Man charged with rape, murder of Memphis mother Eliza Fletcher gets 80 years for raping, kidnapping Alicia Franklin at gunpoint



The Tennessee man charged with the rape and murder of Memphis mother Eliza Fletcher has been sentenced to 80 years in prison for raping and kidnapping another woman.

In September 2022, Cleotha Abston made national headlines when he was arrested in connection with the abduction and murder of billionaire heiress Eliza Fletcher. Abston is accused of forcing the mother-of-two into a black SUV, which is reportedly seen on surveillance video. Fletcher, a 34-year-old kindergarten school teacher who had been jogging on Central Avenue in Memphis when she was kidnapped, was found dead days later near a vacant duplex.

In September 2021, Abston reportedly kidnapped and raped another woman at gunpoint.

On Friday, Abston was sentenced to 80 years in prison for the kidnapping and rape of Alicia Franklin.

Abston was sentenced in the Franklin case to 40 years in prison for aggravated rape, 20 years for aggravated kidnapping, and 20 years for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. He waived his right to a formal sentence hearing.

Shelby County Criminal Court Judge Lee Coffee ruled that the sentences would run consecutively.

Judge Coffee said Abston treated Franklin with "exceptional cruelty.”

The judge told the courtroom, "When this defendant placed a gun to her face, to her neck and told her quote 'BLEEP' if you say anything or move, I will kill you.' This is especially troubling."

Deputy District Attorney Paul Hagerman said in a statement, "We've been committed to justice for Alicia Franklin and Liza Fletcher since the awful crimes against them. My office asked for, and he received an 80-year maximum sentence with no possibility of parole."

"His violent history and these crimes demand sentences that ensure he'll get out of prison, ever," Hagerman continued. "This sentence alone ensures that — but we are not done."

Reaction to Cleotha Abston verdict youtu.be

Abston, 40, was not arrested until the death of Fletcher – a full year later after his heinous crimes against Franklin.

Abston has a history of criminal charges dating back to the 1990s – starting when he was 12 years old. The judge said Abston was involved with more than 30 infractions during his life.

An autopsy report showed Fletcher died of a gunshot wound to the head, and also suffered injuries to her right leg and jaw.

Abston's trial for the suspected kidnapping and murder of Fletcher is expected to begin on June 17.

Prosecutors have said they will pursue the death penalty if Abston is convicted of first-degree murder in Fletcher's death.

Abston has pleaded not guilty.

Woman claims she was assaulted by suspect in Eliza Fletcher case l GMA www.youtube.com

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Memphis man charged with murdering Eliza Fletcher hit with new charges of abducting and raping another woman last year



The man charged with murdering Eliza Fletcher is now facing additional charges of kidnapping and rape from a separate incident.

Cleotha Henderson AKA Cleotha Abston – the 38-year-old suspect in the murder of the Memphis mother of two – was hit with new charges of kidnapping and raping another woman at gunpoint.

Court documents show that Henderson was indicted on charges of aggravated rape, especially aggravated kidnapping, and an additional gun charge in connection to an alleged crime committed nearly exactly a year ago.

On the same day that Fletcher's body was found behind an abandoned house in South Memphis, a DNA match reportedly pinned Henderson to a rape case from Sept. 21, 2021, according to WREG. The Memphis Police Department sent the sexual assault kit to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation two days after it was taken.

"Henderson's kit was one of 316 submitted to TBI from all Shelby County law enforcement agencies, which was the most of any county in Tennessee. Knox County was in second with 168 kits," according to the Memphis newspaper The Commercial Appeal.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said it took nearly a year to test the rape kit because it was not submitted by the Memphis police as a "rush case." The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said the typical turnaround time for DNA tests is 33 to 49 weeks.

The TBI noted that Fletcher's case was expedited as a rush case, and linked DNA from a sandal left at the crime scene with Henderson.

"Our scientists identified Cleotha Abston as the suspect less than 18 hours after receiving key evidence," the TBI said.

Henderson is facing first-degree murder and especially aggravated kidnapping charges in connection with the death of Eliza Fletcher.

Fletcher was a teacher and 34-year-old mother of two who disappeared during an early morning job in Memphis on Sept. 2. Fletcher's body was found near an abandoned house on Monday.

Henderson is currently being held in the Shelby County Jail without bond.

Henderson has a lengthy criminal record.

Henderson was released from prison early after serving 20 years of a 24-year sentence for an armed kidnapping of Memphis attorney Kemper Durand that he committed when he was 16 years old.

"The suspect was 16 at the time, and already had been charged as a juvenile five times for aggravated assault and was found responsible for another rape case when he was just 14," Fox News reported.

Abston Rape Kit test results www.youtube.com