Eliza Fletcher, 34, who was kidnapped while out for a run on Friday morning, has been positively identified from a body discovered during the investigation, authorities said Tuesday.
One day after charges were announced against a man in the alleged kidnapping case, Memphis, Tennessee, police reported that a body had been found.
Cleotha Abston, 38, was charged with kidnapping and tampering with evidence in connection with the disappearance of Fletcher, Memphis police reported on Sunday.
Police reported that after her body was identified, Abston was charged with additional counts of first-degree murder and first-degree murder in the commission of a kidnapping. Tuesday during a hearing, the judge set his bond at $510,000.
Abston informed the judge that he couldn’t afford legal representation, so a public defender was chosen for him.
Fletcher, a mother of two, a kindergarten teacher, and an avid runner was allegedly forced into an SUV at around 4:20 a.m. on Friday by an unknown person.
According to an affidavit attached to a criminal complaint, DNA from a pair of Champion slide sandals found near the scene of Fletcher’s disappearance matched Abston.
According to the document, security footage from the scene captured “a black GMC Terrain passing and then waiting for the victim to run by.” A male then got out of the vehicle, rushed Fletcher, and forced her into the passenger seat, according to the report.
“During this abduction, there appeared to be a struggle,” the document said. “The Champion slides sandals were found in this area. The vehicle then sat in the parking lot with the victim inside for approximately four minutes before it drove off.”
It is unknown what caused the death or how it occurred.
According to cellular records obtained by investigators, Abston’s cellphone was allegedly close to the location where Fletcher was coerced into the car.
The GMC Terrain with the right license plate number was in a parking lot close to Abston’s home when police discovered it on Saturday, according to the affidavit.
Brother of Cleotha Abston, Mario Abston, 36, was also detained, but authorities do not believe he has any involvement in Fletcher’s kidnapping. Police tweeted that he was charged with drug and gun offenses.
