Found Deceased TN - Eliza "Liza" Fletcher, 34, Abducted While Jogging, Memphis, 2022 *arrest* #5

[IDK]

I can’t read the article. I don’t understand. The DNA matched and the victim IDd him, but no arrest? That’s baffling.

The only thing I can think of is they didn’t believe the victim. I pray I’m wrong.

 

[BrownRice]

The only thing I can think of is they didn’t believe the victim. I pray I’m wrong.

I agree. And this continues to show why victims don’t report sexual crimes.

 

[kaen]

The Memphis Police Department investigated the alleged killer of Eliza Fletcher for a separate crime — a reported rape — last year but failed to arrest him despite strong evidence of his guilt, according to two people familiar with the investigation.

A woman told police in September 2021 that Cleotha Abston (who is also known by the last name Henderson) had abducted and raped her at gunpoint, yet Abston, who was released from prison in November 2020 for another kidnapping 20 years earlier, remained free until he was arrested last week for Fletcher’s murder.


It was not clear late Friday precisely why police had failed to arrest and charge Abston last year. One person familiar with the case said police even had a DNA match from the state crime lab. Another stated flatly, “They have a good case.”

A spokesperson for MPD could not be reached late Friday.

Eliza Fletcher's alleged killer investigated in 2021 for rape

One person familiar with the investigation said a 2021 rape victim provided police with Cleotha Abston’s phone number, his social media handle, his home address and a description of his car.

dailymemphian.com

It will be interesting to see the details of this case. Was he identified at the time by name? Was the DNA processed and he remained free? Right now we have sources but no direct link that this was the case. However, if these are confirmed facts, the outrage should be not only for Eliza and this victim who was brutalized but that LE failed both of these women and every other woman in this area because the alleged murderer was a ticking time bomb that could have been removed from the streets. I am trying to withhold judgment and not assume too much but it is not looking good for LE and the justice system in Memphis.

 

[kaen]

Yeah....this is an LE problem. Yes, Eliza was brutally murdered but all of these cases and the ones with this predator deserve the kind of focus and attention that Eliza's case has been given. Eliza might be alive today if a better system was in place and the job was done in September 2021. JMHO.

"Yet online records maintained by the Shelby County Criminal Court Clerk’s Office show Abston was quietly indicted in connection with the 2021 rape this week, on Thursday, Sept. 8, days following his arrest for Fletcher’s murder. Those records show he was charged with aggravated rape, especially aggravated kidnapping and unlawful possession of a weapon.

Word of those charges pulsed through the network of criminal defense lawyers late Friday.

“We’re going to have some sort of battle with the police about their dereliction of duty to let this happen because they wouldn’t prosecute this guy,’’ said Michael Working, a prominent Memphis defense attorney.Most rape and murder cases with DNA test takes months and sometimes years to get a DNA match.

Part of the delay stems from a massive backlog in DNA testing caused by MPD’s reluctance for years to test rape kits. The overwhelming majority of those rape victims were Black women.

“We just saw that the TBI turns around DNA test results in less than 24 hours,” Working said, pointing out that 14,000 rape kits — mostly from black women — went untested for 15 years. MPD investigated Eliza Fletcher's alleged killer for rape last year

 

[BrownRice]

Part of the delay stems from a massive backlog in DNA testing caused by MPD’s reluctance for years to test rape kits. The overwhelming majority of those rape victims were Black women.

“We just saw that the TBI turns around DNA test results in less than 24 hours,” Working said, pointing out that 14,000 rape kits — mostly from black women — went untested for 15 years. MPD investigated Eliza Fletcher's alleged killer for rape last year

Yep. My thoughts exactly. No wonder these charges were pushed thru quietly; this is not going to be pretty for the local government.

Wouldn’t be surprised to see Gloria Allred represent the rape victim.

 

[girlhasnoname]

I'm completely shocked and disgusted that CH wasn't arrested for the rape in 2021. If he had been, Eliza would be alive and well to continue her life as she should have been.

How could they let this criminal with an extremely heinous juvenile record and just being released from prison a year earlier, walk around after another brutal rape accusation?????

eta: accusation of rape vs charge

 

[PawneeDew]

I'm completely shocked and disgusted that CH wasn't arrested for the rape in 2021. If he had been, Eliza would be alive and well to continue her life as she should have been.

How could they let this criminal with an extremely heinous juvenile record and just being released from prison a year earlier, walk around after another brutal rape charge?????

Without even being 'cuffed during court....

 

[CSIDreamer]

I'm speechless.

 

[Maradentro]

This piece of human garbage has likely never had consensual sex in his entire life. Sexual assault charge at 14, in and out of juvenile detention and then locked away at age 16 thru 36. He learned sex education in the prison system. Our judicial system is failing us when a danger to society such as this monster can be released into society with NO monitoring, oversight, parole, continual counseling or anything. There are many more Cleotha Hendersons walking amongst us sad to say.

 

[BeckyF]

well, thankfully this one was, so it will be the last. Will be curious to see if there’s more out there that haven’t matched to him yet.

It was way too late for Eliza though. And perhaps others.

 

[Breathe]

I wonder if her family will sue?

 

[2sharpe2]

Good morning I’m usually a stalker here I’ve been on here for a long time! So what y’all are saying if he would if been arrested in 2021 for a kidnapping and rape he would’ve been in jail today and Eliza Fletcher would still be alive?
Just heartbreaking.

 

[CSIDreamer]

I wonder if her family will sue?

I hope so. This needs to stop.

 

[steeltowngirl]

Was Abston/Henderson‘s DNA on file prior to Eliza’s murder? Or was it only linked to the previous rape case once his DNA was obtained from the sandal found at the scene of Eliza’s abduction?

I ask this, as I cannot read the paywalled article regarding the 2021 rape case. We know CA/H was just 14 years old when he committed a juvenile delinquent act of rape against an unnamed male, according to court documents.

Was his DNA ever obtained while in prison?

More than 76,000 DNA samples from convicted felons dating back to 1998 are missing from a state DNA database, according to Tennessee Bureau of Investigation estimates obtained by the Tennessee Lookout.

The failure to collect DNA is ongoing. Between 2016 and 2019, a total 30,316 DNA samples from felons should have been collected in Tennessee, according to TBI estimates. Yet 8,112 of these samples are missing.

Tennessee Has Failed To Collect DNA From 76,000 Violent Offenders

Memphis accounts for up to one-third of all missing DNA profiles stretching back to 1998.

patch.com

 

[PoppyBear]

Way to late. This should have never happened. Still, had he not been released from prison early this whole cycle would have started at his release. He was never going to become rehabilitated. I doubt those extra 4 years were going to make a difference to this disgusting human.

It is really depressing. How many other CAs are being released from prison and starting their cycles of violence again.

<modsnip>

 

[PoppyBear]

Good morning I’m usually a stalker here I’ve been on here for a long time! So what y’all are saying if he would if been arrested in 2021 for a kidnapping and rape he would’ve been in jail today and Eliza Fletcher would still be alive?
Just heartbreaking.

Yes, that. Had he not been released from prison early Eliza would have been alive as well, but while that would have saved her I am sure it would have been someone else. I am sure he has multiple other victims as it is.

 

[Blondie in Spokane]

This is copied from Kaen’s post above….this is so wrong! (for some reason I can’t bold on my iPad)

edited to add: 14,000 untested rape kits, mostly from black women!

“We just saw that the TBI turns around DNA test results in less than 24 hours,” Working said, pointing out that 14,000 rape kits — mostly from black women — went untested for 15 years. MPD investigated Eliza Fletcher's alleged killer for rape last year

 

[CSIDreamer]

Was Abston/Henderson‘s DNA on file prior to Eliza’s murder? Or was it only linked to the previous rape case once his DNA was obtained from the sandal found at the scene of Eliza’s abduction?

I ask this, as I cannot read the paywalled article regarding the 2021 rape case. We know CA/H was just 14 years old when he committed a juvenile delinquent act of rape against an unnamed male, according to court documents.

Was his DNA ever obtained while in prison?

More than 76,000 DNA samples from convicted felons dating back to 1998 are missing from a state DNA database, according to Tennessee Bureau of Investigation estimates obtained by the Tennessee Lookout.

The failure to collect DNA is ongoing. Between 2016 and 2019, a total 30,316 DNA samples from felons should have been collected in Tennessee, according to TBI estimates. Yet 8,112 of these samples are missing.

Tennessee Has Failed To Collect DNA From 76,000 Violent Offenders

Memphis accounts for up to one-third of all missing DNA profiles stretching back to 1998.

patch.com

I'm just certain it was on file. They got his DNA from the slides and then they went looking for him due to a DNA match. Thats my recollection. JMO

 

[Eloise]

I can’t read the article. I don’t understand. The DNA matched and the victim IDd him, but no arrest? That’s baffling.

It's not really baffling, sadly. Very few rapes result in charges let alone convictions. This is why women don't report, because what's the point? The cops don't care enough to arrest even with evidence. And if it does get to court it's the woman and her sex life that goes on trial, not the perpetrator.

 

[kccorona]

“We just saw that the TBI turns around DNA test results in less than 24 hours,”

This was something in Eliza’s case I was VERY interested in as well- LE processed that DNA sooo fast and got the match leading them to CA. Even less than 24 hours, if I remember the timeline correctly. While it was certainly impressive, one of my first thoughts was that the speed in which this was processed is likely to cause [good/productive?] trouble for LE in the future when investigations are delayed by “waiting for DNA to come back.” I understand the match was made quickly because CA’s DNA was already in CODIS, but I think we have all seen now how quickly the wheels of investigations CAN move.

ETA - obviously there were some special circumstances here in that the violent abduction was caught on camera and very soon after it occurred, but I also think other, perhaps less obvious, but prevalent reasons underlie the speed and force shown by LE to investigate this case.