“With respect to the family, both law enforcement and our offices were in contact with the family throughout this long weekend,” Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy said during a news conference on Tuesday. “They have been fully cooperative throughout the entire process, and in contrast to whatever baseless speculation you might’ve seen, we have no reason to think this was anything other than an isolated attack by a stranger.”
The remarks by the local district attorney came shortly after the Memphis Police Department confirmed that the body recently discovered by officials was Fletcher’s.
“The investigation into the abduction of Eliza Fletcher is still active and ongoing. Investigators are continuing the search and following all leads. No arrests have been made relative to this case,” the Memphis Police Department said in a tweet on Monday.
In a subsequent tweet, police said, “The deceased victim that was located yesterday in the 1600 block of Victor has been identified as 34-year-old Eliza Fletcher. Additional charges for 38-year-old Cleotha Abston have been added for First Degree Murder in Perpetration of Kidnapping.”
Newsweek reached out to the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office for further comment.
During the news conference, Mulroy continued, “Any kind of violence, of course, is unacceptable, but repeat violent offenders particularly deserve a stronger response and that’s what they’ll get from this district attorney’s office.”
According to KSAZ-TV, Fletcher was first reported missing on September 2, when she went out for a run near the University of Memphis. An arrest affidavit obtained by KSAZ detailed surveillance footage that showed a GMC truck “passing and then waiting for the victim to run by.” The station reported that a suspect, later identified as Abston, was seen running “aggressively” toward Fletcher and kidnapping her.
In addition to the murder charges filed against Abston on Tuesday, CNN reported that when he was arrested on Saturday, officials charged him with identity theft and theft of property. In 2001, Abston was previously arrested and charged with aggravated kidnapping.
In a series of tweets on Tuesday, the St. Mary’s Episcopal School shared a tribute to Fletcher, as she was a teacher at the school.
“We are heartbroken at the loss of our beloved teacher, colleague, and friend Liza Fletcher. Our hearts are with the Fletcher, Orgill, and Wellford families,” the school said. “This morning our faculty and staff started the day in chapel. We lit candles to remember Liza who was a bright light in our community. Liza embodied the song that we sing every week in Early Childhood chapel, ‘This little light of mine, I’m going to let it shine.’”
Update 9/6/2022, 2:00 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
