Does Tennessee have the death penalty? Cleotha Abston charges and criminal record explored as Eliza Fletcher's body is found in Memphis

Cleotha Abston has been arrested for the murder of a Memphis-based schoolteacher, Eliza Fletcher.

On September 6, Memphis police found the body of Fletcher, 34, who was kidnapped while she was on her morning run near the University of Memphis. As per authorities, the deceased lady was abducted on September 2 after a man forced her into an SUV.

Cleotha Abston, who reportedly has a history of rape, assault, and kidnapping, was charged with first-degree murder, aggravated kidnapping, and tampering with evidence after authorities found his DNA on a pair of footwear located where Fletcher was last seen.

The district attorney for Shelby County, Steven Mulroy, told reporters that Abston would be arraigned on the murder charges on September 7.

"We have no reason to think this was anything other than an isolated attack by a stranger."

Abston was ordered held by the judge instead of a $510,000 bail. After Abston revealed that he couldn't afford a bond or a lawyer, Judge Louis Montesi ordered a public defender to represent him.

As of now, it is yet to be confirmed if Cleotha Abston will get a death sentence or not since the decision depends on the jury. Capital punishment has existed in Tennessee since 1838, but the methods have changed over time.

Police have also linked the car they suspect was used in Fletcher's kidnapping to someone who lived in the same house as Abston.

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Cleotha Abston has had trouble with the law in the past

As per juvenile court records reviewed by Action News 5, Cleotha Abston has a troubled past full of accusations of rape and assault.

The 38-year-old first visited the Shelby County Juvenile Court as a convict when he was only 11 years old. He was first charged with theft of property in June 1995. For five years, between 1995 and 2000, Cleotha Abston was detained 16 times on several charges, including aggravated assault, unlawful possession of a weapon, and rape.

The convict was placed in the custody of Shelby County's Youth Services Bureau after his rape victim testified in court. He was kept on the premises for six months, after which he was released. However, two weeks after Abston committed another crime, he was transferred to an adult court.

In May 2000, Cleotha kidnapped Memphis Defense Attorney Kemper Durand and forced him to withdraw money from an ATM at gunpoint. He was arrested and sentenced to 24 years in prison but was released early in 2009 after he appealed to the court, citing, in part, "ineffective counsel."

Abston completed 20 years of his 24-year sentence for the Durand kidnapping and was freed from Trousdale Turner Correctional Facility in November 2020. Authorities from the Tennessee Department of Corrections stated that he was released early since, during his time in jail, he worked in the laundry and kitchen and even as a cook and a cleaner.

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