Cleota Abston pleads guilty to murder of Memphis teacher Eliza Fletcher

Cleota Abston, the person who authorities say kidnapped and then killed a Memphis teacher Eliza Fletcher jogging in the early morning of September 2, 2022.pleaded guilty, her family said.

The plea follows just over two years of criminal proceedings and will allow Abston will avoid the death penalty.

He was charged with first-degree murder, especially aggravated kidnapping, unlawful possession of a firearm and tampering with evidence when he was first arrested in connection with Fletcher’s kidnapping.

Instead of the death penalty, which Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy announced his office is seeking in the case, Abston faces life in prison without the possibility of parole, the district attorney’s office said in a statement.

“No legal decision or sentence can lessen the suffering of Lisa’s murder,” Fletcher’s family said in a statement sent to the media. “We agree that her killer pleaded guilty to all charges, will wake up in prison for the rest of his life and will not be able to harm anyone else. We are very grateful for the determination and professionalism of law enforcement agencies and the prosecutor’s office. We especially want to thank Deputy District Attorney Paul Hagerman for his tireless work on behalf of Lisa.”

Fletcher’s kidnapping began a multi-agency, multi-day manhunt throughout Memphis. Footage from the University of Memphis campus, where she was taken while out for a morning run, showed someone in a dark SUV approaching Fletcher and, after a brief struggle, forcing her into the car.

Abston was arrested the day after Fletcher was kidnapped. He was initially charged with especially aggravated kidnapping and tampering with evidence. Fletcher’s body was not found until September 5.three days after her abduction. Charges of first-degree murder and first-degree murder in the commission of kidnapping were added to Abston’s case the day after Fletcher’s remains were discovered.

Fletcher, who was 34 at the time of her death, was a mother of two, a teacher at St. Mary’s Episcopal School and described as an avid runner.

She graduated from Hutchison in 2006 and received a bachelor’s degree in exercise science from Baylor University, according to the girls’ school’s website. She received a Master of Science in Education with an emphasis in Elementary Education from Belmont University, according to St. Mary’s.

Abston was found guilty of rape in 2021 more than six months before Monday’s guilty plea. What the rape remained unsolved until DNA taken from the rape kit was flagged by Abston in CODIS.national DNA database.

Lucas Finton is a criminal justice reporter at The Commercial Appeal. He can be contacted at [email protected]or (901)208-3922 and then on X, formerly known as Twitter, @LucasFinton.