Eliza Fletcher murder suspect held without bond, faces court again Thursday
Fox News senior correspondent Laura Ingle reports on the tragic outcome in the abduction of Memphis mother and teacher Eliza Fletcher and the trial of murder suspect Cleotha Henderson.
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Cleotha Abston, the man accused of kidnapping and killing young Memphis teacher Eliza Fletcher, was back in court on Wednesday, when he was ordered held without bond related to the most serious charges.
Abston, 38, appeared in a Tennessee court for a 10 a.m. ET arraignment on charges of first-degree murder, premeditated murder and murder in perpetration of kidnapping.
He wore a green-colored, jail-issued jumpsuit, a white undershirt, a face mask and handcuffs, with his hands behind his back. He largely looked straight ahead with squared shoulders throughout the appearance. His attorney could be seen speaking with him at length before Wednesday's arraignment began.
Abston also asked Judge Louis Montesi on Wednesday to use his paternal surname, Henderson, in all court matters.
ELIZA FLETCHER DEATH: MEMPHIS KIDNAPPING SUSPECT CLEOTHA ABSTON DUE IN TENNESSEE COURT
Murder suspect Cleotha Abston appears in court at Shelby County Criminal Justice Center in Memphis Tennessee, Wednesday, September 7, 2022. (Credit: Matt Symons for Fox News Digital)
A Shelby County judge ordered Abston held without bond, and revoked his previous bond of $510,000. Abston is due back in court on Thursday at 9 a.m. local time, 10 a.m. ET. His public defender was identified as Jennifer Case.
Murder suspect Cleotha Abston appears in court at Shelby County Criminal Justice Center in Memphis Tennessee, Wednesday, September 7, 2022. (Credit: Matt Symons for Fox News Digital)
Officials revealed on Tuesday that they discovered Fletcher's remains at about 5:07 p.m. Monday in the "rear of a vacant duplex apartment" near the area where she was abducted. They said at the time it was too early to determine the place and method of Fletcher's death.
Fletcher, 34, was abducted while she was running near the University of Memphis early Friday morning. Agents with the U.S. Marshals Service arrested Abston, 38, on Saturday.
Cleotha Abston appears in Judge Louis Montesi courtroom for his arraignment on Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2022 in Memphis, Tenn. Abston has been charged with kidnapping and murdering jogger Eliza Fletcher. (Mark Weber/Daily Memphian via AP)
Abston allegedly camped out in the area for about 24 minutes before Fletcher was taken. Police say surveillance cameras recorded him sprinting out of a GMC Terrain SUV and forcibly grabbing Fletcher around 5:30 a.m. In the ensuing struggle, he lost his Champion slides at the scene, and police found his DNA on them, according to an arrest affidavit.
Fletcher, an avid runner and Memphis mom, was reported missing later that morning by her husband after she failed to return home.
Police found her body Monday behind a vacant home close to Abston's brother's apartment, where witnesses told investigators they saw him washing out the SUV with chemical cleaner.
Investigators saw tire marks outside the property and took a closer look, stumbling upon the scent of decay and, behind the back stoop, Fletcher's remains.
When police rolled up the crime scene tape and withdrew from the scene Tuesday afternoon, they warned reporters to be careful in the area.
Tire tracks approaching the house where the body of the house where the body of Eliza Fletcher was found. (Michael Ruiz for Fox News Digital)
A neighbor told Fox News Digital that the house had been vacant for more than 15 years.
ELIZA FLETCHER ABDUCTION: TIMELINE OF THE MEMPHIS TEACHER'S DISAPPEARANCE
Abston was previously charged with especially aggravated kidnapping and tampering with/fabricating evidence. Late Sunday, officials added three more charges against him: identity theft, theft of property of $1,000 or less, and illegal possession of a credit or debit card of $1,000 or less, records show.
ELIZA FLETCHER KIDNAPPING, MURDER SUSPECT CLEOTHA ABSTON DUE BACK IN COURT
The side of crawl space of house where the body of Eliza Fletcher was found (Michael Ruiz for Fox News Digital)
Deputy Attorney General Steve Mulroy said Tuesday investigators had "no reason to think this was anything other than an isolated attack by a stranger." He did not divulge a possible motive. Investigators said they "have not gotten very much information" from the suspect.
Liza Fletcher, left. kidnapping suspect Cleotha Abston, right (Memphis PD/TBI/Shelby County Jail)
Abston is a repeat offender with juvenile convictions that include rape and aggravated assault, according to court documents. At 16, he was charged as an adult in another kidnapping case, in which he later pleaded guilty to abducting prominent Memphis lawyer Kemper Durand at gunpoint and driving him around to multiple ATMs to withdraw cash.
Police at the crime scene in the case of Eliza Fletcher (Michael Ruiz/Fox News Digital)
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He was being held on $510,000 bond, though the amount was expected to change in light of the newest charges.
Fox News' Adam Sabes contributed to this report.
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