A Tennessee man charged with kidnapping and killing a Memphis teacher in 2022 was found guilty Friday of kidnapping and raping another woman a year earlier.
Cleosa Abston, 40, was found guilty by a Memphis jury of three counts of aggravated rape, specifically aggravated kidnapping and unlawful possession of a weapon, according to the Daily Memphian via the Associated Press.
The crime occurred on September 21, 2021, when the woman contacted Abston on a dating site and they agreed to meet at Abston’s apartment. She reported that a man pointed a gun at her, covered her face with her T-shirt, and took her outside to her car, where he raped her in the back seat.
The victim testified Tuesday that he complied because he “didn’t want to die,” police said.
Eliza Fletcher murder suspect Cleotha Abston’s violent history of rape, assault and kidnapping revealed
FILE – Cleosa Abston is charged with the kidnapping and murder of jogger Eliza Fletcher and will appear in court for arraignment on Tuesday, September 6, 2022, in Memphis, Tennessee. (Mark Weber/Daily Memphian, via AP)
Abston is charged with murder for allegedly kidnapping 34-year-old Eliza Fletcher during her morning run on September 2, 2022, but a delay in the 2021 rape case resulted in Fletcher’s death. No charges were filed until after the charges were filed. The first female sexual assault kit is being processed.
The victim in the 2021 incident sued the city of Memphis, saying police did not properly investigate her case, but the lawsuit was dismissed by a judge, the Associated Press reported.
The victim of the 2021 rape case against Eliza Fletcher’s alleged killer Cleotha Abston has sued the city of Memphis, claiming the Memphis Police Department did not properly investigate her report. The lawsuit was dismissed by a judge. (Fox News Digital)
After Mr. Fletcher’s death, the Tennessee General Assembly passed a law requiring the state Bureau of Investigation to issue quarterly reports on the testing time of sexual assault kits.
Tennessee woman Eliza Fletcher dies from gunshot to head: autopsy
Ahead of Abston’s trial in the 2021 rape case, Abston’s attorney Juni Ganguly announced a venue requesting that the case be heard by a Nashville-area jury rather than a Memphis jury due to intense media coverage. He filed a motion to modify, raising concerns that Abston would not receive a sentence. fair trial.
Abston is accused of kidnapping and killing Eliza Fletcher, 34, in September 2022. Ms. Fletcher was a kindergarten teacher, wife, mother of two, and an avid runner. (Canale Funeral Director Liza Fletcher/Instagram)
Shelby County Judge Lee Coffee dismissed the claim in January.
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Abston has pleaded not guilty to kidnapping and killing Fletcher, a kindergarten teacher, wife, mother of two, and avid runner.
A trial date has not yet been set.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
