher case.
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.
Abston could face the death penalty if convicted of first-degree murder in Fletcher’s case.
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 has been filed in that case.
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.