Found Deceased TN - Eliza "Liza" Fletcher, 34, Abducted while jogging 4:30 am, forced into SUV, Central Ave near Univ of M, personal items found, Memphis 2 Sept 2022

[Knox]

Sept. 2 at 4 a.m.​

Fletcher, an avid runner who has qualified for the Boston Marathon, goes for a run around 4 a.m. She takes her usual route near the University of Memphis, according to authorities.

Sept. 2 at 7:45 a.m.​

MPD receives two phone calls — one from Fletcher's husband, Richard Fletcher III, who reported her missing after she did not come home from her run, and one from the University of Memphis.

Sept. 2, afternoon​

MPD says in a Friday afternoon news briefing that the department is not aware of any connection between Fletcher's abduction and reports from the start of the semester that someone had been harassing members of the University of Memphis' women's cross-country team as they ran in the area.

Later on, authorities took a white Jeep Grand Wagoneer from in front of Fletcher's home, according to FOX 13 Memphis.

Liza Fletcher abduction: Timeline of the Memphis teacher's disappearance

Here is a timeline of events surrounding the disappearance of.Memphis teacher Eliza Fletcher, who was abducted Friday morning while on a jog near the University of Memphis.

www.foxnews.com

 

[Gigi3]

If her phone was smashed, how did they know it was Eliza who was abducted? Wish LE would give chronological details.
Maybe the phone was still working so they called the ICE contact?

That’s a good question. I doubt it had any name on the phone case, but I guess it’s possible. She had been missing for a couple hours at least before it was reported, right?

I wish we had a timeline also. I’m assuming her phone was somewhere close to the abduction site.

 

[jawndough]

Do we know if the car taken from the home belonged to Liza or her husband? Not sure it matters, but was just curious.

 

[kspoon45]

Do we know if the car taken from the home belonged to Liza or her husband? Not sure it matters, but was just curious.

According to the Daily Mail, it was her car: Cops tow car and take shears from home of abducted mother-of-two who is a BILLIONAIRE heiress - as family offers $50,000 for information on her disappearance

Less than 24 hours after her disappearance, Memphis cops were seen towing her family car from her home. Investigators were also seen to label a pair of garden shears and a computer as evidence.

BBM.

 

[Blondie in Spokane]

With regards to how someone would react when confronted by a potential abductor the usual responses are fight, flight, freeze or appease, but exactly how it will play out depends on so many different factors.
I know that when it happened to me as an 11 year old, I had a gut reaction that I could not let him get me into his vehicle and I bolted. I was so frightened I literally could not make a sound.
In another situation as an adult when I was assaulted during an attempted robbery, my response was totally different - I screamed my lungs out and beat the perpetrator with my bag.
moo

Oh MissTilly I am so glad u survived those two terrifying events and are here with us today! U kept your wits about u & did what u had to do to survive. Absolutely frightening to hear about but I’m glad u posted.

I used to run early in the morning due to a crazy work schedule & thankfully never encountered a situation even close to Eliza’s but was always concerned about the many nut cases out there. Now years later I am paranoid about even taking my dog for a walk.…..sad world we live in.
Hoping for a good outcome for Eliza.

 

[Yemelyan]

Do we know if the car taken from the home belonged to Liza or her husband? Not sure it matters, but was just curious.

According to a reporter with ABC 24 Memphis, it is "expected" to be her car (his reply about this is in the comments to his tweet about the search at her home):

https://twitter.com/x/status/1565855290985177090

 

[NeverPersonal]

Police say someone kidnapped Eliza Fletcher near the UofM. Who is she?

Eliza Fletcher is a teacher at St. Mary’s Episcopal School and part of a well-known Memphis family.

t.co

"She knows each student individually and does whatever she can to excite them for learning," St. Mary's posted on Facebook last year. "You will always find her celebrating big and small successes in the classroom."

"She and her husband are both just inspirations in the sense of their zest for life and love of running and athletics," Robertson said. "But what's most important at this time is they have a very deep and profound trust in Christ, who they have leaned on throughout their lives and who has made a real significant impact on each of them personally. That is Ritchie's trust right now."

Fletcher appears to have been a dedicated runner for years. In 2019, she finished the St. Jude marathon with a time of 3:26:09, a fast enough time to qualify for the Boston Marathon, one of the most elite marathons in the world. Out of all the women running the St. Jude marathon that year, she finished 22nd.

Robertson said pastors are currently rotating in the Churches' sanctuary, which is open until 3 p.m. today. The church is only about one block away from where Fletcher is believed to have been kidnapped.

"In our sanctuary, there are people surrounding the family," Robertson said. "They just came immediately, as soon as they heard, because we're a close family."

Robertson said the church is maintaining hope that Fletcher will be found.

"We're not pollyannaish," Robertson said. "But we are praying for mercy and I think that's the prayer, the prayer is mostly for mercy. We're just praying for mercy."

 

[otto]

That’s a good question. I doubt it had any name on the phone case, but I guess it’s possible. She had been missing for a couple hours at least before it was reported, right?

I wish we had a timeline also. I’m assuming her phone was somewhere close to the abduction site.

"The UofM police said Fletcher’s cell phone and water bottle were found in front of a home owned by the university in the 3800 block of Central Ave."

$50,000 reward offered for finding woman reportedly kidnapped while jogging in UofM area

Investigators said Eliza Fletcher was reportedly forced into an SUV about 4:30 a.m. Friday after a brief struggle in the area of Central Ave. and Zach Curlin.

www.localmemphis.com

"Officers were told a woman, identified as Eliza Fletcher, 34, was jogging in the area around 4:20 a.m. when an unknown person approached her."

Vehicle found, man detained in mother kidnapping while jogging near University of Memphis

A woman was kidnapped while running early Friday morning near the University of Memphis, police say.

www.fox13memphis.com

 

[veronica.mars]

It doesn't bother me that the husband called around 7:45 because we aren't sure what the family's typical schedule looked like. Perhaps he is already off at work on a normal morning when Liza returns from her run. But it is worrisome that the university and the husband called authorities around the same time. Why would the university call around the same time as Liza's husband? I can't explain it but something feels off about that. Even so, there may be a simple explanation.

MAYBE something like her cell phone has a lockscreen message that gives her husband's phone number in case the phone is lost. The university finds the phone, calls the husband, who was still asleep, but that alerts him? (Though the phone couldn't be totally smashed for this to work. And do university police care when they find lost cell phones?)

 

[Gigi3]

"The UofM police said Fletcher’s cell phone and water bottle were found in front of a home owned by the university in the 3800 block of Central Ave."

$50,000 reward offered for finding woman reportedly kidnapped while jogging in UofM area

Investigators said Eliza Fletcher was reportedly forced into an SUV about 4:30 a.m. Friday after a brief struggle in the area of Central Ave. and Zach Curlin.

www.localmemphis.com

"Officers were told a woman, identified as Eliza Fletcher, 34, was jogging in the area around 4:20 a.m. when an unknown person approached her."

Vehicle found, man detained in mother kidnapping while jogging near University of Memphis

A woman was kidnapped while running early Friday morning near the University of Memphis, police say.

www.fox13memphis.com

I’m wondering if she had the wherewithal to throw these items for evidence or if the abductor threw them as not to be tracked.

I hope they can bring her home safe.

 

[Herat]

Maybe the university called the husband and the police. Husband didn’t realize they were calling 911 as well, so he went ahead and did so.

But why would the University know to call the Husband?

What did the University know or find that promted them to call the police?

 

[NeverPersonal]

Police search Memphis park near site of wealthy heiress Eliza Fletcher's abduction - Newsfeeds

 

[webslueth]

This is my first post. I just joined out of interest in this particular case. I live in this immediate area, two long blocks away. I’m very familiar with every inch of this area.

I don’t think we need to focus so heavily on the 7:45 starting point as when her belongings were discovered. I drove down Central at 7:40 +/- a few minutes and there were already several Police cars gathered, plus friends/family (that I would later recognize as such on news clips). This was already somewhat underway by then.

I had no idea that it was anything other than a traffic issue but did think it off that there were so many police cars, and that many were non patrol cars (suv/crossover types).

<modsnip>

 

[Gigi3]

But why would the University know to call the Husband?

What did the University know or find that promted them to call the police?

Agreed. That’s why I wish we had a better timeline for this.

No one witnessed this event correct? IIRC, LE thought she was only missing until they had video of the abduction. Something had to have prompted the university to call the police other that just finding the phone and water bottle. IMO.

 

[otto]

I’m wondering if she had the wherewithal to throw these items for evidence or if the abductor threw them as not to be tracked.

I hope they can bring her home safe.

There was a struggle when she was approached in the middle of the street. Her phone and water bottle were found in front of a house in the 3800 block of Central Ave. It's possible that she dropped them during the struggle, or that the suspect took them from her and threw them away during the abduction. I doubt that she would throw away her phone while being abducted.

"The alert says that a “male approached her at approximately 4:30 a.m. in the middle of Central Avenue and appeared to leave with her in an unknown vehicle following a brief struggle.” Police figured this out by obtaining surveillance video showing the abduction."

Eliza 'Liza' Fletcher Abducted: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know

Eliza Fletcher is a teacher who was abducted in the City of Memphis, Tennessee, while jogging.

heavy.com

 

[Herat]

Police say someone kidnapped Eliza Fletcher near the UofM. Who is she?

Eliza Fletcher is a teacher at St. Mary’s Episcopal School and part of a well-known Memphis family.

t.co

"She knows each student individually and does whatever she can to excite them for learning," St. Mary's posted on Facebook last year. "You will always find her celebrating big and small successes in the classroom."

"She and her husband are both just inspirations in the sense of their zest for life and love of running and athletics," Robertson said. "But what's most important at this time is they have a very deep and profound trust in Christ, who they have leaned on throughout their lives and who has made a real significant impact on each of them personally. That is Ritchie's trust right now."

Fletcher appears to have been a dedicated runner for years. In 2019, she finished the St. Jude marathon with a time of 3:26:09, a fast enough time to qualify for the Boston Marathon, one of the most elite marathons in the world. Out of all the women running the St. Jude marathon that year, she finished 22nd.

Robertson said pastors are currently rotating in the Churches' sanctuary, which is open until 3 p.m. today. The church is only about one block away from where Fletcher is believed to have been kidnapped.

"In our sanctuary, there are people surrounding the family," Robertson said. "They just came immediately, as soon as they heard, because we're a close family."

Robertson said the church is maintaining hope that Fletcher will be found.

"We're not pollyannaish," Robertson said. "But we are praying for mercy and I think that's the prayer, the prayer is mostly for mercy. We're just praying for mercy."

I hadn't realized this:

The church were EF taught pre-kindergaren was only about a block away from where she was abuducted?

That is incorrect.

As I look at a Google map, it's abought a MILE away from where she was kidnapped

 

[gliving]

But why would the University know to call the Husband?

What did the University know or find that promted them to call the police?

Just a guess, but maybe she was to meet up with a running buddy. When she didn't show, they backtracked and found her bottle and phone. moo nothing to back this but a hunch. Otherwise, it doesn't make sense for LE to get involved so quickly before husband knows she's missing.

 

[StarryStarryNight]

MAYBE something like her cell phone has a lockscreen message that gives her husband's phone number in case the phone is lost. The university finds the phone, calls the husband, who was still asleep, but that alerts him? (Though the phone couldn't be totally smashed for this to work. And do university police care when they find lost cell phones?)

A lot of athletes put their names on their water bottle. Maybe that’s how they knew who it belonged to and looked up her phone number to tell her they had found it.

 

[LauraAnne]

Even if the phone is smashed, can't they

Agreed. That’s why I wish we had a better timeline for this.

No one witnessed this event correct? IIRC, LE thought she was only missing until they had video of the abduction. Something had to have prompted the university to call the police other that just finding the phone and water bottle. IMO.

I'm not sure that no one noticed it. It may be that someone saw it, and so video was very quickly obtained from a nearby source. It seems to me that SOMEONE must have seen this and that started the ball rolling, but maybe not.

 

[raja]

I thought I read early on that the husband went out to look for her. If he found her phone and water bottle he may have knocked on that houses door. This may have started the ball rolling for both he and the university to call police. Jmo