Body Found Near Abduction Site
Identified as Kidnapped Eliza Fletcher
Suspect Cleotha Abston Has Prior Similar Kidnapping Convictions
"$50,000 Reward for Informant"...Family's Efforts Thwarted
[Asia Economy Reporter Juri Kim] The body of a woman in her 30s who was kidnapped while jogging near the University of Memphis in Tennessee, USA, and forced into a vehicle has been found. This occurred four days after the incident.
According to Memphis police, Eliza Fletcher (34), a kindergarten teacher, was found dead on the 5th (local time), three days after her abduction, about 20 minutes away from the kidnapping site. At the time, the police stated, "It is not yet clear who this person is," and "The investigation is ongoing."
The following day, on the 6th, BBC and other foreign media outlets reported, citing police, that "the body has been confirmed to be Eliza Fletcher."
According to CCTV footage from the time of Eliza Fletcher's abduction, she was jogging near the University of Memphis campus around 4 a.m.
At that moment, a black SUV passed by her, and a man quickly ran toward Fletcher, forcibly putting her into the passenger seat of the vehicle before driving away.
Two days later, the police identified the SUV captured on CCTV on the day of the incident and arrested the suspect, Cleotha Abston (38).
The police were able to identify the suspect by collecting DNA from a single sandal found near the point where Fletcher was kidnapped. Additionally, footage from a theater CCTV showed Fletcher wearing the same type of sandals as the ones found.
According to documents submitted to the court, the suspect Abston was previously convicted of a kidnapping crime in June 2000, sentenced to 24 years in prison, served 20 years, and was released at the end of 2020.
Meanwhile, Fletcher is an heiress of Orgill Inc., a global comprehensive logistics and distribution company, and the granddaughter of Joseph Orgill III.
Orgill's corporate value was estimated at approximately $3.2 billion (about 4.36 trillion KRW) as of 2020, ranking 143rd on Forbes' list of private companies in the United States. According to information on the company's website, it records annual sales exceeding $3 billion (about 4 trillion KRW).
Earlier, Fletcher's family announced a reward of $50,000 (about 68 million KRW) for information related to her disappearance. In a statement, the family expressed, "We hope for Fletcher's safe return," and "We hope our efforts will help capture the perpetrator."
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