Cleotha Abston is being charged with first-degree homicide for kidnapping and killing Memphis trainer Eliza Fletcher.
He may face the demise penalty.
Cleotha Abston, the person accused of kidnapping and killing younger Memphis trainer Eliza Fletcher, was again in court docket on Wednesday, when he was ordered held with out bond associated to probably the most severe expenses.
Abston, 38, appeared in a Tennessee court docket for a ten a.m. ET arraignment on expenses of first-degree homicide, premeditated homicide and homicide in perpetration of kidnapping.
He wore a green-colored, jail-issued jumpsuit, a white undershirt, a face masks and handcuffs, along with his palms behind his again. He largely appeared straight forward with squared shoulders all through the looks. His lawyer could possibly be seen talking with him at size earlier than Wednesday’s arraignment started.
Abston has now been charged with rape and abduction from 2021.
Why not sooner?
The rape package sat round for a complete yr untested.
– A just lately examined rape package from a case again on September 21 of 2021 has been related to the person charged with kidnapping and killing Eliza Fletcher.
Rape package sat round for a yr.
Eliza Fletcher ought to nonetheless be alive.
https://t.co/Qq66FLZRRS— Cernovich (@Cernovich) September 13, 2022
A just lately examined rape package from a case again on September 21 of 2021 has been related to the person charged with kidnapping and killing Eliza Fletcher.
The DNA match got here again the identical day Fletchers physique was discovered behind an deserted home in South Memphis. In response to Memphis police, a sexual assault report was taken on September 21, 2021.
The sexual assault package was submitted to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation two days later. WREG reached out to the TBI to seek out out why it took almost a yr earlier than a match was made to Abston-Henderson.
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The company mentioned the pattern they acquired in September of final yr was not submitted as a rush case. Subsequently, it was positioned with the usual casework which may have a median turnaround time of 33 to 49 weeks.
If authorities had accomplished their job, would Eliza Fletcher nonetheless be alive?