A body found during the investigation into the disappearance of Eliza Fletcher, a 34-year-old woman abducted during a run Friday morning, has been confirmed as that of the missing jogger, authorities said Tuesday.
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Police in Memphis, Tennessee, announced Monday that a body had been discovered one day after charges were announced against Cleotha Abston.
Abston, 38, was charged Sunday with kidnapping and tampering with evidence. Additional charges were filed, including first-degree murder and first-degree murder in perpetration of kidnapping, were filed after Fletcher's body was discovered.
He was also charged with unrelated offenses of identity theft, theft of property and credit card fraud, police said.
During an arraignment Tuesday, a judge set his bond for $510,000. Abston told the judge that he could not afford a lawyer and was appointed a public defender. He is scheduled to appear in court Wednesday to be arraigned on the murder charges.
Fletcher's body was found just after 5 p.m. Monday in a vacant duplex apartment on Victor Street, police said at a news conference Tuesday afternoon.
Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy called the kidnapping "an isolated attack by a stranger."
Police have said that around 4:20 a.m. Friday, someone approached Fletcher, an avid runner, kindergarten teacher and mother of two, and forced her into an SUV.
A pair of sandals recovered from the area where she disappeared contained DNA matching Abston, according to an affidavit attached to a criminal complaint.
Security video from the scene showed “a black GMC Terrain passing and then waiting for the victim to run by,” according to the document. A male exited the car, ran toward Fletcher and forced her into the passenger’s seat, it said.
“During this abduction, there appeared to be a struggle,” the document said. “The Champion slides sandals were found in this area. The vehicle then sat in the parking lot with the victim inside for approximately four minutes before it drove off.”
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