TN Officials: Body Found In Search For Missing Jogger Eliza Fletcher

SHELBY COUNTY, TN. (THECOUNT) — Authorities say a body has been discovered during the search for missing Shelby County, Tennessee woman, Eliza Fletcher.

Fletcher, a Memphis mother and teacher, was abducted while jogging near the University of Memphis on September 2nd. Cleotha Abston was identified as the 38-year-old suspect arrested Saturday in connection to the case.

The body was found in an area near Victor Street and Person Avenue in South Memphis.

Police have not officially confirmed the body belongs to Fletcher.

Abston pleaded guilty to an especially aggravated kidnapping charge in 2000 and was sentenced to 24 years. He was released in 2020.

Fletcher, a teacher at St. Mary’s Episcopal School, was jogging near the University of Memphis early Friday morning when she was forced into a dark-colored SUV.

Abston has been charged with especially aggravated kidnapping and tampering with evidence, Memphis Police announced early Sunday.

A second person was arrested in the same operation, but police say he is not believed to be connected to Fletcher’s abduction.

Mario Abston, 36, was charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance with Intent to Manufacture and Sell Fentanyl, Possession of a Controlled Substance with Intent to Manufacture and Sell Heroin, and Convicted Felon in Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Dangerous Felony.

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Geo quick facts: Shelby County is a county in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2010 census, the population was 927,644. It is the state’s largest county both in terms of population and geographic area. Its county seat is Memphis, a port on the Mississippi River and the second most populous city in Tennessee – Wikipedia.