Investigators looking for the missing Memphis heiress Eliza Fletcher have found a body near the home of the prime suspect, Cleotha Abston. The Memphis Police said the body has not yet been identified and no cause of death has been determined. Fletcher was abducted while jogging early Friday morning. It's believed that she suffered "serious injury".
The body found on Monday was less than a mile from where witnesses told the police they saw Abston cleaning the SUV he used to allegedly abduct the granddaughter of the billionaire founder of the Memphis hardware business Orgill.
Investigators roped off a mile radius surrounding the location where the body was found – near an abandoned elementary school.
Authorities said Abston approached the 34-year-old teacher and violently forced her into a dark SUV after a brief struggle. The suspect was arrested on Saturday after police found his DNA on a pair of sandals near where Fletcher was last seen.
Witnesses informed the police that they had seen Abston cleaning blood out of a GMC Terrain with floor cleaner and washing his clothes. They also said that he was acting strange. As such, the police charged the 38-year-old with especially aggravated kidnapping and tampering with evidence. Abston is to appear in court on Tuesday morning.
It should be noted that Abston served 20 years in prison for an earlier case and was released in 2020. He has been described by neighbors as a "creep" and "pervert" who tried to pay women for sex.
