Memphis felon accused of jogging teacher’s abduction and murder due back court

Cleotha Abston, the career criminal accused of abducting a Memphis teacher and brutally killing her in September, is due back in court Thursday in the murder of Eliza Fletcher.

The 38-year-old suspect faces a slew of charges.

Around 4 a.m. on Sept. 2, as Eliza Fletcher, 34, was out for her morning jog and passing near the University of Memphis campus, Abston allegedly snatched her off the street, forced her into his SUV, sexually assaulted her and shot her in the back of the head.

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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, a teacher and a mother, was reported missing later that morning by her husband after she failed to return home.

Police found her remains dumped behind a vacant home near Abston’s brother’s apartment days later. Witnesses told investigators they saw him washing out the SUV in the parking lot with chemical cleaner. 

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A neighbor told Fox News Digital that the house had been vacant for more than 15 years. 

Abston is being held without bail on charges including murder, kidnapping and evidence tampering. 

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 ATMs to withdraw cash.